Yiddish became one of the world’s most widespread languages.
But it was considered a dying language for decades after two-thirds of European Jews were murdered in the Holocaust.
Now the COVID-19 pandemic and language learning apps are fueling renewed interest in Yiddish.
The Washington Post reported that during the pandemic more than 300,000 people registered to learn the language on the language learning app Duolingo.
That number equals about half the total number of Yiddish speakers in the world today, according to the Department of Jewish Studies at Rutgers University.
On Cincinnati Edition, we talk about Yiddish — its history and the importance of the language. And, we talk about the artistic contributions of Yiddish literature with a publisher who translates Yiddish works into English.
Guests:
- Naydus Presspublisher and editor and rare book and manuscript librarian at the Klau Library of Hebrew Union College Jordan Finkin.
- Vanderbilt University Associate Professor of Jewish Studies and English Allison Schachter.
Listen to Cincinnati Edition live at noon M-F. Audio for this segment will be uploaded after 4 p.m. ET.
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