how I'm starting a new Yiddish learning journey | creating my own road map!

[@LeaflingLearns]

If you have experience learning Yiddish or another endangered/threatened/whatever language, I'd love to hear about it!!

[@ShainaCoogan]

The feeling of "not being Jewish enough" and also wanting to have more connection to my Jewish roots are both v relatable. Excited for your new journey!!

[@LeaflingLearns]

Heheh I can't wait to talk to you more about it!!!

[@c.rebollar8718]

I've recently started learning Yiddish, I feel somewhat lost on where to start. This video helps a lot, thank you 🧡

[@LeaflingLearns]

I'm so so glad!

[@taratravels6235]

I had a friend growing up who was raised bilingual with English and Yiddish, because her dad learned it and wanted to have his kids know it. Seeing someone bring an endangered language back into their family definitely has made it feel more possible for me to do the same one day with Irish (learning it now, hoping to teach my future kids)

[@jlptneou]

Excited to watch your progress. I started following because of my Japanese study but have come away with so many ideas relatable to any language. I have just started learning Lakota in an effort to help preserve the language as part of the Lakota Language Consortium. My goal would be to return to SD once I retire and spend my time teaching Lakota in elementary schools on the reservation. A long way to go from where I am but you inspire me to take it slow and easy and to be gentle with myself and my progress.

[@LeaflingLearns]

So sorry for missing this comment! I appreciate you saying this so much ❤️ and what an amazing goal!!! I'm rooting for you!

[@allyimproving]

So excited to follow your new language journey!!

[@LeaflingLearns]

yay, I'm so glad!! I realize it's a bit niche so I'm glad you find it interesting!

[@kennyinliverpool]

I'm currently learning Welsh. I feel tempted to have another go at Yiddish - but in a few months as I'm looking at a few languages right now. I'm not Jewish, but it is an interesting language

[@dlm4708]

I looked up why the Yiddish course on DuoLingo was so controversial since we have a lot of the same path, including Japanese first and then Yiddish. The DuoLingo makes the 'path' easy but they've actually mixed the pronunciation and grammar of two different dialects of Yiddish into something like "duolingo yiddish dialect," a distinct language of it's own.

[@ONEFAITHofJESUS]

Duo Lingo also promotes the so-called “inclusive” agenda.

[@dlm4708]

@@ONEFAITHofJESUS what "inclusive" agenda?

[@ONEFAITHofJESUS]

Confusion rather than distinction of male and female.

[@dlm4708]

@@ONEFAITHofJESUS you know that many languages are not based on a gender binary, right? some languages that generally have "genders" end up gendering things like sand and birds lol. Those languages often have neutral terms, too, which have existed for hundreds of years. In some languages, importance is placed on social roles and relative ranks. Someone's language is not some personal attack on you. you're free not to use the program. no one is making you.

[@ONEFAITHofJESUS]

I’m not talking not talking languages but about Duo Lingo(along with other for profit bu$ine$$e$, $chool$, corporation$, etc.) insidiously promoting so - do - my, without warning, be it parental discretion or otherwise.

[@madelinefaiths]

Yes!!! So excited to follow this

[@LeaflingLearns]

Yay, thanks Maddie!! I had my first class today and it was AMAZING 😍

[@rikugo1]

This is so nice! I’m glad that there are so many resources available for Yiddish. It can definitely be tricky to find resources in less popular languages, as I discovered when I started learning Turkish. I hadn’t heard of The Workers Circle, it seems they do great work and I’ll be following them. Your grandma sounds amazing, I’m reminded of how the composer Philip Glass defines himself as “a Jewish-Taoist-Hindu-Toltec-Buddhist.” :D

[@LeaflingLearns]

Hahaha amazing - I feel like my grandma could've gotten down with Taoism as well but idk if she knew about it. The Workers Circle is SO cool and I can already report that their Yiddish teachers are incredible too!! When you started learning Turkish did you try any classes or did you self study?

[@rikugo1]

​@@LeaflingLearns There really aren't any classes available in my area and I was homeschooled so self-study is my default mode. I mostly just practice with friends. I think I'll *finally* join Minimmersion next month once my semester is complete. :)

[@braziltokyoschool]

דאַנקען דיר זייער פיל, דעם ווידעא האט מיר נייַע געדאנקען. גרויס בריינסטאָרם!

[@JonathanOlelo]

Don't feel bad about "not being Jewish enough", most Jews don't really speak Yiddish 😂 Yiddish is a cool language tho, very unique and if you plan to study Hebrew too, it's easier after knowing Yiddish.

[@LeaflingLearns]

Haha definitely, I don't expect my blossoming Yiddish to get me any Jewish in-crowd points or anything 😂. I don't know if I'd ever try out Hebrew, I don't really have a personal connection to Israel and I'm not super interested in religious texts either. I also think it's very rude that writing the vowels in words is optional hahahaha.

[@remfornow]

I really connected with this. my dad's mom is VERY religiously Jewish, my dad and his dad are Jewish atheists, and my mom's family is Christian. I've been wanting to learn Yiddish for a long time but I haven't felt "authentically" connected to my Jewish heritage enough. your own journey into Yiddish was really relatable and in that way kind of validating

[@LeaflingLearns]

Wow yes we definitely have extremely similar experiences!! It's so interesting how much kind of internal gatekeeping we do when we don't feel "enough" something. Even though I still feel like a fool when it comes to knowledge of Judaism, I'm so so so glad I took the plunge with Yiddish. If you're on Instagram I'd be happy to talk more about it too!!

[@RidetoEnglishwithDM]

Great video! :)

[@LeaflingLearns]

Hehe thank you, my friend!!

[@RissaDotExe]

I think the problem is that people forget that being Jewish isn't the same as the religion Judaism. I'm of Russian Jewish (Ashkenazi Jewish) heritage and Russian Jews spoke mostly Yiddish from my knowledge, so I'm giving it a go myself through Duolingo.

[@tomasgombik3363]

Good Luck. Duolingo is a great way to get started and used to the alphabet. Although you should eventually supplement it with other resources. I just decided that it is time to start learning Yiddish although I don't have any Jewish heritage( at least far as I know), but I like the sound of the language and I like learning new writing systems. Fortunately Yiddish has a huge library of resources, although mostly older ones, but still compared to some other languages it is great. I also went ahead and bought the In eynem textbook, yeah it is expensive, but by just skimming through it assured me it was money well spend. It has a very modern layout and a great companion website. And it is contemporary so that is a plus. And it is huge, almost like a Bible itself:) So I would recommend it to anyone interested in the language, and they still have it on sale $54 for pdf and $100 for print. which is a lot but not that bad compared to some other language books with far less content.

[@LeaflingLearns]

YESSSS exactly!!! And yes amazing!! Are you enjoying duolingo?

[@RissaDotExe]

@@LeaflingLearns I do, it's a lot better than most language learning apps!

[@__dissident__]

I am Jewish. I did hear some Yiddish at home more than 50 years ago. No grammar and vocabulary of a couple dozen words. Since I retired I've been learning Yiddish daily, I believe it is my mitzvah, my way to fight Hitler and Stalin. Unfortunately, nobody is around to teach or just to speak to me in Yiddish except my PC. Maybe someone has a different mitzvah - to share his knowledge of Yiddish?

[@Joseph_Architecture]

I am the only person in my family who is Jewish my dads side is Mormon and my moms side is Christian🇮🇱🇮🇱

[@Melungeonpeople]

We returned to Judaism as a family. We were raised Christians in the South East USA. We love Judaism. Don't let anyone tell you that you are not Jewish enough. There is no correct way to live a Jewish life. Rambam said that we should love a convert as we love G-d because the Convert chose G-d.

[@inconnu4961]

So what made you leave Christianity to enter the live the difficult world of Judaism? I have an interest in Judaism to enhance my Christianity, with no intentions of replacing it. I started going to a church many years ago and met a guy who was Messianic Jew attending the Church. And we started teaching us the culture & history, even going so far as doing a Seder. But there are so many rules & restrictions on the Jew that Christians simply do not have. I doubt i would want to take on such a yoke now (the strict laws) if I wasnt born into it.

[@esthermartens2790]

Hi! I just found your channel through Arbeter Ring's Instagram and I think it's so cool that you're doing this. I was wondering if you were familiar with the Japanese community of Yiddish learners since that seems like your wheelhouse!

[@LeaflingLearns]

Hi, so sorry for the late reply!! I'm not at all familiar with this!!!

[@rikugo1]

This is so nice! I’m glad that there are so many resources available for Yiddish. It can definitely be tricky to find resources in less popular languages, as I discovered when I started learning Turkish. I hadn’t heard of The Workers Circle, it seems they do great work and I’ll be following them. Your grandma sounds amazing, I’m reminded of how the composer Philip Glass defines himself as “a Jewish-Taoist-Hindu-Toltec-Buddhist.” :D