Interesting article in the Atlantic about Yiddish

sequoia

Sun, Sep 14 2014, 3:08 pm

http://m.theatlantic.com/natio.....9658/

What do you think? I for one would like to see a broader revival. There used to be theaters, newspapers, novels -- a whole culture.

gp2.0

Sun, Sep 14 2014, 4:18 pm

There are still newspapers, novels, songs and DVDs in Yiddish. There are toys with prerecorded Yiddish messages, pamphlets, storefront signs, public signs. Less people are speaking it but there's still a great variety of ways in which the language is being used.

sequoia

Sun, Sep 14 2014, 4:23 pm

gp2.0 wrote:

Right. But it's restricted to chassidim.

There used to be a vibrant secular Yiddish culture.

Maya

Sun, Sep 14 2014, 4:43 pm

Perhaps a more accurate statement is that Yiddishists are a dying breed, rather than Yiddish speakers.

Although even among "modern" Chassidim, the consensus is that it's a dying language and they're better off just speaking to their kids in English.

Kitten

Sun, Sep 14 2014, 4:50 pm

Maya wrote:

Although even among "modern" Chassidim, the consensus is that it's a dying language and they're better off just speaking to their kids in English.

To add to this, I have the impression that more and more women speak English (between themselves)instead of Yiddish while men still speak Yiddish. Maybe it's just my impression.

chickpea_salad

Sat, Sep 20 2014, 3:56 pm

I think it is incredibly sad that Yiddish is considered a dying language, I went to a non chassidic Yiddish/kletzmer/rock night at a cafe once, I didn't understand much/anything but I still enjoyed it. A revival would still be possible with a willing younger generation and a fluent older generation working together to create cultural events. I would go Smile

Maya

Sat, Sep 20 2014, 8:29 pm

chickpea_salad wrote:

The younger generation of Yiddish speaking people are mostly Chassidim, and they are not interested in it as a culture, with cultural events and the arts. The only hope for a revival is if enough ex-Chassidim want to preserve their interest in the language they grew up on.

I'm going to see a play at a Yiddish theatre tomorrow, so it still exists, but I can't imagine who its audience is.

monseychick

Sat, Sep 20 2014, 8:42 pm

sequoia wrote:

Right. But it's restricted to chassidim.

There used to be a vibrant secular Yiddish culture.

Maybe its both.. Just now there is a vibrant secular yiddish culture that deludes themself into thinking they are chasidim.

amother

Sat, Sep 20 2014, 8:45 pm

Maya wrote:

There is a senior citizen center in Manchester, NJ that always has yiddish plays . Its mostly Italians who grew up in Jewish neighborhoods or are intermarried, and old Jews from Lakewood

Maya

Sat, Sep 20 2014, 11:09 pm

amother wrote:

There is a senior citizen center in Manchester, NJ that always has yiddish plays . Its mostly Italians who grew up in Jewish neighborhoods or are intermarried, and old Jews from Lakewood

Interesting! The Italians who grew up in Jewish neighborhoods understand enough Yiddish to watch a play?

Ruchel

Sun, Sep 21 2014, 7:06 am

Maya wrote:

Interesting! The Italians who grew up in Jewish neighborhoods understand enough Yiddish to watch a play?

I've heard of similar things. It's well possible.

Yes the Yiddishist movement is dying. Think of Bundist. Low birth rate, high intermarriage (in their grandchildren not themselves!!). Lo alenu.

chickpea_salad

Sun, Sep 21 2014, 3:24 pm

I found this on wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D.....eatre

If they toured in my area I would go, at least to see how much I understood.