New film celebrates global Yiddish resurgence

Growing up, Ros Horin wasn’t encouraged to learn Yiddish.

Her parents were part of the post-war generation that believed speaking the language on the streets would provoke antisemitism.

“They were ashamed of Yiddish,” Horin told The Jewish Independent. “My parents felt like it was the language of the old world, of victims, so they only used it to tell secrets with my grandmother.”

When – much to her surprise – Horin began to notice a growing trend amongst young people to reclaim Yiddish, she felt compelled to investigate.

The result is Welcome to Yiddishland, Horin’s third documentary, which exposes an international community of creatives devoted to the Yiddish language and culture.