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A Bisl Yiddish: Day 1: Language

Resources to get your started on your exploration of Yiddish language, literature, music, and theater.

The Yiddish Language

The two videos below offer compelling perspectives on why learning Yiddish is a powerful scholarly, cultural, and personal joyful experience. Please explore the many resources with online tutorials that will help you learn to read Yiddish, become familiar with basic vocabulary and say everyday phrases. There are also links to programs that offer opportunities to deepen your knowledge of Yiddish, archived sound recordings, and to contemporary Yiddish/English podcasts.

Why Study Yiddish?

Jessica Kirzane, specialist in American-Jewish literature, speaks about the joy of studying and researching undiscovered Yiddish authors and thinkers. A production of the Yiddish Book Center's Wexler Oral History Project.

9 Reasons to Learn Yiddish

This lighthearted approach to learning Yiddish includes some key facts about the development of Yiddish and also teaches the Yiddish numbers 1 to 9. 

Online Yiddish/English Dictionaries

Yiddish Word of the Day Series

From The Jewish Daily Forward newspaper. https://forward.com/yiddish/

Online Yiddish Language Tutorials

Choose Your Own Yiddish Adventure

Some ideas for you to learn and practice Yiddish. Choose one or more of these suggested activities.

1. Use the resources in this Library Guide to learn the sounds of the Yiddish letters and vowels.

2. Practice reading vocabulary words in Yiddish. See the vocabulary list below.

3. Memorize the vocabulary words.