Yiddish has a special place in our hearts. Even for those who are not as fluent in the language as our grandparents, Yiddish connects us to our people and our identity as Jews in a warm, homey way.
When we spot a Yiddish word in pop culture, we note it with pride. When we hear someone mangling a Yiddish word, we giggle inwardly at the shared joke we know that fellow Members of the Tribe will enjoy alongside us.
But Yiddish is more than just nostalgia. It is a living, breathing language that expresses so beautifully the spiritual side of Judaism in a way that is authentic, deep, and uniquely Jewish.
It’s the language in which Torah was taught for generations, and the language in which Jewish mothers lulled their children to sleep with songs of Torah study and mitzvot.
It’s baked into the fiber of Judaism as we know it today.
So what do all those words mean, and what do they mean to us? Sign up for our new email, Yiddish Word of the Week and find out!
