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 was 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

Yiddish is Making a Comeback, Robin Estrin, All Things Considered, NPR, 22 April 2025

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