Beyond Schmaltz: The Essence of Yiddish
For many of us, a Yiddish phrase or word reminds us of parents and grandparents who may have not been Yiddish speakers but held on to a taste of Yiddish that they inherited from their own parents and grandparents. Even when visiting Warsaw – what was the largest Yiddish-speaking city in the world before 1939 – Yiddish is no longer the language of the streets and markets, synagogues, and theaters. Yet, Yiddish is more than nostalgia. It is the linguistic home that generations of Eastern European Jews inhabited. We’ll take a deep dive and look at the place of Yiddish in the dreams and fears, the triumphs and defeats of a Jewish civilization now gone… But is it?
Links for Additional Reading:
Yiddish Civilisation: The Rise and Fall of a Forgotten Nation, Paul Kriwaczek
Learn Popular Yiddish Words with Amy Walker!
Yiddish Is Making a Comeback Robin Estrin, All Things Considered, NPR, 22 April, 2025
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