Jeffrey Shandler: Yiddish: Biography of a Language

Interview with Jeffrey Shandler, discussing
his book Yiddish: Biography of a Language (Oxford University
Press, 2020), which describes Yiddish from its origins to the
present. Shandler is Distinguished Professor of Jewish
Studies at Rutgers and holds a PhD from Columbia University.
He has had a big influence on Jewish studies, particularly
for his concept of Yiddish as a "post-vernacular language",
that is, despite the fact that Yiddish is no longer the
everyday language of large numbers of Jews, except for
certain Chassidic groups, it's widely taught, studied, and
translated, and is generally the object of lively interest
and affection. For further info on Shandler's book Yiddish:
Biography of a Language at Oxford University Press:
https://academic.oup.com/book/33481 For Shandler's academic
home page at Rutgers:
https://jewishstudies.rutgers.edu/people/core-faculty/jeffrey-shandler
The interview took place over Zoom on November 4, 2022, and
was led by Sholem Beinfeld, regular
contributor to The Yiddish Voice, co-Editor in Chief of the
Comprehensive Yiddish-English Dictionary, and Professor of
History, Emeritus, Washington University in St. Louis.




Music:


Leyke Post: Yidish Redt Zikh Azoy Sheyn

Shifee Lovitt: Yiddish/Vaserl

Tsimmes: Oyfn Pripetshik

Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an
instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing
Waltz





Air date: December 7, 2022