Bubeh Mayses: A True History of the Yiddish Language, with Ken Blady

Among topics covered: Antecedents of the mameh loshn: From Hebrew to Aramaic to La’az; Yiddish’s contribution to Jewish life and culture; evolution of the Yiddish language: four phases; varieties of Yiddish accents; ideological battles between Yiddishists amd. Hebraists; Yiddish and the labor movement; the transmogrification of Yiddish into Yenglish; Yeshivish: ivory tower Yiddish; Birobidzhan: Yiddish in Stalin’s paradise for Jews in Siberia; reasons for the decline of Yiddish; how academics assassinate Yiddish; 101 Yiddish witticisms, some rated GP.

Six-part course, Tuesdays 10/27 – 12/8 (but not 11/24), presented by Acalanes Adult School.

About Ken Blady»