The Decline of Jewish Language and Culture

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The Decline of Jewish Language and Culture

• By Lauren Wolf

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• 17 known Jewish Languages
• Ex. Ladino, Judeo-Greek, Judeo-Arabic
• Yiddish- longest lived and most widespread

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Background

• Language of Ashkenazim
• West Germanic
• Written in Hebrew

• Vocabulary borrowing
• 2 major dialects
• Western
• Eastern

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• Peak 18th century to Holocaust
• Before Holocaust 10-11 million speakers
• Now 2 million speakers

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Reasons for the Decline

• Holocaust
• Stalins purges
• Israel chose Hebrew
• Cultural assimilation in America

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Can there be Jewish Culture without Jewish
Language?

• Perhaps
• But, Yiddish reflects not only Jewish history
  but the Jewish psyche and value system as well.

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English Words of Yiddish Origin

• Bagel
• Klutz
• Nosh
• Pastrami
• Schlep

• Tochus
• Schmooze
• Schnozz
• Shtik
• Farklempt