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Mameloshn: Yiddish Past and Present
Sunday, April 12
USA 12:00 pm PT / 3:00 pm ET
UK 8:00 pm / France 9:00 pm / Israel 10:00 pm
The talk will last approximately 90 minutes
About this talk
Yiddish, the historical language of Ashkenazi Jews, offers a window into medieval migrations and modern cultural production. How did this rich, hybrid language come about? How has it been written and spoken differently across regions and communities? And how are contemporary American Jews engaging with Yiddish in new ways?
This talk offers a broad overview of Yiddish culture, with examples from literature, theater, and film, as well as the regional dialects of Yiddish. It explains why Yiddish is thriving in some Hasidic communities but in decline among other contemporary Jews. Using the notion of "postvernacularity," we discuss how contemporary Jews are engaging with Yiddish through music, clubs, festivals, and heritage words. Then we investigate the influences of Yiddish on American English, among Orthodox Jews, non-Orthodox Jews, and the broader American population.
Finally, we discuss why some young Jews are expressing renewed interest in their ancestral Yiddish language and culture. Through images, videos, and fun facts, this talk offers a unique window into the past and present of mameloshn, the mother tongue.
About Sarah
Sarah Bunin Benor is Professor of Contemporary Jewish Studies at Hebrew Union College (Los Angeles campus) and Adjunct Professor in the University of Southern California Linguistics Department. She received her Ph.D. from Stanford University in Linguistics in 2004. She has published and lectured widely about sociolinguistics, Jewish names, and Jewish languages, especially Jewish English, Hebrew, Yiddish, and Ladino.
Her award-winning books include Becoming Frum: How Newcomers Learn the Language and Culture of Orthodox Judaism (Rutgers, 2012) and Hebrew Infusion: Language and Community at American Jewish Summer Camps (Rutgers, 2020). Dr. Benor co-edits the Journal of Jewish Languages (Brill) and directs the HUC Jewish Language Project, which features the Jewish Language Website, the Jewish English Lexicon, and the Heritage Words Podcast, which Dr. Benor hosts and produces.
RECORDING INFORMATION
This talk will be recorded and shared with registrants the day after.
It will be available for 3 days, and 7 days for members.
Click here to register
You will be asked to select one of these options:
General admission - $18
Supported admission - $9
Sponsor this talk - $36
With your contribution you will also be donating to the Jewish Language Project of the Hebrew Union College.
