Those who love Yiddish, particularly in the secular world, are often confronted
with a question that seems perhaps redundant. But isn’t Yiddish a dead language?
Yiddish is often equated to Latin for example, which is hardly the case.
It
would be unlikely to see a revival of, say, Latin or another such language that
is actually six feet under, aside from occasional groups of enthusiasts getting
together to recreate a sense of what was. The difference with Yiddish is that it
still lives; Yiddish has never ceased to be a living language despite the
passing of many of its speakers. A revival of the Yiddish language has taken
root from Buenos Aires to Manhattan to Paris, and even in Tel Aviv, Israel’s
haven for secular Jews, Yiddish is making a comeback.
But how do we know
that? Daniel Galay chairman of
Beit Leyvik in Tel Aviv, responds: “A new Yiddish
book, or articles in Yiddish means that Yiddish is living, creating and
reinterpreting. We have something to say. This is how we know Yiddish is making
a comeback.”
Beit Leyvik, founded in the late 60s, serves as home of the
Association of Yiddish Writers and Journalists, the H. Leyvik Publishing house,
in addition to a host of cultural activities for Yiddish speakers of all
levels.
Galay says, “Our approach [at Beit Leyvik] is to embrace religion
and secularity and acknowledge that they are both part of Yiddish identity and
literature.” There is often a stigma attached to Yiddish by the secular society,
calling it the language of the haredim (ultra-Orthodox). Beit Leyvik aims to
debunk the misconception and feature all aspects of Yiddish literature and
culture, from religious to secular and everything else in the
spectrum.
Galay himself is a Yiddish writer and musician, raised in
Argentina, and came to Israel as a young man. On moving to Israel he struggled
to build a new life without giving up his language, Yiddish. Since being elected
chairman of the Association of Yiddish Writers and Journalists in 2001, Galay
has applied a new method in advocating for Yiddish specifically in
Israel.
At Beit Leyvik, it's not just about classes and one-time
activities, it is about building a community committed to both preserving
Yiddish and projecting it into the future. Galay shares, “We want to pass on the
desire to develop Yiddish; here students become active and help to create new
Yiddish institutions.”
Part of this is developing and safeguarding the
interests of Yiddish writers. Several Yiddish books are published in-house every
year, from poetry to stories to plays. Continuing this tradition of publishing
texts, which do not cater to the religious community, is an invaluable
contribution to the continuation of Yiddish within a secular
context.
Contemporary publications in Yiddish are proof that the language
is still alive today, but what about 10 or 15 years down the road? Galay says,
“This is an open question, but we are fighting for that, teaching the language
and encouraging young talent. Everyone says Yiddish is a treasure; we say we
must not only preserve it but develop it because Ashkenaz identity is part of
Israeli society.”
When the mainstream starts to understand how much
Ashkenaz identity has contributed to the development of their own Israeli
identities, Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Mizrahi or otherwise, perhaps it will become
evident that Yiddish literature is relevant. Or perhaps not, only time will
tell.
The Haredi community does in fact understand the contributions of their Ashkenaz heritage to their sense of identity. Next week I will take a look into Haredi Yiddish and why the language is so important in ultra-Orthodox communities.
Try it at home: gut yontiff, happy holidays!
Hanukka may have just ended, but
it’s never too late to add some Yiddish to the holiday season!
A freylekhn,
likhtikn khanike, happy Hanukka!
Tzindn di khanike likht, to light the Hanukka
candles
Zingen lider, to sing songs
Mit dreydlech shpiln mir, we play dreidel
Men est oyf beyder bakn, to stuff your face
Nota bene: Music is an integral part of Yiddish culture.
Chiribim is a classic Yiddish song for Hanukka as well as all year round.