Yiddish - by Miriam Weinstein (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The history, tragedies, and bitter controversies that characterized a language once spoken by 11 million people brought vividly to life

For a people of exile, the language took the place of a nation. . .

In a time of rising antisemitism, some see greater awareness of Yiddish language and history as a way to foster understanding

** 25th Anniversary Edition **

** Winner of the National Jewish Book Award **

This 1st ever popular history of Yiddish is so full of life that it reads like a biography of the language. Once upon a time Yiddish was the glue that held a people together. Impoverished and disenfranchised in the eyes of the world, Yiddish speakers created their own reality--wealthy in appreciation of the varieties of human behavior, spendthrift in their humor, brilliantly inventive in maintaining and strengthening community. The written and spoken word formed the Yiddishland that never came to be. Words were army, university, city-state, territory. They were a people's home.

The tale of the language and its people ranges far beyond Europe, from North America to Israel to the Russian-Chinese border, and from the end of the first millennium to the present day.

Review Quotes

"Charming and highly readable . . . Weinstein succeeds in her efforts to recreate the sound of a world that is gone forever." -- The Washington Post

"Reads like a folktale peppered with passionate characters." -- The Boston Globe

"A serious, yet accessible book." -- The Los Angeles Times

"Buoyed by amusing Yiddish proverbs and jokes, Weinstein provides an orderly outline to a nonorderly subject." -- The Associated Press

"A testament both to the vibrancy of Yiddish and to Weinstein's deep affection for the languae that surrounded her growing up in teh postwar Bronx." -- Newsday

"Evocative, informative, and accessible." -- Publishers Weekly

"A popular history of Yiddish designed for the laity, each chapter offering a snapshot of the language in a given historical timeframe." -- The Forward

"A captivating and lively retelling of the history of Yiddish." -- Moment

About the Author

Miriam Weinstein, who grew up in the Bronx following World War II, a time and place where Yiddish was standard fare, writes about family, friendship, how we navigate time, and how we make meaning in our lives. Starting as a documentary filmmaker, then moving into print journalism, she won awards in many categories. Her other books include: The Surprising Power of Family Meals and All Set for Black, Thanks.