Published: 30 October 2017
Last updated: 4 March 2024
The radical and dynamic linguistic adaptation of the Jewish people is arguably one of our defining characteristics, and the Yiddish Revival is a testament to our vibrant diaspora.
While at first glance the resurgence of the language of the shtetl may seem odd, the prevalence of Ashkenazi Judaism and a renewed spirit of political leftism seems to have decisively made the Jewish language of Eastern Europe the de facto language of the new Jewish Resistance.
Yiddish classes are now in vogue among secular Ashkenazi Jews in their twenties who are seeking to return to their roots, and its literature is becoming increasingly popular.
The resurgence of Yiddish as a language of contemporary Jewish expression is exciting, but we should not get lost in it. At heart, learning Yiddish is to praise an idealised Jewish past. It shouldn’t come at the expense of recognising the immense potential of Modern Hebrew as a protest language.
FULL STORY Hebrew as the language of the progressive Jewish future (Jewish Currents)
Photo: Wiki Commons
