Yiddish-Speaking Brooklyn | On The Grid with Zephyr Teachout | Ep 1

Explore the cultural differences of three Hasidic Yiddish speaking communities in Brooklyn through their culture and language. See the insular nature of the Satmar sect in Williamsburg, the outward nature of the Lubavitch of Crown Heights and the ultra-Orthodoxy of the Haredi of Borough Park. We finish the journey with a look at the intersecting musical traditions within various Yiddish speaking communities.
CORRECTION & CLARIFICATION:
A photo included is attributed to Satmar protest of Israel. The photo is of the Neturei Karta and not Satmar.
Periodically during this program, the term ‘Ultra-Orthodox’ is used by speakers to refer to practitioners of Judaism who adhere to specific traditional practices. Since publishing this program in 2015, we have learned that this term is considered pejorative by some people. We regret the use of the term in this episode, and in the future will not use that term. We are confident that the particular use in this episode was not intended to be pejorative and, subject to this expression of regret, we stand by the program.
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[@tc2334]

"Most people fail in life when there's an inconsistency between what he knows and what they should be doing." That was spot on.

[@koshersalaami]

When she went from one community to the other she switched Yiddish regional dialects, that’s why the Lubovitcher rabbi corrected her pronunciation. In the first community they spoke Galizianer, Hungarian Yiddish, and in the second Litvak, Lithuanian Yiddish. In Litvak Yiddish, a lot of the long i sounds and sometimes oy sounds turn into long a’s. When it comes to the question of whether Yiddish is shrinking or growing, at this point it’s probably shrunk enough to be growing. Why this is confusing is it depends among which Jewish population. All the Jews who came to America from Eastern Europe were native Yiddish speakers aside from German Jews who generally stuck to German. During peak Jewish immigration, over 90% of Jewish immigrants to the US came from Eastern Europe and Germany. Over time, those populations mostly assimilated - they stayed Jewish but didn’t use Yiddish as a vernacular. My grandparents were native speakers, my father was bilingual, I know bits of Yiddish, and this is a very typical pattern. However, the Chasidic community has kept Yiddish for cultural and cultural isolation reasons. The Chasidic community has an extremely high birth rate, so the number of Yiddish speakers is increasing but not among the general Jewish population. In the third community, back to Galizianer. When talking about two weddings, he used the number (transliterated here) tsvai. Long I. Like the German Zwei. In Litvak, it’s tsvay, long A.

[@koshersalaami]

Clementina Yael Severina M. Not surprising. There are a lot of German dialects and some of them share some characteristics with Yiddish, which is essentially a German dialect with added vocabulary from other sources and written in a different alphabet. There are Slavic languages like that, where one is written in Roman and the other in Cyrillic but they’re pretty close spoken.

[@lydwinaofschiedam2685]

Thank you. Very interesting history.

[@halnelson5936]

There is no link between the different pronunciations of Yiddish and her bad pronounced grossa danka which mean maybe a groyssen dank both in Williamsburg and in crown heights they correct her despite her good intentions

[@anthonyehrenzweig7697]

@Clementina Yael Severina M. In Yiddish they say "mir" instead of "wir" for "we" just like Austrian or Bavarian dialect.

[@sagbon98]

Very Interesting. I was always fascinated to know more about the Yiddish language and the various (probably dozens?) of dialects that are spoken in the USA, UK and Israel. It's weird that there is a dialect known as Galizianer (named after an area in Eastern Europe between Poland and Ukraine), as I come from Spain, which not only has a region called Galicia, but said region has its own language known as Galician. However, Galician is a romance language and is a sort of mix between Spanish and Portuguese.

[@natanaelpoultorak5538]

This Rabbi blows my mind. He explains extremely deep concepts in a few simple words.

[@nudnikjeff]

We spoken Yiddish in Coney Island. The shop signs were in Yiddish. Beautiful and expressive language.

[@tributetothemostbeautifuld129]

Excellent presentation! A sheynem dank!

[@franlooving4203]

I enjoyed learning about the community! I thought interviewer was awkward, but she meant well. Thanks for uploading.

[@iloveyouiyes5439]

""No lie can live forever" by- Dr. Martin Luther King but, he did not know about mtDNA in his day and he still got it right. The root word of the word human is humus which mean decayed organic dark brown , or black material in dirt , soil, dust of the ground .The Holy Bible indicates white skin is Biblical Gehazian leprosy.2Kings 5:27. In 2005 genetic scientist discovered a deceased mutated gene responsible for the production of European white Caucasian skin. The 2005 discovery indicates this mutation is an verifiable autoimmune decease which prevents the body from producing an normal amount of melanin .The Holy Bible indicates the triad parental fathers of this world are Shem, Ham, Japheth .Genesis 9:18. The USA world Human Genome Project started 1990 ended 2006 at a cost of over 2 Billion dollars. The H.G.P. indicated the world's verifiable triad parental fathers with the oldest mtDNA on earth are only blacks i.e. none Neanderthal white skin mutated gene carrying beings.1# Golem- means an unfinished being. 2# European caucasian white skin beings are not dark brown nor black . Therefore, they are not humus, hue, hu- man, beings ; but are alien unnatural unclean living things. The Holy Bible indicates ; Human beings are under the commandment of God Almighty in Genesis 1:28 to subdue ...and have dominion over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. .3# Ashkenaz vs Ashkenazi - according to the Holy Bible Ashkenaz is not of Shem nor Ham but of Japheth ; Genesis 10:3 so who are Ashkenazi ? 4# How can european coloinal white skin neanderthal gene carrying caucasian Ashkenazi Gehazian Golem be a Levi when they are lepers. 5# How can european coloinal white skin neanderthal gene carrying caucasian Ashkenazi Gehazian pale face Golem be hebrew when they are not natural earthy complexion God made human beings. My friend dna stands in a court of law world wide. They will not reveal the tested bone dna of the tomb of David and Abraham for one reason and one reason only.

[@Teewriter]

She talks so loud.

[@ZenFox0]

I thought Zephyr seemed somewhat uncomfortable, like a politician going through the motions of meeting would-be constituents, but not genuinely or deeply interested in the subject matter or those she was meeting with. I don’t say this to be critical - I’m sure she did the best she knows how to do, and may have felt somewhat awkward or out of place in trying to learn about an alien culture. I’d love to see a professor of Yiddish and/or a professor of Jewish studies and/or a conservative or reform rabbi from a different but related tradition do a program like this.

[@simonyip5978]

Many people associate New York City with the local Jewish accent, the local Italian accent and the local Irish accent, who all had large communities in NYC. Strangely enough, during the same period, various other cities had communities of immigrant Irish, Italian and Jewish people. London is similar to New York between say the late 1800's until fairly recently, because both cities had large communities of Jews, Irish and Italians (although in London, the Irish and the Jews were significantly larger communities than the London Italians), but in my own home city, which is a port in northern England, with a population of around 350,000-400,000 we also had our own 'Little Italy' and 'Little Ireland' and a 'Ghetto' of Polish and Russian Jews, during the 1880's and onwards. Obviously, the size of the local Irish community was around 2,000-3,000, the Russian/Polish people numbered around 1,500, the Italian community was a few hundred (probably less than 500), with a few thousand more Dutch, Swedes, Norwegians, Danish, German, Spanish, etc. The locally born children of the foreign born immigrants are not included in the numbers listed above, so the ethnic Irish, Italian, Russian and Polish groups probably were twice as big when both the first generation immigrants and also their children are included. My comment probably has little to do with this video, but it is interesting to think that what demographic changes were happening in New York City was also taking place in many other cities around the world, at the same time.

[@ibnyahud]

the "Irish era" of NYC had its heydey before the Jews and Italians really came so it was Irish-influenced American English that became further influenced by Italian and Jewish accents from the waves of immigrants that came decades later

[@beautifulspirit7420]

@@ibnyahud yes the Iargest Irish famine was in the 1840s but for decades Irish immigrants (mostly Catholic, illiterate, Gaelic speaking peasantry) were 50% of immigrants to the USA, to the horror of the Protestant nativists. Their English landlords often paid for their passage across the Atlantic.

[@hopelondonartist2035]

Would that city in N England be Hull by any chance? Could also be Liverpool, similar story 😁

[@solascripturamjc9681]

Fascinating- Loved the Rabbi. Really enjoyed this, although there wasn't enough Yiddish spoken!

[@rachelkrieger243]

I loved this, I speak Yiddish, Hebrew and English, I grew up from survivors of Poland and Auschwitz, I love Chabad, they are giving open Human Beings. Giving, Loving, excepting. I am Jewish but not religious very spiritial.

[@rachelkrieger243]

@@marthapfahl3192 yes indeed and I am a warrior, I will fight in what I beleive in. Justice!!!!

[@carlosalbertoteixeira375]

Absolutely fascinating. Loved it. Thanks a lot. And greetings from Niterói, Rio de Janeiro. Happy 2021! ❤️

[@vwsandvettes3253]

Rabbi Epstein was very friendly and knowledgeable. If I'm ever in Brooklyn would love to have him as my guide.

[@rivkarox]

Unfortunately he passed away a little while back. There is a new tour guide named Yoni Katz who you can google or book a tour with on AirBNB.

[@vwsandvettes3253]

@@rivkarox Oh no! I am very sorry to hear this about the Rabbi. I will keep the new tour guide in mind, thank you.

[@vwsandvettes3253]

@Clementina Yael Severina M. I like friendly outgoing and open - I'm that way too!

[@mordakaisilberstein6706]

Epstein didn´t kill himself.

[@anonymousanonymous-qx7mv]

@@rivkarox BDE...WOW

[@michaelkelemen5567]

When they are looking at children's books the guide says, "All these books have so much about character development and moral lessons. The importance of not being angry and not being jealous. Not being spiteful. One of the values in the community is that any personality flaw can be changed. You just have to work on it and that's when you really serve God".

[@howardcohen6817]

Thank you for the fascinating report.

[@brianingarfill1773]

As a Christian, thank you for the exposure to help me understand my brothers and sisters better.

[@mordakaisilberstein6706]

Not everyone is your brother or sister, only those in Christ.

[@rjgjn378]

I don't think they think that you're their brother

[@algi1948]

@@rjgjn378 Some do and some don't. It is said that where there are 2 Jews, there always are at least 3 points of view...

[@lizgichora6472]

Thank you for the tour.

[@keithrichardson3942]

I met a lot of Chabad Lubavitch in Israel, they teach people how to tie tefillin etc and distribute informative leaflets, they're doing a good job educating and bringing people back into Judaism

[@LP-gs3xj]

Absolutely fascinating. Thank you so so much.

[@michelecaron]

Excellent explanations. I am learning so much. A new higher respect to Hasidim.

[@MG-dd9kj]

Got onto this video After watching the netflix Series and Reading the Book „Unorthodox“ - thank you everybody involved in this informative bit on KZbin! Love from Germany

[@dalestreeter341]

At 6:00, discussion about "Kippala" as a pastry derived from Hungarian Jews. My grandmother was a ethnic Austrian Catholic from the Banat, a primarily German speaking district in Hungary before WWI. She made a horseshoe shaped, bread-dough pastry called "kipfla." The standard German word for this pastry is "Kiipfeln" or crescent and is thus related to the French Croissant.

[@georgiaclapham9204]

this pastry was brought to france by marie antoinette's austrian pastry chef. it was originally created to commemorate the victory of prince eugen over the turkish army! thus it was called a "kipferl" or crescent after the crescent moon, and in french, "croissant".

[@shilorosenberg2008]

Pojonyi Dios Kifle - nothing above it; BANAT is mostly rumania

[@dalestreeter341]

@@shilorosenberg2008 It is now, but before WWI the Banat of Temesvar was part of the kingdom of Hungary populated mostly by ethnic Germans, who homesteaded the area after the Turks were expelled in 1699.

[@anthonyehrenzweig7697]

Thats right - so did my mother but its written "Kipfeln"

[@thelessimportantajmichel287]

Okay, that retied rope analogy is really deep.

[@alicemi4155]

It's nonsense. If you sin, you come closer to God? Then why is sinning forbidden? It should be encouraged, not punished. It's just a self-serving, convenient attitude made up by sinful people to help them feel better with themselves.

[@mbr7156]

@@alicemi4155 no.. it's the repairing of the disconnection/sin that brings one closer -- it's the work. it's not an "oops, i made a mistake" , and then >boop< you're closer to G_d... it's the prayer, the deeds, the introspection, the deliberate, painstaking examination of your disconnect... there is nothing "convenient" about it.

[@alicemi4155]

@@mbr7156 Of course it's a convenient way of thinking if you really believe that anything good can come out of sining, even if you have to fight for it. I'm not saying the damage is necessarily unrepairable, but I'm saying that the "disconnect" you're talking about can prove lethal. And even if it's not, it's still extremely painful and unfair for everyone involved, who by the way may have no time for the sinner and his prayers or introspection.

[@eshbyesh]

@@alicemi4155 I think there is the possibility of a "slippery slope" way of thinking, but someone who REALLY does "come back" (teshuva) will hopefully have the mindset that precludes thinking of tricky ways to get away with sinning. If someone is putting on a show for others to LOOK pious, that's definitely not a positive thing (which ultimately can lead others to do the same thing). But in the rope analogy, the more you cut and retie a rope, the less sturdy overall it's going to be. A person who makes a true effort to repair his deeds and then STAY on the right track is the kind that the rabbi refers to here.

[@deeptime5581]

@@eshbyesh Useful analogy if you want to "return" non-religious Jews who certainly have sinned.

[@rolandrodriguez7145]

Thats amazing this rabbi actually ,taught us hasidism and judaism to me as i was guided by ruah hakodesh to see this from my phone , expanding my knowledge and love for elohim ,baruch aloheinu adonai ,kavod elohim,baruch haba bshem adonai

[@carltonafghan]

Well done Zephyr, What a lovely relaxed and outgoing manner you possess in your interviewing. A great job in my opinion.You make the whole programme fit together easily and comfortably. A very revealing and enjoyable documentary. Thank you for a job well done from, Ian in Ukraine.

[@RUNLIKEHELL04]

pretty cool doc....learned something new today

[@SamanthaSeltzer]

Wait let’s be clear: the Chabad community does NOT proselytize! It is against halacha (Jewish law) to try to convert non-Jews. What they do is encourage Jewish people to partake in more mitzvot, which is actually encouraged in Jewish law and is considered itself a mitzvah.

[@anthonyehrenzweig7697]

Thats absolutely right

[@birdy4life32]

Yea chabad is AMAZING I'm hassidic not from the lubavitcher sector but I'm amazed by all the amazing stuff they do and that they are open minded and help everyone no matter how religious they are or not

[@SamanthaSeltzer]

Chuckyda Parrot!75 wow I don’t think I’ve ever seen a non otd hasid on social media before - what sect are you? So cool! :)

[@birdy4life32]

@@SamanthaSeltzer my family is from the bobov sector. my parents don't have smartphones etc. But I'm a little bit different I'm not otd but am still trying to figure out my life where I belong etc.

[@SamanthaSeltzer]

Chuckyda Parrot!75 totally understandable :) please feel free to reach out if you ever want to talk/want community! We have lots of Jewish fb groups you might like :) I’m bt but it’s always a work in progress

[@jenniferjahns4006]

This video showed up as a recommendation because I've been watching, captivated by, many videos about orthodox and other jewish sects living in New York. Customs, family life, faith life etc. What I kept wondering is how do they support themselves as it appears studying the most important thing. So I was glad you asked him. Are they working at all? How do they pay rent, buy food etc? If they're under the poverty level, are they receiving state assistance? That first picture he posted about the history surprised me. Usually they're very modest, but several women in that photo were exposing quite a bit of skin compared to now!

[@chaipunzel137]

Jennifer Jahns It really depends on the community. However, i can say that a lot of orthodox jews in Brooklyn are on some type public assistance. And usually women work when the husband dedicates himself to studying. Female owned businesses are big in many communities.

[@dianeshelton9592]

Jennifer Jahns yes they don’t work, yes they are like the FDLS have multiple children so they can collect payments. As ever the religious relay on the non religious to support them. Though there is a saying , if you see an orthodox man studying , there is a worn out wife working to support them and look after the many children as well.

[@eliezermayteles5687]

They lead the NYC construction and development market

[@pesa9518]

The men can only study if their wife, parents, or in-laws can support them. If not, they have to work. Wealthy families will sometimes offer to pay rent or give $ for a ‘learning boy’ to marry their daughter. Though it’s actually very rare for men to just study for longer than their mid-20s. Somewhat more common in Lakewood, NJ, where the housing is way cheaper.

[@Claudia-cr2pm]

Fascinating! Thank you

[@Shani03314]

Ashkenazi Jewish people migrated from the Levantine region (Israel) into Europe, specifically Germany. Yiddish is a mix of Hebrew, Aramaic, and German.

[@sleeexs]

Khazaria

[@MitzvosGolem1]

Awesome thank you A danke Note Chassidus a newer movement from 1700s is very very different than Litvak Lithuanian or German Yecha , Sephardic Persian, Ubekestan Mitzrahi, Orthodox Jews... Very very different and oppose each other strongly even had violence against each other in Russia Many are not aware of this. Lakewood NJ and Monsey NY are Litvak communities. Nice to see such a kind interview and tour. Shalom

[@johnjacobs7426]

Monsey has more chassidim than litvaks these days

[@MitzvosGolem1]

@@johnjacobs7426 I study and support all except Satmar. Shalom.

[@ricardofolive]

Very good. Lovely community.

[@sureyyaekinci4630]

My family are Muslim and this is awesome. Loved watching it. I don’t know much about Jewish communities

[@TheBeatle49]

Only problem, you didn't hear much Yiddish spoken!

[@einat1622]

Well the host and the show's audience doesn't understand it.

[@einat1622]

@Rolf Leseratz There are other Yiddish outlets.

[@alanguages]

@@einat1622 There is a reason why subtitles exist.

[@einat1622]

@@alanguages The host doesn't speak Yiddish, so having the other side speaking back in Yiddish would looks weird / offensive IRL.

[@alanguages]

@@einat1622 Not likely, since the program is literally called "Yiddish- Speaking Brooklyn". The show could have been set up to reflect it better.

[@moirapettifr7127]

These communities are like living history.

[@paulscheinberg2414]

Awesome!!! Makes me want to back to Brooklyn (just to visit, that is)!

[@karyherndon4266]

What a great way to try to see what Jewish faith is all about. Last summer, I read “The Source” by James A. Michener. It’s a huge book. Almost intimidating to read ...due to the sheer pain and complex story. I was very happy to see this modern version of Jewish life in Brooklyn, New York! It’s illuminating. Thanks!

[@harrietjosephson5113]

Springfield Illinois has a Hasidic house. Not large but may be growing. They are all over the world.

[@skontheroad]

I think you meant A Chabad House. The Lubovitcher Rebbe said "Wherever there is a Jew, we will build a Chabad House". And there is indeed, one almost everywhere!

[@thejamaican67]

Really fascinating

[@frankherrick1892]

Excellent, looking forward to my next time in NYC.

[@ajgalloway2521]

Lots of cool info trivia style. Looks like a great neighborhood with lots of walking. 😍

[@erikpaterson1404]

This was such an awesome viewing experience thank you to all for making it possible.

[@binnybrand2563]

What was so good about it

[@vwsandvettes3253]

Quite a bit off topic but I hope everyone there in Williamsburg and NY as a whole are staying healthy and avoiding COVID19. Well wishes from here in NC to you all 😊

[@josephbohme7917]

SHE THINKS WELL ON HER FEET. Able to absorb verbatim what is said and demonstrates a joy in her conversations.

[@4adinak]

My only complaint is that when an interviewer goes to take on a topic that is outside their norm, they really need to learn to at the very least, how to pronounce the NAME of the very people they are interviewing. It is respectful and shows that you took the time to find out at least a little about who they are beforehand. Lu-ba-vitch, accent on "ba" not the last syllable. Not that hard to pronounce correctly - you just need to ask someone.

[@stevenm.2597]

Agreed. A;ls,o they kept saying Sat mar, instead of pronouncing it correctly, Sahtmahr.

[@alexsdb9712]

This is increasing. Not just interviewers but shockingly at news broadcasts whether they are the reporter on site, the newsdesk or a news/talk panel. Very unprofessional and in poor taste.

[@ODTU06]

As a German speaker, I could pretty much understand Yiddish. It is just a strange accent with Hebrew origin words sprinkled in.

[@adoramase]

lol,,, feeling the same way about German.. Grammars seem different as well

[@shimke43]

Both languages share a lot, but it is no more correct to say that Yiddish is (modern?) German with a strange accent, than to say that German is (modern?) Yiddish with a strange accent. In fact, the common Germanic words in Yiddish and modern German have a common medieval root which frequently evolved in two different directions over time, one way in Yiddish and another way in German. Some died out in German: old German "hi-naht" becomes "haynt" (today) in Yiddish but has no descendant in modern German, while many other old German roots died out in Yiddish and survive in modern German. In addition, Yiddish has the admixture of Semitic and Slavic borrowings, and even borrowings from modern German - but don't forget that modern German also has a lot of borrowings which have no root in old German - from Latin, French, English, mostly but also form many other languages (including a few from modern Yiddish). -- If that is not clear to you, think of French and Spanish - both evolved out of Latin, but French is not Spanish with an accent, nor is Spanish French with an accent.

[@daryla7825]

Cooper I hear that if you speak Bavarian German, you will understand more Yiddish than a standard German speaker would?

[@nightwish1000]

@@shimke43 you forget that "German" is not only the modern standard language but a way older dialect continuum. yiddish is an offspring of some of these (high-) german dialects just as the german standard is. that's why yiddish historically was called "Taytsh" ("German"). referring to your analogy: spanish was never called french nor the other way around, nor is one of these languages based on dialects of the other. yiddish evolved like many other german dialects in different directions than the modern german standard.

[@Historian212]

Chabad does *not* proselytize - that is, they don’t seek converts. This is important to understand. Chabad seeks to serve the world, very much through working with non-religious Jews. They do more, such as running soup kitchens that feed anyone in need. But they don’t use these to convert people. They’re more open to inquiries from outsiders, but their outreach is primarily to non-religious Jews. (Like Jesus’ was, if you read the gospels carefully.)

[@izzyposen2092]

They do technically proselytise, by trying to get non-religious Jews to be religious. In fact, one of their main goals is to get non-religious Jews religious.

[@Rolando_Cueva]

Secular Jews didn’t exist in Jesus’ time?

[@4adinak]

Correct. I have watched a few interview/documentaries and am disturbed that they are depicting Chabadniks as "proselytizing" and attempting to convert people. Yes, they do, but ONLY other Jews. That should be made more explicit.

[@anonymousanonymous-qx7mv]

@@izzyposen2092 that is not proselytizing...sorry...

[@francessandler6318]

Historian212 has

[@oncnurse5]

The wedding thing sounded DEFINITELY VERY GERMAN when spoken in Yiddish!!

[@felixlagemann8109]

i understand yiddish cause it's almost the same thing to be honest

[@brehmse]

It is also a common saying in German. Only the sentence structure is a bit different. Look at the infinitive verb "tanzen". Yiddish: Ma kenn nish tanzen af zway chachenes(?). (approx. transcription by ear) German: Man kann nicht auf zwei Hochzeiten tanzen. Putting the infinitive part of the verbal construction to the front of the sentence is more typical of Yiddish, but also certain German dialects, like Viennese German (which in turn has significant Yiddish influences vocab-wise, and like Yiddish it has Slavic influences grammar-wise).

[@otherwords1375]

@@brehmse The final word, "chatenos" (חתנות), is Hebrew for "wedding" rather than German. It just uses the soft Ashkenazic pronunciation of the final letter.

[@nebraska22]

That Rabbi Epstein was very open-minded and friendly. There should be more like him

[@ariari4133]

Do you have a mind ?

[@dovbarleib3256]

Chabad Lubavitch is very outgoing. They are the opposite of the insular world of Satmar. With the exception of loving and serving G-d according to the Torah of Moshe, you cannot find a worrldview more polar opposite than Chabad vs. Satmar.

[@Historian212]

Dominik Graf That is a hallmark of Chabad.

[@AynMax666]

I remember from a story of Isaac Bashevis Singer's Chasidic childhood* that a man ought not to be around women unless he had another man around to make sure he didn't succumb to temptation---I thought of this when I noticed that there was always another many when Z.T. was walking with Rov Epstein. *(An eighty-year-old-man asked the eleven-year-old Isaac to take his hand as he walked through a courtyard filled with women.)

[@imhotep561]

More like him???? They are almost all like that

[@howardcohen6817]

28:46 Great statement by song-writer, Jeremia Lockwood, about the "purpose of music" to "balance the [ever present] tension between the high and the low...and to connect those two places."

[@jcherrera104]

My friend moved to Germany and has told me that even in Germany there are different dialects of germen were some germsnd do not understand other Germans so I am curious if there are different types of Yiddish. I wish my grandma taught me more 😔

[@rose4490]

@Clementina Yael Severina M. That reminds me how there are many different accents amongst English language speaking people, and I guess different dialects. I used to find it really difficult to understand the way Scottish people speak English, but now I kinda like it.

[@lyssachavez7623]

wow!!!! Thank YOu for this ......I understand a fiew things About me now why I think and believe because thats who I am

[@hannagg9365]

👍🏻💕👏🏻

[@claudiaf.2236]

In this special occasion you are right. But I think the saying comes from being actually the groom, you cannot marry two girls you have to decide in life. But in German the saying is more used in a situation where somebody tries to please two opposite groups, or wants to be a good father AND spend the weekends with his single friends...well life is full of sacrifices and decisions, but you are happier when you decide for one, this is the feeling behind this saying.

[@shimke43]

My mother, perhaps incorrectly?, used the Yiddish expression to tell her children not to 'play the field' eternally but to select one person whom one thinks one will eventually want to marry. But I think it can be applied to any situation where a person refuses to or is unable to make a choice.

[@ZenFox0]

At 24:39, Zephyr’s Yiddish sounds very German (in terms of the accent - I know that Yiddish is largely comprised of German, or based on Middle High German, along with Hebrew and other Central and Eastern European languages such as Polish, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, Russian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Estonian, etc.). It’s good she made an effort though. It was interesting to hear the distinction between Yiddishists - those interested in exploring and preserving the language and culture - and the community members who happen to speak Yiddish, but aren’t so interested in the language per se. I could imagine there’s some annoyance at being gawked at like a curiosity or a zoo attraction, even if the interest from outsiders is genuine. It’s interesting some of the looks they got from bystanders as well, although their guides were very gracious and cordial.

[@sarahblumental333]

A groysn danke! Ikh redn yiddish, autz iz gutten! ikh vi dem videa, rbi iz super kil

[@titicoqui]

great hostess nice people all around!!!

[@boblebovidge7049]

Thank you for this brief introduction to a part of my judaism: I barely practice it as I am more agnostic,but EXTREMELY proud of my race,and what it has given to the world in education,medicine,the arts esp. music,science,technology, c harity, and wisdom!! We have survived all attempts to annihilate us for thousands of years,so I do believe we are chosen, for better or for worse,Omayne!

[@marvinisrael1671]

@Bob Lebovidge Judaism is not a "race."

[@tomstieve]

Very interesting. Thanks!

[@Braglemaster123]

The Rabbi is Amazing .

[@davidklein2]

I thought so, too. Just brilliant

[@davidAll5]

excellent, thank you

[@zeeve284]

Wow! Love your short hair! It's beautiful! A MECHAYE!

[@michaelvonahnen3050]

Great information.

[@nevilleprinsloo]

Afrikaans is some ways similar to Yiddish. The base language of Afrikaans is old Dutch, but there are indigenous (local Bantu) languages as well.

[@dalooloo28]

you should be careful about sharing apartheid information like that. you should try to learn Zulu and be Afrocentric or else keep shut. Its better you dont share

[@nevilleprinsloo]

+J Himmelbleu thank you.

[@nevilleprinsloo]

+J Himmelbleu I agree

[@adoramase]

In the sense of the language being a clear combination, Interesting, I wonder whether the types of words in Agricaans that depart from old Dutch are similar to those in Yiddish. For the most part nound come first

[@nevilleprinsloo]

What???

[@willwarden5304]

Thanks learned some stuff.

[@Kalvin5]

That one tour guide had to leave the community because he was gay. I'm sure that was the reason, but the ideological one sounds better in public and when representing his community respectfully. Funny that she even asked. I thought that was awkward.

[@daryla7825]

Steril&Feral lol, I thought the same thing.

[@myopinions1]

There has never been a gay guide kicked from Rabbi Epstein's tour company.

[@hirotakakawano7212]

イディッシュ語が死語ではなく、ニューヨーク、ブルックリンで生きていることは、言語学上に於いても、非常に価値ある、素晴らしい生ける世界遺産です。ドイツ語、ロシア語、ヘブライ語の相互関係を考察する上でも、大変興味深いですね🇮🇱🇧🇪🇷🇺2020年5月26日

[@clydecessna737]

Wonderful stuff.

[@sshannon1948]

If many families are under the poverty level, how do they then afford to live in NYC??

[@maximilian9295]

Section 8. They recieve a high percentage of aid, disproportionately so.

[@rose4490]

Um hmm...

[@halnelson5936]

They are very solidar into their communities and quarters it's almost a communist model and there are a lot of loans systems but this is a separate subject

[@anonymousanonymous-qx7mv]

Many have moved out to smaller communities as of late where rents are cheaper

[@anonymousanonymous-qx7mv]

@@halnelson5936 repeat that again please...esp the communist part...huh??

[@rutiyafei9339]

03:10 You spoke about Satmar and introduced them as Neturei Karta - it's not the same!

[@nachmanmeuman4489]

both satmar and neturei karta are very anti zionist, it's not just them its 99.99 percent of the leading jewish religious leaders who condemned Zionism, hasidic and not hasidic, it's really even 100 percent, because even Rav Kook understood the reality that the secular zionists are reshaim, it's just he thought they have holy souls and he can reform and elevate them, the question is how do you respond to the secular heretical zionist movement not whether you think it's kefirah(herecy)

[@daryla7825]

Nachman Me'Uman the Haradi are not really anti Zionists, they are anti secularist. Already they are starting to change, the Ger Chasidim, the largest Chasidish group in Israel, has accepted that perhaps the secularists chillonim, are perhaps part of the geohla redemption process. As such they are starting to let their young men join the army in nahal charadi and Hebrew is starting to replace Yiddish in their homes. The Belz Chasidim have moved from an anti Zionist stance to a neutral stance, as have many other groups. Only the diehards like the Satmar are still openly anti Zionist, but if Israel was to become a Torah observant state under a rabbinical sandhedrin, they would be more stanchly Zionist than Theodore Hertzel. It's just a matter of time before the Haradi take over Israel and show the world what real Zionism looks like when religion is added into the mix. If the Palestinians think that they have issues now, they have no idea of the shitstorm coming down the pipeline when the Haradi embrace Zionism.

[@haroldsteinblatt2567]

To be exact, he spoke of the Satmar and the image shown was that of members of the Neturei Karta demonstrating at a Salute to Israel parade in Manhattan. Most Satmar Chassidim do not believe that there can be a secular Jewish state, but very few actively support the Palestinians, march with Palestinian flags, or, in an act of treason to all Jewish people, visit Iran as guests of the Mullahs. Those are the Neturei Karta, and there are very few of them.

[@AynMax666]

@@nachmanmeuman4489 No, Agudas Yisroel in Europe and then America were originally anti-Zionist but many in it changed their minds in teh '30s and '40s. I'm not asking you to agree with them; I'm asking you to report accurately, and it is simply not accurate to report that 99.99% or 100% of 'leading jewish [sic] religious leaders' condemned Zionism...unless you are saying that anyone who didn't weren't Jewish, leading, or religious, which would deserve all the respect due any 'True Scotsman' argument.

[@hannagg9365]

It’s almost the same, in my view. And to the overwhelming majority of the Jewish ppl on this planet. It’s one thing to have disagreements and one’s own (dissenting) opinion, but it’s altogether another thing to actively seek to harm & DESTROY your fellow Jews in Israel. Many of which found refuge there bc they had no where else in the world to go. As a secular, I get & respect their argument(s), however their tactics are terroristic in style, and they don’t seem to have the same respect for others.

[@tudormiller887]

❤ Watching from London UK. Is the Kosher pastry gluten & lactose free ?

[@amixofeverything]

Kosher certification is mostly done by rebbeim...but anybody who has expertise in the halacha, whether a Rabbi or not, can certify something kosher. Today, though, people only recognize something as kosher if it was certified by the va'ad.

[@hannagg9365]

So beautiful and educational! Thank you! The Jewish people are so sweet and pure! Am Israel Chai - “the Jewish people live”! 😍😍😍😍😍👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@KevinASullivan]

Great thanks

[@mogreenz]

very resourceful,wearing flats for the tour.

[@kenbroadway6547]

Interestingly, Yiddish has a very strong German presence...and it written in Hebrew characters. Was machst du translates literally in German to "what makes you?" But means "what are you doing...what are you up to?"

[@snowman3390]

Actually, it means literally "What do you make?" "Du" ("you") is the subject, not the object in the sentence.

[@helgaioannidis9365]

Was machst Du is high German and means "what are you doing".

[@nathaliyahforz]

Vad gjör du - in Swedish, yet another Germanic language from same family. But Yiddish is not a original language but has mixed over time.

[@ellierose2661]

Tone deaf dress for a reporter going into this community.

[@selectland1]

It was a subtle provocation, glad no one took the bait.

[@compareandcontrast6629]

15.05 Salam aleikum is in Arabic. In Judeo-Aramaic it is "Sh'lama Aleiku". They're close, but not identical.

[@koobea4859]

Holy Land of Tennessee! I freakin KNEW it.

[@RasMajnouni]

Chabad: "We all know what we NEED,but do we know what we are NEEDED for"?

[@lancebaker1374]

At 07:53 "That's a GREAT question!!!!" I want to mind an interview that does not have question-praising.

[@jeffreysiegel450]

Zephyr did a great job of covering the various Jewsh communities

[@noahcohen6765]

Am I out of my mind or was Green-Wood Cemetary spelled "Greed-wood Cemetary" at 22:09. What was that all about? Who's doing the editing over there?

[@lesmillett6144]

you're not out of your mind...plus, it's spelled cemetery, not cemetary

[@greglialios7430]

The poverty point is invalid as to define someone or a household as poor doesn’t reflect a true picture. You can be financially poor but still have food on the table, a roof over your head and shoes on your feet. Goyishe notions of poverty are not compatible with yiddishkiet concepts of poverty and the same can be said for the Amish and Mennonite communities

[@SergeiFeinschmidt]

Wow,my GrandGrandma understood Yiddish, but now...Yiddish is almost dead in Russia. I was shocked when I heard some Hasidic guys in Ben-Guruion airport fluently speaking Yiddish

[@adinapodell3719]

@ would you be able to translate my Grandma/Savta’s published book printed in Yiddish and Hebrew?

@@adinapodell3719 I could probably do the Yiddish but I am not fluent in Hebrew‼️

[@TheKoderius]

20:19 This is a universal truth.

[@sergiolobato1798]

I heard a term on Curb Your Enthusiasm where Larry calls Susan a Mis-Skype? Anybody knows What that means?

[@skontheroad]

LOL! I think you mean a "Meeskeit" (Yiddish uses Hebrew letters, so that is a transliteration). A Meeskeit is a VERY ugly girl (usually refers to a girl). It reminds me of when my brother-in-law brought his now ex-wife home to meet everyone. I was standing with Bubbe and the first thing she said was "was fur eine Meeskeit ist dus?" We said, Bubbe, stop! because we knew they were getting married. Unfortunately she passed soon thereafter (she was old, a survivor). So she didn't live long enough to get to the point where they have divorced, and we can start calling her a Meeskeit again! 😅😅😅

[@tzarinavictoria3531]

The poverty point is invalid as to define someone or a household as poor doesn’t reflect a true picture. You can be financially poor but still have food on the table, a roof over your head and shoes on your feet. Goyishe notions of poverty are not compatible with yiddishkiet concepts of poverty and the same can be said for the Amish and Mennonite communities

[@wavyremix]

It's simply a metric of household income used for government planners. It isn't meant to imply anything about happiness or quality of life. It is entirely valid for comparing different groups and getting a general picture of a community.

[@Mike-dk7wj]

A very high percentage of the ultra-orthodox communities in New York and Israel and elsewhere are below the economic poverty lines in both countries because the bulk of the men refuse to work preferring instead to 'study' and live off social security payments and private handouts. It is a unique phenomenon in four thousand years of Jewish history and not replicated by other Jews - the vast majority - anywhere else in the world, now or previously.

[@wavyremix]

​@@Mike-dk7wj That is not only not true, it also obscures the larger picture, which is as follows: 1) nearly all Orthodox families have a mother and father and this makes it significantly harder to get welfare. 2) Orthodox families are significantly larger than average and thus are more expensive to manage. 3) ALL kids go to private schools, which costs money. 4) It is not considered dignified to "study forever" as you claim; men study essentially until they are married and then are expected to work and provide for their wives and children. One form of "work" can be to continue their education, in which case they would need a private grant from the community. Another form of work is becoming a Rabbi, which requires very extensive training, and a big grant from the community. These cases make up a very small proportion of the community; the rest simply hustle for jobs in one of the most competitive and expensive cities to live in in the world. 5) The women hardly ever bring in any additional economic wealth to the homes, so these are almost entirely single-earner families, which makes it more likely they'd be poorer on average. All of these things contribute to poverty without pointing to reliance on welfare as a cause. I would wager that, out of all poor communities in the country, the ultra-religious Jews consume the fewest public services. In fact we know this, since Jews are counted as "white" in the statistics and, whites are overwhelmingly underrepresented in welfare statistics in NYC.

[@skontheroad]

​@@wavyremix Sorry, but you are dead wrong! PLENTY of women work in Orthodox and Ultra-Orthodox communities! And in Ultra-Orthodox communities, there are men who continue to learn all day, even after they are married and have children. I don't know where you learned otherwise, but you are incorrect.

[@wavyremix]

​@@skontheroad I never said either of the things you are countering, and you offer no additional data on the matter, so...thank you? 1) I never said women don't work. I said they don't bring in any significant additional income. If I had to put a percentage on it, I'd say women are responsible for less than 10% of the income brought into ultra-orthodox homes. 2) Likewise, I never said there aren't men who study in perpetuity. I simply explained what is necessary to be one of those select few who get to study as their full-time job. It is not the norm. I know these things because I am Jewish, I live in one of these communities, I lived in Jerusalem for years, and my brother is an ultra-orthodox rabbi. So thanks for the comment but you literally added nothing to the conversation.

[@AnnaMishel]

the expression is . . me ken nit tantsen af tsvai chasenes mit ain tiches. you can't dance at 2 weddings with one behind. (said in livisn idish)

[@Historian212]

A Mishel 😆😆😆

[@Berzelmayr]

Man kann nicht mit einem Hintern auf zwei Hochzeiten tanzen. (standard German)

[@thekingsdaughter4233]

@@Berzelmayr "mit einem Hintern" braucht man da gar nicht. Den Spruch kenne ich zwar gut, aber ohne das. (Niedersachsen)

[@snowman3390]

@@Historian212 A Mooshel (Galitzianer Yiddish) or Mosol (Litvish Yiddish) or Moshol (German/Yekke & North American Yiddish). No one says "mishel".

[@halnelson5936]

@@snowman3390 rather mooshel/moshel

[@damiananslik6214]

Is there an episode 2

[@joer736]

If i found a job in Brooklyn i would move there in a heart beat.

[@user-od5pz6im9s]

you d rather come to Israel that is our land !!! and not Brooklyn ...

[@aspincelaframboise5300]

That isisrael tribe can only hold land illegally as long as the Yanks pay for it. Once that stops, isisrael is like South Vietnam, gone in a month eh...

[@fanOmry]

@@aspincelaframboise5300 Yeah, And The Brits saved the Dat for Israel in 48.. Read about the White Book policy..

[@aspincelaframboise5300]

@@user-od5pz6im9s Should we doubt that the isisrael kosher tribe sincerely wants peace in the Middle East? Of course it does. Because colonizers and occupiers in general always want peace, after they get what they itch for, and peace also means they can enjoy what they steal and murder for eh... Ü

[@user-od5pz6im9s]

we didn t steal it G od forbid . didn t you read the Torah ?? This land is ours. 2000 years algo [ a little less] we were forced to quit our land and they took advantage of that to settle there . imagine you were forced to quit your house and after years later when you come back you find somebody who settled in it . wouldn t you fight that ??? we are coming back to our land that is a fact I think they have enough lands Egypt liban Tunisia Algeria morocco irak etc...etc and they want ours too !!f...

[@tg2683]

Chassidim are not chassidic in order to separate themselves from others! There is so much to it!

[@VonL]

How is it that the residents are at or below the poverty line but still there's a vibrant local economy?

[@einat1622]

Gamach ("Gmilot CHasadim") they have their own system of donations and welfare, as well as whatever government help they receive. For example there are holidays that it's a "mitzva" (a good deed- or- a god's law) to hand out food or gift basket to others. If a bride needs a wedding dress (expensive), she can borrow one from "a store" in an exchange to a small deposit. Clothes are being used among children from the same family and being exchanged between families.

[@blackalien6873]

They're on welfare.

[@einat1622]

@@blackalien6873 It's part of it, yes.

[@deeptime5581]

@@einat1622 Fact is they know how to use the system. In Israel, they get out of having to go to the army because they are religious. Same idea.

[@einat1622]

@@deeptime5581 True that.

[@tomdavison9107]

The guy playing the guitar sounds like a Yiddish Elvis Costello.

[@victorslonimsky8407]

Si podes de cime de que hablan

[@markus3376]

And where is Yiddish in this video?

[@naomifourteen8656]

When visiting Orthodox community she could show respect and be dressed modestly.

[@redmatters9318]

Speak more yiddish please. G'day Australia 🇦🇺.

[@moufidjaber]

the rabbi seemed so triggered when Teachout dared to compare the Aramaic "Salam alayku" with the Arabic "Salam alaykum"

[@dfnuniverse2198]

👀 AWESOME 🤓👀👌🖤✅

[@adwwdawad]

If I lived like this, I would never have time to work, cook, sleep, or live.

[@rareword]

You should have invited Professor Higgins. (My Fair Lady)

[@dorefish-bieler7330]

"Salaamu u'Aleikum السلام عليكم" is not Aramaic. It's Arabic. In Aramaic you would probably say "shlama", but I haven't studied enough Talmud to know. By the way, all the rules about which animals are pure and impure can be found in Leviticus Chapter 11, as well as many other places.

[@nachmanmeuman4489]

There are many different dialects of Aramaic, and different types of Aramaic also depending on the era/location in which it was spoken, so my friend your idea of how Aramaic should be spoken doesn't mean that our Aramaic isn't legit, our Aramaic is very precious in our eyes and you in your arrogance want to 'correct us'

[@Rolando_Cueva]

Nachman Me'Uman Salam Aleikum is definitely Arabic, not Aramaic.

[@snowman3390]

@@Rolando_Cueva Agreed.

[@camarocarl7130]

Did she get that blue cape from her grandmother?

[@ZenFox0]

I believe she wore it as a polite gesture of modesty while visiting the Chassidic neighborhoods, as it’s frowned upon to be uncovered.

[@camarocarl7130]

@@ZenFox0 Looks like she was being held hostage in it.

[@ZenFox0]

@@camarocarl7130 lol

[@donnalromero4481]

How do say Kiss the Son in Yiddish? God Bless