Yiddish and Hebrew in Pre-Israel Palestine | In Conversation with Eddy Portnoy

As many of you know, my first language is Yiddish. It is the language of the Satmar Hasidic community I come from. The story of why I grew up speaking Yiddish, and not Hebrew, is intimately tied to the story of the birth of Israel, Zionism, and Jewish languages.
And so, today I want to delve into the history of how two Jewish languages came to represent contrasting Jewish ideologies.
I was inspired to do this segment after visiting the wonderful YIVO exhibit in Manhattan titled:
'PALESTINIAN YIDDISH: A LOOK AT YIDDISH IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL BEFORE 1948'
Link: cjh.org/visit/...
Address: 15 W 16th St, New York, NY 10011
About my guest Eddy Portnoy, the curator of the exhibition:
Eddy Portnoy is an expert on Jewish popular culture. Portnoy earned an MA in Yiddish Studies from Columbia University and a PhD in Jewish History from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. He currently holds the position of Senior Researcher and Exhibition Curator at YIVO.
You can follow Eddy on Twitter here: / eddyportnoy
You can see his book Bad Rabbi on Amazon here: amzn.to/3zXNmMv

[@UriSteiff]

Vey interesting! Two additions that I find interesting: 1. The "Battalion of the Defenders of the Language" was created by students from the Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium, the first school in Eretz Yisrael/Ottoman Palestine that taught in Hebrew. They were very ideological and seemingly hot-headed and militant. Their more peaceful actions were, for example, replacing signs in Russian or Yiddish with signs in Hebrew, and correcting Hebrew signs with spelling mistakes (imagine teens going out of their way to correct spelling mistakes in the public domain!). Their more annoying methods included harassing people speaking Yiddish in public, and reportedly on one occasion one of their members picked on no other than Hayim Nahman Bialik, widely considered the greatest Hebrew poet of the time, who just happened to speak some Yiddish while going about his day. It is said that he simply told the teen "Go to hell". Their most extreme actions included throwing stink bombs and rocks into theatres that played Yiddish plays, and even planting an actual bomb at the office of a German newspaper that operated in the country. They had their own anthem and they even managed to open a branch in Romania that recruited some 50 young Zionist Romanian Jews for the cause. Among their popular slogans: "Jew - speak Hebrew!", "Separation of languages - separation of hearts" and "one language - one soul". 2. Ben-Gurion was also somewhat of a Hebrew fanatic. During a conference that took place between the end of 1944 and the beginning of 1945, Jewish ghetto rebel and a partisan Rozka Korczak who was a recent immigrant to Mandatory Palestine (or Eretz Yisrael) was given the stage to tell the audience about the extermination of the Jewish population of Lithuania and Eastern Europe. She hadn't yet learned Hebrew, and spoke in her native tongue, Yiddish, which everyone in the room understood. The audience was horrified by the tragic report, but immediately after her speech, Ben-Gurion (who was a Yiddish speaker) took to the stage and said: "A comrade just spoke here, in a foreign and unpleasant language, about the plights that befell...", and as the outraged crowd rose up and protested this insensitive comment, Ben-Gurion doubled down on his criticism by shouting into the microphone: "Foreign and unpleasant, foreign and unpleasant!".

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Fascinating comment, I'll pin it!

[@tamarfischer283]

In spite of the insensitivity and outragesness of what you tell in the story, I just had to laugh. Such a good example of akshoones! (And I know ben gurion would insist that I call it akshanoot- very much hebrew)

[@written12]

Thank you for this historical sketch here. Great examples of the passions - and lunacy- that accompanied the rise of spoken Hebrew. Actually, Ben-Gurion’s comments were revolting.

[@grasmereguy5116]

שפה זרה וצורמת

[@grasmereguy5116]

@@written12 Passionate zealotry yes, but not lunacy. At a century's remove we can be more generous to Yiddish (and other Diaspora Jewish dialects like Ladino or Bukhori) and work to preserve it. But I am glad modern Hebrew emerged victorious. It was necessary to forge a united Jewish people and create a nation. By the way, there's a docudrama about Ben-Yehuda and his newspaper airing on Kan now called "Ha-Zevi." Have you seen any of it?

[@jerryedelman3581]

What a great podcast. I was born 4 months after Israel became a recognized Jewish state. My grandparents came from Russia in the late 1800's. My entire family spoke Yiddish fluently, a few relatives ONLY spoke Yiddish & never really spoke English. Sadly I wish I had learned the language. Because as you stated in the interview language is such a powerful tool in a society, both from a cultural and political point of view. But listening to this cast taught me so much about my history as a Jew. I guess i still have much to learn even as a 76 year old, LOL. Much thanks for this.

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

We always learn, that's the fun thing in life!! It's so nice to hear other people's family histories, I feel like I learn so much.

[@michelleabraham9660]

It’s not too late! Check out the classes offered at YIVO, Yiddish Book Center, and all the Klezcamps (see klezmer festivals!) offer courses. There’s usually a klezmer festival in NY during xmas week, can take yiddish there!! 💕

[@goldencalf5144]

What a fabulous guest. Please have him on again. I always learn so much from your videos.

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

So glad to hear :)

[@mirtarubalcava8984]

Thank you for interviewing Mr. Portnoy. So very, very interesting. He is a wealth of knowledge. God bless you Frida for always being open in sharing your Jewish heritage.

[@dyanalayng5507]

You find the most interesting topics, Frieda! Thank you for this great discussion. ❤🇨🇦

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

So happy to hear this! Stay tuned for more! ❤

[@heatherdorsey4770]

What a great interview. I learned so much!!

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Thanks for watching - Portnoy's a gem!

[@RachG]

Just finished listening to the podcast version of this. LOVE LOVE LOVE it. SO interesting and hugely appeals to my inner linguistics geek. ❤

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Rachel, from one linguistics geek to another, L’chaim!!

[@RachG]

@@FriedaVizelBrooklyn L’chaim. But seriously. I can’t tell you how much I loved this one. So. Good.

[@kkendell954]

This is incredible because I’m a European but I live in NY and I always thought that Yiddish was not a serious language but something that working class Jewish Europeans used for flavor……I was astounded to hear that it was the first language for the Hasidic people.

[@tourots]

My grandfather grew up in Yerushalayim in 19teens and 20s, he only spoke Yiddish until he moved to the US.

[@mendel6776]

My Jewish great grandfather grew up in Jerusalem in the same period but only spoke Arabic

[@CoachRedRochelleStrauss]

This video is fantastic! It’s all new information!

[@suzansweatman9287]

Fabulous interview and btw he has fabulous hair lol!!!

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

I know!!

[@carolinospelt2932]

Thank you Frieda, so much interesting information in this video as always ❤

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Thank you!

[@mindyourownbusinessplease1120]

I've been following your channel since covid and you had a small following, you have grown so much. Love it!

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

It's been such an interesting journey. I spent maybe ten years putting out content to a teeeny tiny audience. It's been really amazing to have more viewers, I especially love the comments, they're a highlight. Thanks for being on this journey with me from practically the beginning!

[@janem3378]

Wonderful questions, fascinating answers. Great work Frieda .

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Thank you for watching! Stay tuned, I'm going to try to keep posting on Sundays when possible...

[@glamourphotog7]

Thanx Freida for this beautiful interview, he is so charismatic and knowledgeable. So many historical references. Thanx for keeping him in line. Thanx for being a revivalist yourself. Digging up an important but forgotten form-shaping history that has cemented us together for centuries

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

❤️

[@kkendell954]

Thank you so much ….great interview and Eddy is a lovely smart interesting chap. I need to understand more too..

[@MrAnshie]

This was really awesome and I learned so much. I love history through the lens of langauge!

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Wow, thank you! Shkoyach and todah :)

[@jeantesc812]

Thank you for the interesting interview, Eddy is a wonderful teacher.

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

eddy is very geshmak (pleasant!)

[@estakass1482]

This podcast was pretty interesting to me. I always loved languages. I wanted to go to a Jewish camp because they taught Hebrew. In 7th grade I started to learn Spanish in school. I had friends taking French so right away I noticed that French and Spanish were pretty similar so I taught myself French. My mother was bilingual Yiddish and English and after a while I realized that I could understand a lot when my mother and grandmother spoke to each other. After a while mom and I started speaking Yiddish from time to time. My mother died when she was 96 just before the pandemic. One day I came across a program for elementary Yiddish which I understood quite readily. So the pandemic started and I took a few courses in Yiddish on line with Workers Circle. I didn’t start in an advanced class like Dr Portnoy but not at the beginning either. Now I enjoy the podcast called Proste Yiddish and I think about my mamale when I listen.

[@melanie18white]

Thank you Frieda for this fascinating interview with Eddy Portnoy!!! So interesting and learned a lot!!!

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Thank you Melanie!!

[@Bellatrix52]

Frieda!!! This is certainly one of your best interviews. Thank you so very much!

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Thank you for listening :)

[@hannahooo]

I love that we can still hear the beautiful accent of Hebrew speaking elders who grew up speaking Yiddish. That accent comforts to my soul.

[@eliweissmann5810]

What is forgotten is that the jews of the arab lands and jews from Spain and Portugal who spoke Ladino jewish spanish.To unite the 2 comnunities hebrew was the language they had in common.So naturally hebrew became the language in Israel after 2000 years.

[@huachafo]

Thank you for taking the time for these presentations. They are fascinating. I'm a Christian Gentile, but frankly this is about the history of all of us. We all are richer for the cultural contributions of our Jewish neighbours. The significant of Yiddish to me would be a very long story. However, your ability to listen and present is wonderful.

[@Arwen41]

Thank you so much Frieda! Your conversations are really heartfull and informative

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Thank you for watching!!

[@yvonnetitus2]

Love your interviews and how you let your guest take control and run with their thoughts, but rein them in with your own questions. Now I understand how varied all the political parties that exist in Israel have come to be historically.

[@surikatz123]

Freida is a superb interviewer. It's absolutely always about the guest

[@robertcoughlin4961]

Thanks so much for this interview. I’m studying Yiddish and it was a great help to me!

[@eytonshalomsandiego]

out of curiosity, why? what brings a fella with an Irish surname to Yiddish? Welcome! just wondering....thanks!

[@robertcoughlin4961]

@@eytonshalomsandiego I grew up in a half Irish half Chassidic neighborhood in Brooklyn and heard it as a child. I have always wanted to learn it and read Yiddish language literature. I have time these days so I’m spending it pursuing music study and Yiddish. I feel like it’s part of my upbringing - as Irish as I may be.

[@stephenfisher3721]

@@robertcoughlin4961 Don't you know the old joke about Sean Ferguson? Meyshele was so nervous at Ellis Island that when the official asked him his name, at that moment he couldn't remember and said in Yiddish, "Ich hob sheyn fargesen (I already forgot)" and that's how he became Sean Ferguson.

[@stephenfisher3721]

@@eytonshalomsandiego Do you know about the Yiddish singer Anthony Russell? He was born in a black Christian family.

[@stephenfisher3721]

​@@eytonshalomsandiego Do you know about P. V. Viswanath who was born in India? His interest in Yiddish led him to a Yiddish program where he met and eventually married Gitl Schaechter, the daughter of Mordkhe Schaechter, the famous Yiddish professor at Columbia University.

[@markellenbogen1582]

wonderful interview with a lot of fascinating information.

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Oh thank you SO Much!! I really appreciate your comment.

[@VioletACordy]

@@FriedaVizelBrooklyn 🌴🌴🩵💙🌈😎🌷🌷🌷🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌲🌲🌷🌷🌷

[@Derf56]

Another interesting conversation - thank you.

[@jillclark6076]

Very interesting conversation. As usual, a great guest. Great interview too! ❤

[@k.k.5046]

Long chatty Frieda's show with a man lookin' like Jesus from Nazareth with beard and long hair . Speaks Yiddish too . Let's push that Like button .

[@ginamcknight8115]

Sure did but thanks for the reminder

[@k.k.5046]

@@ginamcknight8115 It helps promotin' the video .

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Your comments are getting more and more entertaining as time goes by. I think you’re taking improving English to a whole new level!

[@k.k.5046]

@@FriedaVizelBrooklyn Toda. Watched with subtitles on ,on 2x . Good .

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

@@k.k.5046 I also watch on x2 when I review it, usually review it for several rounds so it's good to go fast.

[@Cleverjimmade]

Thank for making this content, it was fascinating.

[@bettymaines6305]

Bravo , bravo, bravo 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼. The quality of your videos subject matter, as well as how you hold your audience’s attention , is amazing. I always learn so much from your videos. I am so glad you do what you do.

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

I am so happy to hear this, I was hoping I could move a little away from Hasidim and I hope people will watch if I tackle Yiddish and expand a bit my area of inquiry!! Thanks as always dear Betty!

[@TheNostalgicKitchen]

Very interesting, and how amazing you got to speak to the curator of the exhibition of all people!

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

I know, and I lucked out that he is so pleasant and interesting to talk to!

[@Zelde-M]

An excellent in-depth discussion of Yiddish, Hebrew and Arabic when Israel was Palestine under the British mandate & earlier. Great exhibit as well. Shkoyakh!

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Thanks Zelde, it was a pleasure to visit the exhibit with you!

[@Zelde-M]

My pleasure as well.

[@glamourphotog7]

I wonder if there is any Arabic Yiddish left. never heard of any.... Compared to Polish-Yiddish or Ladino. If anything, that is astonishing is that Mainonidies write his codex entirely in Arabic.

[@megantaylor4189]

Wonderful. So many things explained that I have wondered about. Thank you so much.

[@dorisporch2733]

Wow Frieda.... just fascinating! Once again, I have learned so much thanks to you and your very interesting guest.

[@oravesasson]

Thanks for another interesting video!

[@clanausse]

Wonderful interview Frieda. I love language and history.

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Me too!

[@roccosims]

Amazing. I wish I'd known about the exhibit but sadly over now. Have him back!

[@stephenfisher3721]

Hey, Portnoy! Any complaints? (Sorry, a joke I couldn't resist. I'm surprised no one else made it already.)

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

I know, ha ha!! Before we started the interview we chatted about his last name. My first thought was Phillip Roth...

[@jimbob5848]

Fascinating. Thank you,

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@edwardrosenblatt8871]

Thank you so much for this! I learned a lot and it helped fill in certain gaps in my knowledge of Eastern European Jewery. Eddy's knowledge is impressive.

[@edwardrosenblatt8871]

One of my biggest regrets was that I didn't push my parents harder (as Eddy did) to teach me Yiddish. In my world, Yiddish was the language the adults spoke when they didn't want the children to understand.

[@VioletACordy]

🌴🌴💙🩵🌈😎🌷🌷G-D BLESS YOU ~ FRIEDA ~ FOR THE GOOD YOU DO🌷🌷 Y FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND I LOV YOUR INTERVIEWS ~ “Yiddish and Hebrew in Pre-Israel Palestine | In Conversation with Eddy Portnoy”🌴🌴🌷🌲🌳🌳🌳🌲🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌲🌳🌲🌲🌲🌴🌴🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳

[@ThatBernie]

Very interesting! I love languages and linguistics, so hearing about this aspect of history was really enjoyable!

[@JW-yt7lr]

A woderful interview . I have learnt so much .Please invite this speaker again .

[@chanieweiss4288]

Hi again Frieda. My Satmar aunt and uncle in Williamsburg once had a guest who spoke Polish Yiddish. He said something she didn't recognize. We realized that there's so much less Polish Yiddish in use today- because unfortunately so few of them survived the Shoah. A sad, crazy lesson in how world events shape language usage. My family is Hungarian and Czech.

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Yes, my grandfather was Galicianer and he survived because he was sent to Hungary to live. His accent was incredibly strange to us.

[@m.c.fromnyc2187]

Fascinating video!!

[@Besorah1729]

Thank you, Frieda. I absolutely love your videos. ❤❤❤

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Thank you so so much for watching!

[@karenavey2183]

What a stunning man!

[@Goldtrader1968]

It is said that everyone has a twin. I never believed that until my eyes fell upon Eddy. I am married to Eddy's twin. My husband was even taken aback. Hair, glasses, dress style, mannerisms etc..... WONDERFUL Interview..... Thank You

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Wow, send a picture to Eddy of his duppelganger!

[@desertpriere]

he looks like an aged version of Jesus.

[@zondrabarricks4666]

Thank you so much…I’ve learned so much.

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Thanks for watching!

[@MessiahSonOfDavid]

I really like your videos 🎉 keep it up

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Glad you like them!

[@laurenl5843]

Another fascinating discussion. Thank you so much Frieda! I wish I could come to NYC to attend the exhibit. Best wishes from Toronto 🇨🇦😊

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Love to you in Toronto, Lauren! I get a lot of great visitors from Toronto... I'm sure you'll be in NY one day too :)

[@TheIndividualChannel]

I want to watch this but my week has been so busy I haven't yet. Thanks Frieda for what you do to teach us.

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Hope you're busy with great and wonderful things!

[@tamarfischer283]

Loved this episode. Excuse me for littering the comment section. But i felt as if i was joining the conversation as i was listening

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

I LOVE YOUR COMMENTS. Please, always.

[@tamarfischer283]

@@FriedaVizelBrooklyn that's really nice. Your interviews are always so engaging

[@arniewolfson8040]

My father was in the Jewish Legion serving under General Allenby during World War One in Palestine.

[@SignalHillHiker]

Fascinating, yet again. This channel, man, you're kicking butt. Sitting back and thinking about everything I learned, to be perfectly honest, the thing that is standing out for me above everything else is that mother in 1560-whatever writing to her son the way mothers do today, ha! It's comforting but also heartbreaking and terrifying to realize people in past genuinely were like us. Everything I love about the people whose company I enjoy today, those traits existed in the past. I'm enthralled imagining what this is like for you to discuss, because one of the aspects of high control groups is the sort of time capsule thing. So the Yiddish/Hebrew debate that played out in "the land of" Israel all those decades ago, that probably feels pretty immediate for you? You probably know people who are freshly discovering their passion for Hebrew, and moral support for it, just as you know people who see that as a new thing, and incompatible with the status they believe that language should hold, etc. You've probably literally sat through the types of conversations the people Portnoy described having all those years ago. That's pretty cool.

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

YES EXACTLY. TO EVERYTHING. It's so chillingly awesome to consider that so very long ago, women did what we do, love our children in the same flawed ways we love our children today. It takes your breath away. I think it's also so fascinating that the story of Zionism and language, which feels like it was invented on modern campuses by Gen Z, was literally playing out in so many similar strokes a hundred years ago, before the entire lifestyle and computer/smartphone culture we live in today. Amazing!

[@Abraham-ih4qy]

interesting. And thanks for the link to the Center for Jewish History

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Thank you! :)

[@ydubin]

Super interesting!

[@joemoore9066]

Frieda, you always have the most interesting guests. ! Thank you so much. I can keep listening to your interviews over and over again. Thank you ❤

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

You're a real friend Joe.

[@robynlessinger7459]

FANTASTIC I am emailing my parents now to ask about my O’pa’s political positions before the war.

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

I hope you learn great interesting details about your family!

[@donnahibbard1774]

Eddy, please bring your exhibit to Florida. ❤

[@hershyfishman2929]

Great interview! 41:00 "ivri teitch" simply meant "Hebrew Deitch," Hebrew German. It was only relatively recently that "teitch" took on the connotation and then meaning of translation.

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Interesting! To me the word teytch just means translation! Calling Yiddish Teitch in this context feels so wrong!

[@MrAnshie]

Teitch= Deutsch = German

[@hershyfishman2929]

@@FriedaVizelBrooklyn i know. Was shocking to me when i first found out the original meaning of "teitch"

[@ZiSlepovitch]

@@FriedaVizelBrooklyn but also "taytshn" - to translate = into understandable language, i.e. Jewish version of German (from Loshn-Koydesh)

[@tamarfischer283]

That's fascinating. Never knew that but it makes sense (there is no word like taitsch meaning translation in German). Just goes to show how language evolves

[@cc-hk5ih]

I love your channel. I just found it and am now binge watching! I am an a la carte Catholic! I have always been fascinated with social history and languages. Very interesting the language debate. In Ireland as a colonial country, the best way to colonise was to try and wipe out the native Irish language. While this was a success to a greater or less extent and English became the language of commerce and life our version of English is hugely coloured with translations even subconscious ones from the Irish language. The language became a symbol of nationalism in our troubled history. But our version of the English language has given birth to many of the most beautiful writers in the world. Ironically, like the Isreali Jews our young people now haven't much regard for our native language as they are less aware of our history, sadly. A friend of mine told me that her college professor friend said the Russian language had some similarities to the Irish language. I visited Isreal in the early 1990s, and it's a trip that will stay with me forever. I admire your gentle handling of your past religion and respect for the life and customs. CC

[@marystrackstevenson9716]

Outstanding interview. I always learn something from all your videos and gain a greater understanding of judaism.

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Thank you so much for watching!

[@ginamcknight8115]

I am really enjoying your videos.🇮🇱💙🇺🇸❤️

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

So happy to hear!

[@AS-vq3wt]

Is it just me, or does it feel like the Jews are always scheming? So weird.

[@boathousejoed1126]

Happy Mother's Day !

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Thank you, same to you belatedly if relevant!

[@mariascheu817]

That is so interesting. I have the same weird hobby trying to learn Jiddisch. My father's family is from the former eastern german part, which was Böhmen and Schlesien, and is now Poland and Tschech Republik. He sometimes used some Jiddisch Expressions, and the melody of Jiddisch reminds me of my grandmother born in the kingdom of Austria-Hungaria. I am German, and Jiddisch is so close to German dialects, because it was founded in Aschkenas, like Germany was called. In the Rheinland Region like you told. Around the so called Schum cities Mainz, Worms and Speyer, and of course around Köln, where the first jews are mentioned between 300 and 400. There are big archeology things going on with an old mikwa ecc. The Schum cities had been a center of Jewish science in the middle age. After the pest, when jews had been accused for that and a lot of pogroms broke out and a lot of them moved to eastern Europe. Jiddisch was also called Juden-Deutsch. You mentioned the word 'teitsch". Couldn't that be "deitsch"? Today there is a Jiddisch Department at the university of Düsseldorf not only for Jiddisch language but also for Jiddisch culture. It's right there had been films, books, theater in Jiddisch around 1900. I don't want this beautiful language to disappear. I heard Jiddisch wasn't accepted in Israel because it is so close to German, the language of the murders. It was interesting to hear, that there had been other reasons to prefer Hebrew for Jiddisch. There is this big shadow of the Holocaust, but there is also a memory that Jewish life was part of german culture for centuries. Ich hob lieb d sprach. A dank! Sei gesund!

[@RKK-RKK]

Something new and most interesting to learn and hear. It is good to know more about jewish culture. I have learned much of you in short time. Also it feels good you are more open to tell about your culture nowadays.

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Thank you :)

[@RachG]

Just watching this again on my way home from work. 😂❤️

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

What would the world do without your commutes!

[@RachG]

@@FriedaVizelBrooklyn Hahaa. I think the world is a bit of a mess either way. 🙃😅 I get so caught up though with thinking or listening to something that sometimes I arrive at home or work with no recollection of having got myself there. 🤣🤣🤣 It’s a miracle.

[@PaperDiva67]

This was really interesting and educational for me. As a Jewish believer in Jesus having a Grandmother who spoke Yiddish I am fascinated with this topic. Listening to the information helped fill in some gaps for me regarding some of things my other Grandmother was quoted as saying regarding her anti-Zionism opinions. On another note when I visited Vienna I noticed several words that my grandmother used in Yiddish, specifically nosh 😂! Thanks Freida!

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Nosh is a great word!

[@satiricgames2129]

My nan spoke Yiddish i learnt a little then moved to learning Hebrew. My nan was a persian jew.

[@ZiSlepovitch]

TFW amazing people (hi Eddy!) meet in one interview. Great talk!

[@AMPProf]

Ohhhh ooooo NEW INFORMATION Oo Big microphone BTW Better sound thankyou

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

I'm happy to hear Prof! Trying to get better!

[@esther_margolis]

I love all your content, but this was the most interesting for me. It's like seeing everything I know and have been taught being told mirror-image. Of course I'd heard of what we call "The Language Wars", and we were always taught that Yiddish was the language of galut and Hebrew is much better. I never questioned this at any point in my 60+ years. 😂 My parents grew up speaking Yiddish as their first language (in the 40's) but my father a"h never stopped telling us that Jews must live in Israel, and when he passed away last year all his children and grandchildren lived in Israel. (He did too, of course). I have a basic understanding of Yiddish because my grandmother didn't really know English (even after 40 years in Canada...) but never really thought about it before.

[@martinasaxton7033]

To me as a non-Jiddish-speaking German, the word "Teitsch" sounds like "Deutsch", the German word for "German" (German language). Thank you for this very interesting interview!

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Someone mentioned this and I never before made the connection!

[@martinasaxton7033]

@@agoodpitch9 or the other way around, maybe

[@mauricewolfthal7500]

For centuries Jews referred to their language as Yidish Taytsh [Judeo German]. The Yiddish word "taytsh" meant "meaning" (and still does) and "fertaytshn" meant "to translate" (and still does.)

[@sariahmarier42]

Wonderful! Listened twice!

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

❤️

[@tamarfischer283]

By the way many of the jews' hosts have yiddish words in their language too. Germany, switzerland and Belgium. Words like tachlis and kosher and choochem.

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

I knew of Mishpoche but never heard anyone use tachlis. Tachlis is a great word

[@RachG]

I’m watching the video version now! Even better 😂…and good to hear the bits I maybe missed when I was being distracted by ducklings or something!! 🤪

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Always better with faces, no? Nah ducklings are better 😁

[@RachG]

@@FriedaVizelBrooklyn yes probably. But I enjoyed both. Ducklings different but equal. 🤣🤣 I spent so long this morning thinking about your post on here about TikTok…I’m still thinking about it. I just don’t even have the words…but I tried to respond anyway… 🙃

[@nancyfink5627]

Eddie had so much information that was fascinating and informative. Are there dialects of Yiddish as there are in other languages? Is that why you said the two of you might gave trouble communicating in Yiddish? That is certainly a feature of a language. Great job.

[@stephenfisher3721]

The very short answer is yes, Yiddish has dialects.

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

There are dialects but also accents, very different pronunciations. Like if you listen to my Yiddish with Eli Benedict, it sounds very different from the Yiddish Lea Kalish the Yiddish singer sings, because we have very different pronunciations.

[@brycepardoe658]

WOW this is very interesting!

[@GreenCanvasInteriorscape]

Fascinating guy, great hair too, about that chaos in the office though 👀

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

🤓

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

I would take a tour of his office. Looks like a bunch of great stuff, including mitzvah mentchees!

[@lawrencemielnicki5643]

I would have thought that by adopting modern Hebrew had something to do with the fact that there were Jews who did not speak Yiddish. If a state of Israel was to be inclusive then there would need to be ways for Sephardim and the Mizrahi Jews from Central Asia and the Middle East to communicate with the Yiddish speaking Ashkenazim. I didn’t hear that as a reason.

[@stephenfisher3721]

As I commented, Hebrew was chosen primarily for ideological reasons (the return to Zion). Coincidentally, Hebrew was the shared heritage of all Jews. At one time in Eretz Yisrael, if a Jew spoke in Yiddish to another native Yiddish speaker, the angry reply was Goy, diber ivrit!

[@stephenfisher3721]

Inclusive is a modern concern for today's politically correct. It was not a concern back then.

[@tzveeble1679]

Interesting details I didn't know. Also what you say about the religious community adopting Yiddish. Like the Algemeiner Journal, Lubavicher youth magazines Shmusen mit kinder unt Yugend(1941-1989), and of couree over 4 centuries of the Rebbe's talks in Yiddish, collected in 29 volumes. The previous Rebbe, on the other hand, only has very few talks in Yiddish, and they are, as described, more for the lesser erudite audience.

[@stephenfisher3721]

The Hasidic movement was a popular movement of the people and championed Yiddish from the beginning.

[@Der.Eibershter.Iz.Git.]

My grandmother lived in the old yishuv in Batei Ungaren, she was mishpuches Schlesinger and her yiddish was mixed with arabic. Another example besides the one given in this video is the word for oil. Her family would say something similar to the arabic "Zeytun" (I don't remember the exact word because I grew up speaking Brooklyn yiddish so I need to ask my father. Her family came to Eretz Yisruel in the 1850's as talmidim of the Chasm Sofer (P.S most Yerushalmim from mea sheurim and Sharei Chesed married each other and are all somewhat related). Her great grandfather founded Petach Tikvah with his Talmidim and bought lots of land near Yerushalyim and other major cities in Yehuda and shomron. He collected lots of money from European and American Jews. His name was Akiva Yosef Schlesinger.

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Big yichus! Zeytun sounds so Hebrew, considering olives are zeyit, so it sounds like a natural Hebrew word for oil, no? (although we say shemen...)

[@Der.Eibershter.Iz.Git.]

@@FriedaVizelBrooklyn דער יידישע חסידשע עולם יעמאלט זענען געוועזען שטארק אנטקעגן די מודערנישע אורחות חיים וואס פיהל ציוניסטישע מענטשען האבן מיטגענומען פון אירופה, אפילו די חרדישע ציוניסטים. צום ביישפיל: בתי ספר פאר די מיידלעך און לערנען די גויישע עברית און זיך גייעהן אנגעטון מיט א קירצע אנצוג אנשטוט דעים לאנגע פראק וכו,. כאטש דעים איז געוועזען שטארק געליגט אין קאפ דעם ענין פון התיישבות ארץ ישראל און אט דערפאר איז געווארן די התפשטות פון גרעניץ ירושלים מיט מאה שערים אד״ג. דאס קויפן די אראבישע לענדער איז גקוסט טייער ווייל די אראבערס האבן געהעכערט דעים פרייז פאר די יידן. ס׳איז יעמאלט געוועזען צוויי קרייזען אין אלטשטאט ירושלים: די ליטווישע ״פרושים״ און די חסידים. נאך א חילוק וואס ס׳האט מיר דערמאנט צווישען ירושלמער יידיש און די אנדערע איז: דעם זאך מען ניצט צו שרייבן הייסט א פעדער (כאטש דעים וואס באמת איז דעיס די אלטע וועג צושרייבען) אבער אין ירושלים איז דעיס גערופן ״א פענע״ אזוי ווי די ענגלישע. (אבער אויך היינטיגע אמעריקאנע יידיש נוצט דעים מיט אנדערע ענגלישע ווערטער).

[@Der.Eibershter.Iz.Git.]

​@@FriedaVizelBrooklyn אין יענע צייט איז געוועזען די ליטווישע פרושים און די חסידים אין ירושלים. זיי זענען געוועזן שטארק אנטקעגן די מודערן ציוניסטים פרום אדער ניט פרום. נישט געטארט גייען מיט קירצע אנצוג און רעדן די גויישע עברית וכו׳. נישט מטמא זיין אווירא דארץ ישראל. כאטש דעים איז ביי זיי געוועזן שטארק דעים ענין פון התיישבות ארץ ישראל און זיי האבן געקליבן געלט פון חוץ לארץ אפצוקויפן די אראבישע לענדער אין יהודה ושומרון מיט גאר א טייערע פרייז. ס׳האט מיר דערמאנט נאך א דוגמא פון ירושלמער יידיש. די זאך מען ניצט צו שרייבען הייסט א פעדער (כאטש ס׳איז די אלטע וועג צו שרייבען) אבער אין ירושלים פלעגן זיי זאגן ״א פענע״ אזוי ווי די ענגלישע. (אבער היינט אין אמעריקע זאגט מען ביידע כמובן).

[@Der.Eibershter.Iz.Git.]

​ @FriedaVizelBrooklyn אין יענע צייט איז געוועזען די ליטווישע פרושים און די חסידים אין ירושלים. זיי זענען געוועזן שטארק אנטקעגן די מודערן ציוניסטים פרום אדער ניט פרום. נישט געטארט גייען מיט קירצע אנצוג און רעדן די גויישע עברית וכו׳. נישט מטמא זיין אווירא דארץ ישראל. כאטש דעים איז ביי זיי געוועזן שטארק דעים ענין פון התיישבות ארץ ישראל און זיי האבן געקליבן געלט פון חוץ לארץ אפצוקויפן די אראבישע לענדער אין יהודה ושומרון מיט גאר א טייערע פרייז. ס׳האט מיר דערמאנט נאך א דוגמא פון ירושלמער יידיש. די זאך מען ניצט צו שרייבען הייסט א פעדער (כאטש ס׳איז די אלטע וועג צו שרייבען) אבער אין ירושלים פלעגן זיי זאגן ״א פענע״ אזוי ווי די ענגלישע. (אבער היינט אין אמעריקע זאגט מען ביידע כמובן)

[@Der.Eibershter.Iz.Git.]

​ @FriedaVizelBrooklyn אין יענע צייט איז געוועזען די ליטווישע פרושים און די חסידים אין ירושלים. זיי זענען געוועזן שטארק אנטקעגן די מודערן ציוניסטים פרום אדער ניט פרום. נישט געטארט גייען מיט קירצע אנצוג און רעדן די גויישע עברית וכו׳. נישט מטמא זיין אווירא דארץ ישראל. כאטש דעים איז ביי זיי געוועזן שטארק דעים ענין פון התיישבות ארץ ישראל און זיי האבן געקליבן געלט פון חוץ לארץ אפצוקויפן די אראבישע לענדער אין יהודה ושומרון מיט גאר א טייערע פרייז. ס׳האט מיר דערמאנט נאך א דוגמא פון ירושלמער יידיש. די זאך מען ניצט צו שרייבען הייסט א פעדער (כאטש ס׳איז די אלטע וועג צו שרייבען) אבער אין ירושלים פלעגן זיי זאגן ״א פענע״ אזוי ווי די ענגלישע. (אבער היינט אין אמעריקע זאגט מען ביידע כמובן).@@FriedaVizelBrooklyn

[@TFJoos]

Is Yiddish, in its way? A successful form of Esperanto? Thank you for these excellent presentations.

[@HotVoodooWitch]

My (late) former in-laws were the first generation to speak Hebrew as an everyday language. Both were from Old Yishuv families; both families had made religious aliyah 'way before 1810. Both families had spoken, and continued to speak, Yiddish at home.

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

It's a fascinating phenomena.

[@yakovm7747]

Very comprehensive overview. Would like to add two points. 1. Another reason why Ivrit and NOT Yiddish became the language is the fact that Sephardim do not speak Yiddish. 2. "Teitsh" is a version of "deitsh" the Yiddish pronunciation of Deutsch, which is German. As pointed out, Yiddish is derived of German and "farteitshen" corresponds to verdeutschen, which means to translate Hebrew into "German" - ivrei texts.

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Thank you for these points!

[@shainazion4073]

Why no mention of the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, Massachusetts? YIVO is one site, the Story of the Yiddish Book Center might be of interest to your audience. My Zaidi was a Yiddish author very well known in NYC. One of his books was used in the Oxford University Yiddish program when Dovid Katz ran it,

[@stephenfisher3721]

ווער איז דיין זיידע? Ver iz dayn zeyde?

[@shainazion4073]

@@stephenfisher3721 Es Toit!

[@shainazion4073]

@@stephenfisher3721 Hersh Steinhart.

[@stephenfisher3721]

@@shainazion4073 I found two books listed. They show the name as Harry Steinhart. אין קאמף פאר יידיש In ḳamf far Yidish STEINHART, HARRY Bronx, N.Y. : [s.n.], 1954 Part of Yiddish Book Center's Spielberg Digital Yiddish Library איינער פון פאלק האט דאס ווארט Eyner fun folḳ hoṭ dos ṿorṭ STEINHART, HARRY Nyu-Yorḳ : Landsleyṭ, 1947 Part of Yiddish Book Center's Spielberg Digital Yiddish Library

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

You have such a good point. I don't know. It's probably the next biggest thing in Yiddishist culture next to Yivo, if not on par.

[@eliweissmann5810]

As ashkenazi israelis opposed yiddish so did the mizrachi jews oppose arabic in Israel everybody togeather wanted to revive hebrew and the land of Israel.

[@YitzchokTrenk]

thanks so much for all your videos just one point "yiddish teitsh" means "jewish german" only recently it took on to mean translation

[@1234-y2v]

I was very surprised when I realised a few days ago, that I understand yiddish. I'm a regular, not jew from Europe, work in the tourism industry. I speak fluent german, dutch, hungarian and russian. I just don't understand aramic and hebrew words. I think I start learning yiddish, becase just to talk is very easy for me, since i live in a german speaking country.

[@stephenfisher3721]

For years Philologos wrote a column about language in The Forward. Now he writes for Mosaic Magazine. He has consistently argued against Ghil’ad Zuckerman and his concept of Israeli Hebrew being a new or separate language. Philologos sees the evolution of Hebrew as is normal for any language.

[@DevorahC]

He understated the reality of Jews in late 1800s in the Pale, as a result of the May Laws in 1882, by Catherine ruler of Russia and her son created Rules of the Pale resulted in 1200 pogroms within 40 year period. This meant villages burned down, people killed, kidnapped, raped. So with no way to recover forced emigration which kept getting worse. They left with Russian passports, because Russians saw this as a way to get rid of this Jewish problem. Those who went to Palestine were considered Russian but Muslim leaders realized they were just desperate refugees. This was beginning roots of the modern palestinian/ Israeli conflict when the Ottoman Empire simultaneously also ended, partly at the hands of the Russians, a great enemy. So Muslims suffering great humiliation at the loss of power did not want these dhimmis populating and establishing themselves in Jerusalem, etc

[@stephenfisher3721]

These Jews were mostly interested in going to the United States.

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

Wow, thanks for sharing this!

[@hayyimrothman8244]

Not all of the contributors to Hapoel Hatsair were anti-Yiddish. I have studied some that carried on extensive Yiddish correspondence with American activists and published in Yiddish journals.

[@jeanneamato8278]

This gentleman is a fount of knowledge. Amazing ! Has he written any books ? Thank you for this.

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

He wrote a book titled Bad Jews, you'll see it's on Amazon.

[@ceebee18]

I recommend Outwitting History by Aaron Lansky.

[@esther_margolis]

a surprising takeaway for me personally: too bad that Israel did away with the affinity for Arabic, which should still be an important practical language here in Israel. totally identified with what you said about learning languages: I speak 3 languages, but have been learning Arabic for years, and still don't feel comfortable saying more than a few words (though I can manage in whatsapp messages). People should remember that it's always better to take in the other than to try to be exclusive. that was the main mistake in Israel for over 50 years imho.

[@FriedaVizelBrooklyn]

I do have to say, you visit Israel and there's Arabic everywhere. But I don't think there are many Israelis who know it. Perhaps Sefardoc Israelis from places like Morocco speak a particular kind of Arabic still, I wonder...

[@chanieweiss4288]

29:00 Zionism could help save Jews! All the rest of the debate on Zionism is secondary. Saving life is most immediately important.

[@renag9475]

Very fascinating history lesson. I couldnt resist commenting how important it is to state how Jews have always been viewed by Europeans, in light of the demand by the so called Palestinians that Jews return to their European homeland - completely laughable in light of history A few comments To the best of my knowledge it is the stance of Ahudas Yisrael that a Jewish state is necessary in order to save lives, whereas Mizrachi considers the modern state part of the Messianic process unfolding In.addition, there is a school of thought maintaining that Hebrew traditionally was always the Holy Tongue reserved for prayer and study, as opposed to Aramaic which was historically more utilitarian, dating from our Forefathers days who had migrated from Aram. This is one reason - aside from the opposition to modern Zionism -for Chassidic communities to reject modern Hebrew, preferring the Yiddish vernacular which had replaced Aramaic among European Jews. There are Yiddish speaking communities in modern day Israel dating from the mid 18th century immigration to Palestine onward - predating modern Zionism by a century - primarily in the four holy cities of Jerusalem, Hebron, Tverya and Tzfat. I hadnt realized it went back.as far as you cited.