Radically Inclusive Jewish Culture
Purim is a time to play with the hidden and revealed, the Esther and the Vashti, the mysteriousness of pretending to be someone else and transformation of self within collective liberation. Join us for a night of (un)dressing, community megillah reading, hamentaschen baking, peeking at the exhibition Sex: Jewish...
Oy Vey's resident philosopher Yoni Busquila will be leading a series of face-to-face discussions of Jewish philosophical texts at the LJG in Den Haag. The discussions and texts are in English. In the first session of 2025's edition of the Deviant Yeshiva, we will be reading and discussing Levinas's "Messianic...
Join us 22 February in Amsterdam for Havdalah Reimagined.
Havdalah Reimagined
Havdalah is the Jewish ritual that separates Shabbat from the rest of the week. It’s a ceremony that celebrates our senses: we smell spices, light a multi-wick candle and enjoy the look of the flames reflected in our fingernails. There...
Join us for a screening of No Other Land followed by a discussion with Lievnath Faber
Join us Saturday December 14th between 10:00 and 15:30 for a Jewish zine-making practice. We will start with speaking and sharing about our experiences in the city. In the afternoon we will work graphically and play with words and images with our friends at Studio Schreefloos in Amsterdam to create our own zine: a...
Join Oy Vey 19 December at Pakhuis de Zwijger for a taste of the Jewish Manifesto and a discussion of being Jewish in a non-Jewish world.
Join us Saturday December 14th between 10:00 and 15:30 for a Jewish zine-making practice. We will start with speaking and sharing about our experiences in the city. In the afternoon we will work graphically and play with words and images with our friends at Studio Schreefloos in Amsterdam to create our own zine: a...
8 Dec in Rotterdam: Explore a web of correspondences alluding to the social and political climate in the Netherlands during the period leading up to and the decades following the Shoah.
Join Oy Vey 31 November for Havdalah Reimagined. During Havdalah Reimagined, led by Tali Gross and Lievnath Faber, we extend the space between Shabbat and the rest of the week a bit longer with music and reflections.
On November 21, Oy Vey will launch the Jewish Manifesto into the world with a Manifestival in Amsterdam. We'll have music, performances from some of the Netherlands most exciting Jewish writers, a spoken word artist, and more. We'd love to see you there!
Nov 10: Locating common ground: Jews and race
Oct 20: What? Me worry? What's so funny about self-criticism? Talk among yourselves during the Deviant Yeshiva.
Join us for our local lulav workshop on the 13th of October
Join Oy Vey 7 October for Gathering in introspection. A day of grief, introspection and teshuva.
Join us 4 Oct for a Tashlich gathering and potluck Shabbat dinner. Tashlich is a new tradition for many of us at Oy Vey. So don't worry if you have never heard of it or participated. You are welcome to join us and learn together.
Join Oy Vey 29 September for How to... Rosh Hashana. Learning the basics of this holiday in order to be able to able to organize your own celebration.
Film screening 26 Sept: How to create constructive dialogue and cooperation against all odds. The film takes a deeper look at fundamental problems that have been around long before the outbreak of war between Hamas and Israel. The aim of this evening is precisely to create such a constructive dialogue in order to...
Freedom Lecture at de Balie: Alon-lee Green and Rula Daood from Standing Together lecture on justice and against the occupation of Palestinian land.
On 21 Sept, you are invited to join us for a potluck dinner and Havdalah ceremony.
8 Sept: What does it mean to de-colonize Jewishness? Talk among yourselves at the Deviant Yeshiva.
Join Oy Vey for a Shabbat potluck dinner on Friday, 16 August.
Come check out Oy Vey’s first Oneg Shabbat experiment with a Havdalah potluck dinner. Discussions, activities, and food! We're starting early for kids and early birds, with plenty of time for people who want to come later.
Oy Vey is participating in the commemoration of Jacob Israël de Haan on the 100th year since the death of the Jewish writer, socialist, and gay activist. We will meet on Friday, 14 June for an evening of food, conversation, ritual, and connection.
What could be better than sharing a Shabbat meal with the Oy Vey crew in Amsterdam? Find out for yourself when you join us for an Oy Vey Potluck Shabbat.
Argentinian cameraman Leandro makes a living from filming Jewish weddings. At one of his jobs, he falls in love with Paloma, the clarinetist of the Klezmer band. To seduce her he pretends to be shooting a documentary film about traditional Yiddish folk music. What Leandro does not know is that his “fake” film...
Jewish life in the Netherlands remains elusive after the Shoah. The film is an expression of reclaiming, overcoming, and searching for a more intimate and joyful Dutch-Jewish identity.
At the height of the pandemic a young man with brain cancer named Ethan Sisser became a social media influencer, inspiring thousands around the globe with his unique approach towards the dying process.
The Oy Vey Film Festival is closing on 5 May. In Amsterdam at the Kriterion. Dutch premiers! All around the theme of Diaspora.
A recording of the historic tram ride telling the story of the February Strike. Descendants recount the story of Joop IJisberg, who called for the strike at the GVB in the Havenstraat.
An animated feature film following the dramatic journey of two siblings, Kyona and her brother Adriel, who are running away, because they are being pursued by an unspecified Eastern European country.
Oy Vey Film presents five short films about Jewish experiences, from a man reliving his past to documentaries about family, identity, and refugees. After the screening, there will be a memorial ritual.
Anna and Adam, a young couple from Paris with Polish Jewish origins, travel to Poland for the first time of their lives. If Adam is not very excited about this trip, Anna is excited to discover the land that is also her grandmother's.
The May 4th schedule will also include a special memorial ceremony organized by Oy Vey and starting around 19.30.
Two sisters navigate through political protests and social changes in France during 1963-1964, with the older one becoming more politically involved around the Algerian War and her Jewish identity.
Two friends, a Muslim and a Jew, fight against the German occupation in Tunis in 1942. Myriam is forced to marry but does not want to. The film explores the relationship between Jewish and Arab cultures.
The Oy Vey Film Festival is coming up 2-5 May! In Amsterdam at the Kriterion. Save the dates! May 3 is the second day.
The film tells the story of Sero, a Kurdish boy in a Syrian border village in the 1980s, and his confusion about the education that teaches him Arab nationalism and hatred of Jews. Humor, satire, and memories link the Syrian tragedy to the present.
The Oy Vey Film Festival is coming up 2-5 May! In Amsterdam at the Kriterion. Save the dates! May 2 is the first day.
Join Oy Vey for a Pesach Seder on 26 April in Amsterdam.
Join Tali and Lievnath for a beautiful evening of song and meditation to mark the division between Shabbat and the rest of the week.
This month's Oy Vey Shabbat promises to be surprising, with space for conversation, games, yoga (really?!!), singing, and ritual. If you've never attended a Shabbat dinner before, you are welcome. If this is just one of many Shabbat dinners for you, we promise to make it special.
It's that time of year again! When we start to think of Pesach and all the things we need to do to prepare. We invite you to make your unique centerpiece for the festive dinner and design the Seder plate. It's become an Oy Vey tradition to collaborate with Kesemy Design Studio to decorate our own Seder plates
Oy Vey invites you to a fantastically, majestically, gloriously queer Purim party: Queens for the Night!
Come talk about the judeo-anarchist possibility with Oy Vey's very own philosopher. Together we will discuss Boyarin and Levinas. No prior knowledge required.
Come and walk with Oy Vey and learn about Jewish resistance in Amsterdam. Discover untold stories of Jewish resistance to Nazi occupied Amsterdam.
Oy Vey Reimagines Havdalah
Oy Vey hosts Jewish events in the Netherlands. You can join us on Saturday evening, 24 February for a Havdalah meditation to mark the moment between the restfulness of Shabbat and the start of the week in which we return to our never-ending-to-do-lists. We reimagine together what...
Oy Vey hosts Jewish events in the Netherlands. Join us for a monthly shabbat dinner full of gezelligheid, new and old traditions, and pretty good food. This is an opportunity to connect with others and come together as a community. If you have a tradition or song or poem that you would like to share, please bring...
Did you know there is a Jewish new year for the trees? And that there is a fun ceremony to go with it? If you are in the Netherlands, we've got a Tu b'Shvat seder for you! Whether you are new to this Jewish ritual or familiar with it, you are welcome to join! It should be fun. The company will be warm and the...
Just what is the Jewish Manifesto?
The Jewish Manifesto project gives a voice to the lived experiences of Jews in the Netherlands. What do Jews in the Netherlands need to feel safe and free in Dutch society? How do we effectively combat anti-Semitism? And what is needed to give Jewish culture and Jewish life a...
Just what is the Jewish Manifesto?
Phase one is a series of discussions with Jews all over the Netherlands.
NL
Met het Joods Manifest willen we een stem geven aan de geleefde ervaringen van Joden in Nederland. Wat hebben Nederlandse Joden nodig om zich veilig en vrij te voelen in de Nederlandse samenleving? Hoe...
Join Oy Vey for a series of monthly Havdalah meditations on Saturday evenings to mark the moment between the restfulness of Shabbat and the start of the week in which we return to our never-ending-to-do-lists. We reimagine together what havdalah can be and infuse it with (kabbalah) teachings from our Jewish...
More than 100 days have passed since the Hamas attack on October 7th and the start of Israel’s destructive war on Gaza. We, Palestinians and Israelis living in the Netherlands, are horrified by the continuing violence and united in our grief. We call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire.
Just what is the Jewish Manifesto?
Phase one is a series of discussions with Jews all over the Netherlands.
NL
Met het Joods Manifest willen we een stem geven aan de geleefde ervaringen van Joden in Nederland. Wat hebben Nederlandse Joden nodig om zich veilig en vrij te voelen in de Nederlandse samenleving? Hoe...
The Deviant Yeshiva explores philosophical texts related to Jewishness in this learning opportunity from Oy Vey. The conversations are led by philosopher Yoni Busquila, a lecturer at Leiden University. These conversations aren’t just for Jews! Join the Deviant Yeshiva for lively conversations guaranteed to light...
The Deviant Yeshiva explores philosophical texts related to Jewishness in this learning opportunity from Oy Vey. The conversations are led by philosopher Yoni Busquila, a lecturer at Leiden University. These conversations aren’t just for Jews! Join the Deviant Yeshiva for lively conversations guaranteed to light...
The Deviant Yeshiva explores philosophical texts related to Jewishness in this learning opportunity from Oy Vey. The conversations are led by philosopher Yoni Busquila, a lecturer at Leiden University. These conversations aren’t just for Jews! Join the Deviant Yeshiva for lively conversations guaranteed to light...
UPDATE-Event is full. No more sign-ups
Oy! It’s already Chanoeka – the holiday no one can spell. Where will you be celebrating Hanukah in the Netherlands? Join Oy Vey for a gezellige evening with candles, snacks, stories, and song. For all ages. Join us in Amsterdam for an evening of light, music, and stories...
Jouw vragen
Al meer dan een jaar praten we met Joden in heel Nederland over hun ervaringen. In dit laatste gesprek over het Joods Manifest willen we een aantal vragen van eerdere deelnemers meenemen. Samen gaan we dieper in op deze vragen. We sluiten het gesprek af met een feestelijke toost: l’chaim, op het...
Looking for a fun Chanukah* activity in Amsterdam? Ceramic artist and creative coach Kesem Yahav will guide us through creating our own chanoekiah (menorah) with clay at her workshop in Amsterdam
This workshop is limited to the first 10 people confirmed, so sign up soon!
We always have fun at Kesem Yahav’s...
Jouw vragen
Al meer dan een jaar praten we met Joden in heel Nederland over hun ervaringen. In dit laatste gesprek over het Joods Manifest willen we een aantal vragen van eerdere deelnemers meenemen. Samen gaan we dieper in op deze vragen. We sluiten het gesprek af met een feestelijke toost: l’chaim, op het...
Join Oy Vey for a series of monthly Havdalah meditations on Saturday evenings to mark the moment between the restfulness of Shabbat and the start of the week in which we return to our never-ending-to-do-lists. We reimagine together what havdalah can be and infuse it with (kabbalah) teachings from our Jewish...
Please join us for a monthly shabbat dinner full of gezelligheid, new and old traditions, and pretty good food. This is an opportunity to connect with others and come together as a community. If you have a tradition or song or poem that you would like to share, please bring it along. We create Shabbat together. Oy...
For our inaugural session of Oy Vey Reads, we’ll be reading Nina Siegal’s powerful book The Diary Keepers, available in Dutch as De vergeten dagboeken.
The book is based on diary entries from a collection of Dutch diaries written during World War II. The Diary Keepers looks at the history from the point of view...
Scroll down for English…
De Joodse/Israëlische Conflatie
Dit zijn privé discussies! Alleen voor ons. Er wordt geen publiek toegelaten tot de discussie.
Dus, je bent Joods, hoe denk je over Israël/Palestina?
Voor veel Joden in Nederland wordt Joods zijn gereduceerd tot Israël/Palestina of de...
On 13 Oct the monthly Oy Vey Shabbat potluck tradition continues with a Shabbat dinner in Amsterdam! Join us for some gezelligheid with shared food and shared rites and rituals. Each Shabbat is different depending on what you bring to the event. It’s not just a potluck of food, but a potluck of tradition. Bring a...
We’re dancing ecstatically to honor the joyous time between Sukkot and Simchat Torah. Instead of our monthly Reimagined Havdalah we gather to mark the moment of transition between Sukkot and Simchat Torah with ecstatic dance. Back in temple times this would be when the alter was ritually cleansed.
So let us...
Sukkot is coming up. We imagine that this was a great festival that marked the end of the harvest, with plenty to eat, music, and rest. People would gather in makeshift huts (sukkot!) to celebrate together. This holiday reminds us that we were once people who marked time by harvests and plantings and the variation...
Join Oy Vey for a series of monthly Havdalah meditations on Saturday evenings to mark the moment between the restfulness of Shabbat and the start of the week in which we return to our never-ending-to-do-lists. We reimagine together what havdalah can be and infuse it with (kabbalah) teachings from our Jewish...
Rosh Hashana Already?
Save the date: 15 September
APPROXIMATE TIMES: 16:30 for children and families and early birds; Grownup Tashlich at 18:30
Join us as we blend old and new together to create a new Rosh Hashana tradition for ourselves. The old tradition is Tashlich: a ceremony which involves casting our...
Don’t be a stranger, join us at the Vondelpark Openlucht Theater for the Amsterdam Klezmer Band! Just show up at the park and look for the enthusiastic bunch from Oy Vey. It’s free, outside, and low stress (unless you’re playing in the band). Hope to see you there!
Oy Vey’s Monthly Shabbat! 18 Aug
On 18 August the monthly Oy Vey Shabbat potluck tradition continues! Join us for some gezelligheid with shared food and shared rites and rituals. Each Shabbat is different depending on what you bring to the event. It’s not just a potluck of food, but a potluck of tradition. Bring...
Reading Radical Jewish Thinkers
Uncle Karl invites you to join our reading group for radical Jewish texts/thinkers.
We will be reading classic texts such as Walter Benjamin’s thesis on History, Levinas’ “Judaism and Revolution”, Helene Cixous, Andrea Dworkin and Gillian Rose. We also thought it could be...
Hey Lovelies, Let’s walk together for the Pride Walk on 22 July! But even before that, let’s get together and decide how we want to represent. Contact tori@oyvey.nl if you’d like to volunteer to promote our group or just chat.
If you don’t have time to volunteer, but still want to join us, you are *more than...
On 21 July, We’ll be hosting a Shabbat at an Oy Vey member’s home. Sign up for details.
We’ll be reading: Gilroy “Black/Jewish relationship”
Uncle Karl invites you to join our reading group for radical Jewish texts/thinkers. We will be reading classic texts such as Walter Benjamin’s thesis on History, Levinas’ “Judaism and Revolution”, Helene Cixous, Andrea Dworkin and Gillian Rose. We also though...
Reading Radical Jewish Thinkers
Uncle Karl invites you to join our reading group for radical Jewish texts/thinkers.
We will be reading classic texts such as Walter Benjamin’s thesis on History, Levinas’ “Judaism and Revolution”, Helene Cixous, Andrea Dworkin and Gillian Rose. We also thought it could be...
On 23 June, We’ll be hosting a shabbat at Het Anker
Dit zijn privé discussies! Alleen voor ons. Er wordt geen publiek toegelaten tot de discussie.
Hoe is het om Joods te zijn in een niet-joodse wereld?
What is it like being Jewish in a non-Jewish world?
These are private discussions! Just for us. There will be no audience admitted to the...
Dit zijn privé discussies online! Alleen voor ons. Er wordt geen publiek toegelaten tot de discussie.
Hoe is het om Joods te zijn in een niet-joodse wereld?
What is it like being Jewish in a non-Jewish world?
These are private discussions online! Just for us. There will be no audience admitted to the...
We’ll be reading Rose: “Is there a Jewish philosophy”
Uncle Karl invites you to join our reading group for radical Jewish texts/thinkers. We will be reading classic texts such as Walter Benjamin’s thesis on History, Levinas’ “Judaism and Revolution”, Helene Cixous, Andrea Dworkin and Gillian Rose. We also though...
Dit zijn privé discussies! Alleen voor ons. Er wordt geen publiek toegelaten tot de discussie.
Joodse vreugde en comfort
Kunnen we ons dat voorstellen?
Jewish Joy and Comfort
Can we imagine that?
These are private discussions! Just for us. There will be no audience admitted to the discussion.
Let’s...
Reading Radical Jewish Thinkers
Uncle Karl invites you to join our reading group for radical Jewish texts/thinkers.
We will be reading classic texts such as Walter Benjamin’s thesis on History, Levinas’ “Judaism and Revolution”, Helene Cixous, Andrea Dworkin and Gillian Rose. We also thought it could be...
Dit zijn privé discussies online! Alleen voor ons. Er wordt geen publiek toegelaten tot de discussie.
Joodse vreugde en comfort
Kunnen we ons dat voorstellen?
Jewish Joy and Comfort
Can we imagine that?
These are private discussions online! Just for us. There will be no audience admitted to the...
We’ll be reading Cixous “Jewish colonial womanhood”
Uncle Karl invites you to join our reading group for radical Jewish texts/thinkers. We will be reading classic texts such as Walter Benjamin’s thesis on History, Levinas’ “Judaism and Revolution”, Helene Cixous, Andrea Dworkin and Gillian Rose. We also though...
Join us for a series of monthly Havdalah meditations on Saturday evenings in Amsterdam to mark the moment between the restfulness of Shabbat and the start of the week in which we return to our never-ending-to-do-lists. With the magical Tali Jael Gross, voice, song and guitar.
Register for Havdalah...
On 5 May, Liberation Day, Oy Vey is hosting a special Shabbat to honor Lag B’Omer, which is, well, honestly, a confusing holiday. In some places it includes bonfires and bows and arrows. That’s why we’ve decided to host a barbecue (without the bows and arrows). If the weather is bad, we’ll go inside. So bring...
Reading Radical Jewish Thinkers
Uncle Karl invites you to join our reading group for radical Jewish texts/thinkers.
We will be reading classic texts such as Walter Benjamin’s thesis on History, Levinas’ “Judaism and Revolution”, Helene Cixous, Andrea Dworkin and Gillian Rose. We also though it could be...
If you came here looking for the upcoming discussion, please click here.
Dit zijn privé discussies! Alleen voor ons. Er wordt geen publiek toegelaten tot de discussie.
Laten we ons samen een Joodse toekomst voorstellen!
These are private discussions! Just for us. There will be no audience admitted to the...
Make a Jewish connection at Shabbat in Amsterdam
We’re having a veggie potluck Shabbat on Friday, April 3in Amsterdam. Jewish connection, ritual, and conversation for all of us.
At new location: Het Anker in the New West, Amsterdam*
🕯️We start at 18:00 but with some flexibility so don’t be afraid to show up...
Make a Jewish connection at Shabbat in Amsterdam
We’re having a veggie potluck Shabbat on Friday, March 10 in Amsterdam. Jewish connection, ritual, and conversation for all of us.
At new location: Het Anker in the New West, Amsterdam*
🕯️We start at 18:00 but with some flexibility so don’t be afraid to show up...
1 Feb, KRITERION AMSTERDAM, screening of Shiva Baby at 21:15, more information on the Kriterion website.
https://youtu.be/8uT1M9WfqYA
What brings light into your life?
That’s the theme of our Channukah Shabbat. We’d love to hear your responses when we gather together.
And speaking of light: We’ll be lighting lots of candles at our Channuka Shabbat on Dec 23. We’d love it if you brought your own Chanukkiah with you to light along with...
Vegan potluck Shabbat in Amsterdam Oost at NieuwLand!
This is an invitation to come build the Shabbat with us together.
Yonathan and Tori are hosting and, of course, have things they love about Shabbat. One of them is creating the evening together with you and your traditions, new or old.
We hope to see...
Immersive Music and Film Experience
What is the sound of our ancestry? What is the music of our memory?
Join musicians Olec Mün and Daniel Voskoboynik for a concert and visual immersion into the sounds and faces of Jewish life at the beginning of the 20th century.
Ruakh features original music and...
What is the sound of our ancestry? What is the music of our memory?
Join musicians Olec Mün and Daniel Voskoboynik for a concert and visual immersion into the sounds and faces of Jewish life at the beginning of the 20th century.
Ruakh features original music and contemporary arrangements of some of the oldest...
Join us for a series of monthly Havdalah meditations on Saturday evenings to mark the moment between the restfulness of Shabbat and the start of the week in which we return to our never-ending-to-do-lists. With the magical Tali Jael Gross, voice, song and guitar.
Register for Havdalah Meditations
when:...
The Jewish Manifesto project gives a voice to the lived experiences of Jews in the Netherlands. What do Dutch Jews need to feel safe and free in Dutch society? How do we effectively combat anti-Semitism? And what is needed to give Jewish culture and Jewish life a place in Dutch society? The manifesto is an attempt...
Leadership skills are important and valuable skills for life. Together with Crescas we have set up a leadership training especially for teens!
In five sessions we will cover the following topics:
being Jewish in the world – especially now!
understanding the map of Dutch Jewish communities
leadership...
Check out Bloem & Levi – two teens who singlehandedly started the first BBYO chapter in the Netherlands. YEAH. BBYO is a teen-led, grassroots movement, welcoming all Jewish teens, regardless of background, denominational affiliation, gender, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status. It’s seriously...
This Yom Kippur as many synagogues are closed we were looking for ways to be able to gather in a smaller fashion and spend the day in community.
Grief is an important element of this day. Reckoning with our own mortality. The given that life is not without end. And the awareness of this can infuse our lives with...
Join us for a Jewish inspired yoga practice in preparation for Yom Kippur in the beautiful Uilenburgersjoel synagogue, in collaboration with Oy Vey. Take your mind off the daily grind and settle yourself in some collective meditative practice on the yoga mat!
Date: Sunday 27 September
Location:...
On the morning before Erev Rosh Hashana, the beginning of (one of the!) Jewish new year(s) we invite you to join us for a mikveh in the sea. Dipping in the mikveh (any source of mayyim hayyim a.k.a. ‘living waters’ will do) is an ancient Jewish ritual of marking an event or transition (the monthly flow of...
Join us for a special roundtable reflecting on the issue of antisemitism today and its connection to issues of inclusion, exclusion, and discrimination in contemporary society.
This conversation is in collaboration with Arti et Amicitiae in the context of their exhibition ‘U zult begrijpen dat… De keuzes van...
Together with Nederland Wordt Beter and Zwart Manifest, we are organizing an evening exploring Jewish-Black relations in the Netherlands. The past, present and future. The hurtful, the powerful, the beautiful. Where can we come together and create allyships and further conversations? The program is still being...
We are thrilled to announce that Tik Tok Daf Yomi legend Miriam Anzovin is coming to us (through zoom!) to teach us all about her special and unique method to tackle Talmud. If you have not seen any of her work yet, check it out here. It is the best thing, ever. You need to register for the session with Miriam...