East European Jews comprised a large majority of world Jewry in the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century. Their language was Yiddish, which their forefathers had spoken and used for centuries. Many of them were not merely affected by the processes that led to modernity, but were also actively involved in bringing them about. And thus, modern Yiddish culture was frequently the original and fascinating vanguard of modern culture in general and of modern Jewish culture in particular. It likewise offers an intriguing documentation of the complex dialogue conducted between them. For this culture evolved in Eastern Europe alongside all-embracing social processes and powerful demographic and cultural upheavals, and it expressed the resulting processes of disintegration of traditional institutions such as the physical and emotional home as well as the nuclear and extended family.

The course will familiarize students with modernity and its impact on Yiddish culture through reading Hebrew translations of masterpieces of modern Yiddish literature. We will read works by Mendele Moykher-Sforim, Sholem Aleichem, Y.L. Peretz,, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Itsik Manger, Rokhl Korn and others. We will learn about the contribution made by Yiddish literature to revolutionary-socialist literature in the USA, to secular children’s literature, modern Jewish women’s literature, and Israeli literature.

Knowledge of Yiddish is not required to participate in the course, which is open to anyone wishing to broaden their knowledge of twentieth century culture and literature, and the central role played by Jews in them.

Course assignment: a written paper

Course requirements: participation, ongoing reading