Activist Spotlight: Mira Kux

Hi, my name is Mira Kux, and I’m serving as one of the campus Ambassadors for the Workers Circle College Network this year. (Learn more about Campus Ambassadors below). I’m a senior at Columbia, majoring in Middle Eastern Studies with a concentration in Hebrew and Arabic. I learned about the Workers Circle College Network from a long time friend this past summer and immediately knew it was something I had to get involved with.

Though I have been involved in Jewish communities my whole life, none have foregrounded secular Yiddish and Ashkenazi culture the way the Workers Circle does. My involvement with the Workers Circle pushes me to learn more about my cultural roots and history while grounding myself in the social justice values instilled in me by my parents and community. Living in New York City – the biggest Jewish city-proper in the world (look it up!) – has been a critical and exciting component of this experience by broadening my imagination and allowing me to imagine a vibrant diasporic future.

This year at Columbia, I am working with the Yiddish Club (shout-out to Nina, Is, and Sally!) to bring Yiddish culture and social justice events to the Jewish and non-Jewish community. We have already hosted a Yiddish picnic and are hosting a series of klezmer events featuring Chaia of Kleztronica! 

Campus Ambassadors are undergraduate students empowered to build community at the intersection of social justice and Yiddish culture. They develop leadership skills by planning unique Workers Circle events on their campuses. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about the Ambassador program, please email Francesca Rubinson, Senior Social Justice Organizer, at frubinson@circle.org.

Here are some of the Rosh Hashone cards with Yiddish holiday greetings created at the picnic!