photo by: Contributed

The Lawrence Jewish Community Congregation is hosting a Yiddish Poetry Night featuring readings from local poets. The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place at the Lawrence Art Center’s 10th & Mass Studios, 1000 Massachusetts St., on April 19 at 7 p.m.

The Lawrence Jewish Community Congregation will host a Yiddish Poetry Night this month that will feature local poets reading the works of a celebrated poet and other original pieces based on his works.

The synagogue announced in a press release Thursday the event will take place on Sunday, April 19 and provide “an evening of poetry and song” that celebrates Avrom Sutzkever, a poet born in 1913 in modern-day Belarus whose work chronicled his life in Eastern Europe including life in a Jewish ghetto in World War II and his eventual escape.

Lawrence poets Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, Judy Roitman, RB Lemberg, Bogi Takacs, Marina Jaffe, Peter Wright and musician Joslyn Rose will present original pieces related to Sutzkever’s work and share his work as well.

Michael Hennecke, a member of the congregation, said in a statement he wanted to put together the event after his “deep dive into Yiddish language and culture.” Hennecke said when he stumbled across Sutzkever’s writings, he “couldn’t believe (he’d) never heard of him,” and he is thrilled to share Sutzkever’s work with the community while “showcas(ing) the work of so many talented local writers and performers.”

The reading is also supported by a grant from the Yiddish Book Center, an Amherst, Massachusetts-based organization that preserves Yiddish literature and culture to help in advancing a fuller understanding of Jewish history and culture. The LJCC noted in a press release the synagogue received a grant from the center in 2025, and this is the first of two Yiddish events it will host this year.

The Yiddish Poetry Night will be at the Lawrence Art Center’s 10th & Mass Studios, 1000 Massachusetts St. The event is free and open to the public. Doors open for the event on April 19 at 6:30 p.m., with the readings beginning at 7 p.m.