Dear Estonian! With this survey, our goal is to get an overview of the needs of Estonian-American families and their expectations for Estonian Schools. The results of this survey will help improve how Estonian Schools can work together with families to develop stronger connections to the Estonian language and culture....
On June 14th, 1986, President Reagan hosted Baltic diaspora activists and leaders of JBANC at the White House. The President received JBANC's Baltic Freedom Award and signed proclamation #4948 declaring June 14 as "Baltic Freedom Day" in honor of the "heroic Baltic nations" suffering under Soviet occupation, which he called...
Karl Alatu, JBANC Nearly four months after the renewed Russian attack against Ukraine, we don’t know what the result will be in the end. Will brave Ukraine, with the help of Western military assistance, be able to drive away the invaders from the East? Or will the armies of Putin...
The multi-sensory one-time performance “Dawn till Dusk” fused contemporary dance with live music interpretations of Estonian mythology, folklore, and archival recordings dating back to the beginning of the 20th century. The show guided viewers through a year of folk calendar traditions incorporating tales of mystic rituals, old and new folklore...
EKRE and Isamaa want to restrict the voting rights of non-Estonian and non-EU citizens residing in Estonia, while the other parliamentary parties prefer alternative solutions. Currently, Estonian residents who are not Estonian citizens, nor of any other EU country, are eligible to vote in local elections, writes ERR News. In...
The Connecticut Estonian Society (CES) will hold its annual observance of Victory Day (võidupüha and St. John’s Night (jaaniõhtu) on June 25th at the Estonian Society’s Land (Eesti Maa), 25 Times Farms Road, Andover, CT 06232. Come and enjoy our beautiful Estonian Land with friends and family. The rain date...
The Election Committee, in accordance with Estonian American National Council bylaws, is submitting this list of candidates to serve on the XXIII Council. Those who submitted their application for candidacy by the announced deadline of May 26, 2022 have been included. As stipulated in the bylaws, a 10-day period is...
There are many ways to think about food. Being mindful of what we eat enables us both to enhance our enjoyment and to make the most beneficial food choices. In Energetics of Food: Encounters With Your Most Intimate Relationships, Steve Gagné describes how each food has its own particular character...
The exciting multidisciplinary performance "Dawn till Dusk" brought together a full house of spectators to the New York Estonian House on June 4. In performance featured four dancers and three musicians, the show was motivated by Estonian mythology and the folk calendar, which could be both seen and heard. The...
Filmmaker Terje Toomistu was in San Francisco on May 24 for a screening and discussion of her new documentary film “Homing Beyond” (Põlvkond piiri taga), about a new generation's experience of immigration, identity, and belonging. Terje Toomistu: ““It was a great turnout for the screening of “Homing Beyond” at San...
Vaba Eesti Sõna (VES), a 'Free Estonian Word,' is an Estonian expatriate bi-weekly newspaper with a national readership, founded in 1949 and published in New York City by The Nordic Press Estonian-American Publishers, Inc.
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Thanks to the support and generous donations from our readers, we continue to spread the Estonian spirit across America. Politically independent, we are dedicated to a free and independent Republic of Estonia. Our newspaper and its staff proudly uphold the title: 'Free Estonian Word.'
Monument to the 1944 Great Flight Opened in Pärnu