
Yiddish
A Nation of Words
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Narrated by:
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J. L. Glick
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By:
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Miriam Weinstein
About a thousand years ago, European Jews began speaking a language that was quite different from the various tongues and dialects that swirled around them. It included Hebrew, a touch of the Romance and Slavic languages, and a large helping of German. In a world of earthly wandering, this pungent, witty, and infinitely nuanced speech, full of jokes, puns, and ironies, became the linguistic home of the Jews, the bond that held a people together.
Here is the remarkable story of how this humble language took vigorous root in Eastern European shtetls and in the Jewish quarters of cities across Europe; how it achieved a rich literary flowering between the wars in Europe and America; how it was rejected by emancipated Jews; and how it fell victim to the Holocaust. And also how, in yet another twist of destiny, Yiddish today is becoming the darling of academia.
Yiddish is a history as story, a tale of flesh-and-blood people with manic humor, visionary courage, brilliant causes, and glorious flaws. It will delight everyone who cares about language, literature, and culture.
©2001 Miriam Weinstein (P)2012 Steerforth Press L.L.C.Listeners also enjoyed...




















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Good book, great reader
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A really compelling book.
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I've heard it spoken and now I'm encouraged to learn more of the Mama Loschen.
Don't skip over this book, give it a try, you won't be disappointed.
Must listen for language aficionados
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The content is good, and gets more detailed and coherent as the book goes on. I could have taken it more seriously if I hadn’t been so distracted by the narration!
The history of Israel section is bound to annoy some. It assumes a great deal of background knowledge. It’s not wrong, just might be jarring.
Is it as good as Wex’s Born to Kvetch? No, but you should read both for a balanced view. Throw in Kriwaczek’s Yiddish Civilization and you’re covered. But Born to Kvetch is the best of the genre.
Narrator doesn’t know Yiddish
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Fascinating!
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Incredible book. Wonderful narration.
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