The history, tragedies, and bitter controversies that characterized a language once spoken by 11 million people brought vividly to life
For a people of exile, the language took the place of a nation. . .
In a time of rising antisemitism, some see greater awareness of Yiddish language and history as a way to foster understanding
The history, tragedies, and bitter controversies that characterized a language once spoken by 11 million people brought vividly to life
For a people of exile, the language took the place of a nation. . .
In a time of rising antisemitism, some see greater awareness of Yiddish language and history as a way to foster understanding
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* 25th Anniversary Edition
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* Winner of the National Jewish Book Award
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This 1st ever popular history of Yiddish is so full of life that it reads like a biography of the language. Once upon a time Yiddish was the glue that held a people together. Impoverished and disenfranchised in the eyes of the world, Yiddish speakers created their own reality-wealthy in appreciation of the varieties of human behavior, spendthrift in their humor, brilliantly inventive in maintaining and strengthening community. The written and spoken word formed the Yiddishland that never came to be. Words were army, university, city-state, territory. They were a people's home.
The tale of the language and its people ranges far beyond Europe, from North America to Israel to the Russian-Chinese border, and from the end of the first millennium to the present day.
By:
Miriam Weinstein
Imprint: Steerforth Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions:
Height: 215mm,
Width: 139mm,
Weight: 369g
ISBN: 9781586424282
ISBN 10: 1586424289
Pages: 336
Publication Date: 19 May 2026
Audience:
General/trade
,
ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming
Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xi Cast of Characters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii A Note on Yiddish Spelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii Map of Yiddish Lands. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiv-xv Introduction: Talking Jewish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Part 1. Birth and Growth Chapter 1. Long as the Jewish Exile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Chapter 2. Poland: Rest Here . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Chapter 3. Shtetl: A Separate World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Chapter 4. Enlightenment and Hasidism: The Head and the Heart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Part 2. The Modern Era Chapter 5. Eastern Europe: Opening the Gates . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Chapter 6. The Road to Czernowitz: The Politics of Language. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Chapter 7. Russia: Kissed by a Thief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Chapter 8. The Soviet Union: Marching and Singing to Birobidzhan . . . . . . . . . 100 Chapter 9. Israel: Language Wars in the Holy Land . . . . . . . 112 Chapter 10. America: The Golden Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 Chapter 11. Poland: Drinking in the World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 Chapter 12. Eastern Europe: Language as History . . . . . . . . 160 Part 3. Annihilation Chapter 13. Singing in the Face of Death. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173 Part 4. Aftermath Chapter 14. Europe: Life from the Ashes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 Chapter 15. America: Golden Land, Goyish Land . . . . . . . . . 202 Chapter 16. Russia: The Heartthrob Yiddish Poet . . . . . . . . . 217 Chapter 17. Israel: A New Nation, a New Tongue . . . . . . . . 229 Part 5. Present and Future Chapter 18. Europe and Israel: Bulletins from Now . . . . . . . 241 Chapter 19. America: Preserving Tomorrow’s Song. . . . . . . . 257 Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275 Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279 Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Miriam Weinstein writes about family, friendship, how we navigate time, and how we make meaning in our lives. Starting as a documentary filmmaker, then moving into print journalism, she won awards in many categories. Her other books include- The Surprising Power of Family Meals and All Set for Black, Thanks.
Reviews for Yiddish: The Biography of a Language
“Charming and highly readable . . . Weinstein succeeds in her efforts to recreate the sound of a world that is gone forever.” — The Washington Post “Reads like a folktale peppered with passionate characters.” — The Boston Globe “A serious, yet accessible book.” — The Los Angeles Times ""Buoyed by amusing Yiddish proverbs and jokes, Weinstein provides an orderly outline to a nonorderly subject."" — The Associated Press ""A testament both to the vibrancy of Yiddish and to Weinstein's deep affection for the languae that surrounded her growing up in teh postwar Bronx."" — Newsday ""Evocative, informative, and accessible."" — Publishers Weekly ""A popular history of Yiddish designed for the laity, each chapter offering a snapshot of the language in a given historical timeframe."" — The Forward ""A captivating and lively retelling of the history of Yiddish."" — Moment
