Courtesy of Fideicomiso de Turismo de La Paz
In early August, the Yiddish Arts and Academics Association of North America (YAAANA) plans to move its arts and cultural center Yiddishland California — formerly located in La Jolla, CA — to its new home in La Paz, the capital of Mexico’s Baja California Sur state.
Like most Yiddish organizations, YAAANA operates on a shoestring budget. But relocating Yiddishland California to Mexico won’t come cheap, said its founder Jana Mazurkiewicz Meisarosh. “We’re very excited about the move, but everything depends on raising enough money by the end of July. If we don’t get $6,500 by the end of July, we’ll have to call off the relocation,” she said.
YAAANA founded Yiddishland California on a bustling commercial street in La Jolla in 2021. Inside its cheerful storefront space, visitors enjoyed in-person talks, classes, concerts, Jewish holiday parties, workshops, children’s activities and more — always focused on Yiddish language and culture. Works by prominent Jewish artists lined the walls. Old books in Yiddish and Hebrew — some of them rarities — filled wooden bookcases. Adults and especially kids were encouraged to handle objects like antique menorahs and mezuzahs and ask questions.
Sadly, the La Jolla center suffered financial challenges and had to close its doors in April 2024.
Meisarosh was determined to find a new home for Yiddishland California. (It will keep “California” in its name regardless of where it moves.) After exploring sites in Europe, the US, and Central America, she found the ideal spot in La Paz.
The new location is in the busy pedestrian-friendly downtown, popular with locals and tourists. Unlike La Jolla’s storefront space, Yiddishland will be in a large single-story house with plenty of air and light. In fact, the Meisarosh family intends to live in the house, blending private and communal spaces. The big living room would become Yiddishland’s art gallery and main place for events and classes. The house has a large backyard where gatherings can be hosted year-round thanks to La Paz’s warm climate.
“We hope the atmosphere will be truly heymish (the Yiddish word for “homey”),” said Meisarosh.
Moving Yiddishland’s extensive collection of art and antiques — including paintings and prints (some owned by YAAANA, some loaned by artists around the world), old furniture, rare books and vintage Judaica — is a big part of the challenge. The whole collection has been in storage in southern California since April 2024. Now everything needs to be packed up and safely transported to Mexico.
“These objects are precious in every sense, and they’re essential to our teaching mission — to our ability to engage and excite visitors about Yiddish and Jewish culture. We need to pack them professionally and bring them to Mexico with the care and attention they deserve,” Meisarosh said.
In La Paz, Yiddishland will join a small but flourishing Jewish community with old roots. Beth Yona Chabad, led by Rabbi Yosef Gutierrez, offers Shabbat and holiday services and a Hebrew school to around 120 local Jewish families. The energetic community is growing rapidly as Jewish expats from all over the world discover its charms.
Yiddishland’s programs would add a Yiddish tam (flavor) to Jewish life in La Paz. Yiddish culture has a rich history in Mexico City, going back to an influx of immigrants from Eastern Europe in the 1920s-1940s. Yiddish doesn’t yet have much of a foothold in Baja California Sur — but the desire is there.
Meisarosh also plans to draw attention to Ladino (Judeo-Spanish). Yiddishland is already teaching Ladino classes online alongside Yiddish and Hebrew.
“Yiddishland’s main focus will always be Yiddish,” said Meisarosh. “But we’ll make sure Judeo-Spanish is visible too. It will help local Spanish-speaking Jews feel welcome and seen. It should also be intriguing to non-Jews who come in from the street. Yiddish and Ladino would work symbiotically, helping visitors understand the richness and diversity of Jewish languages and cultures.”
For now, Meisarosh is focused on raising the funds to move and get Yiddishland up and running in La Paz. But she has an eye on the future too — and on the road.
“When we were traveling to research sites for Yiddishland, we held lots of events teaching locals about Yiddish. The response was great — people were receptive and curious. So we’d want to keep Yiddishland on the move in Mexico. Southern California and the American Southwest aren’t too far away. La Paz has an international airport with plenty of flights to and from the East Coast and Europe, so that gives us options — both to travel and bring speakers to Yiddishland. The possibilities are endless.”
