Julie Weitz

Doikayt / hereness

an ongoing photographic performance series

2022-Present

In her ongoing photographic performance project Doikayt/Hereness, Weitz engages with prewar Yiddish art, poetry, and performance—often imbued with a queer sensibility—to explore Yiddish culture as a model for reclaiming language and identity in the face of ethnic violence and displacement. The term doikayt, means "hereness" in Yiddish; it is a call to be present and reflect on belonging and the embodiment of Jewishness in the diaspora. For centuries, Yiddish folktales from Eastern Europe featured mythological figures like tzadiks, dybbuks, and golems, who animated the dreams and daily lives of Jewish communities before the Holocaust. The tzadik, a holy figure disguised as a beggar; the dybbuk, a wandering spirit that possesses a living body; and the golem, a clay protector brought to life in times of danger, each embody the depth and resilience of the Yiddish spiritual imagination.

Since 2022, Weitz’s research has explored intersections of diasporic identity, folklore, and embodied memory. For further insight into her process, see her 2023 essay in Ayin Press. [Read it here.]