Yiddish History Course Overview
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What was Jewish life like in Eastern Europe?
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How did the political and economic upheavals of the 19th and 20th centuries change Jewish Eastern European culture, and how do these changes still inform historical and cultural memory today?
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How did the changes in traditional Jewish life relate to gender and the place of women in society (and importantly, how do we queer these historical narratives)?
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Who were the Bund, and what was their relation to socialist movements of the time?
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What is a Shtetl, and how was it distinct from other types of communal settlement in Europe?
In this course we explore these (and other) questions, focusing on the social, cultural and political changes that shaped the lives and cultures of Jews in Eastern Europe. Drawing on a wealth of literary, musical, and visual materials, as well as archival and historical documents, we will encounter poets, radicals, artists, musicians, and revolutionaries who lived, created and dreamed in Yiddish, and learn how they thought about their world and sought to change it for the better!
Our course takes place on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. In our collective study and inquiry, we are indebted to the Nations who have been caretakers, custodians, and protectors of this land since time immemorial. This course aims to critically reflect on our narratives, historical memory, and practices within a commitment to the process of reconciliation and decolonization.
"The most enduring maskilic term of opprobrium for Yiddish was zhargon ('jargon'). Derived from an Old French word for the jabbering of birds, the term has come to mean either the inscrutable language of a closed group or a debased, uncivilized form of speech — in either case, something less than a full, proper language. [...] By the turn of the twentieth century, the use of zhargon ranged considerably in connotation, having become for some Jews, in effect, the name of the Ashkenazic vernacular.
-- Jeffrey Shandler, Yiddish: Biography of a Language
Tseydo-ladeyrekh / צדה-לדרך
(Food/Preparation for the Journey)
Khavershaft
Exploring Jewish history is exciting and fascinating (and fun!), but can also confront us with difficult histories, trauma, and deep questions about personal and collective identity. Before gaining knowledge, our commitment is to each other and to our learning. Let us commit to creating a space of inquiry, critical questioning, respect for each other, and mutual support.
Identity
Our goal in this course is to approach the histories of the Yiddish-speaking world with curiosity, respect, and a critical mind, as well as make space for personal exploration and expression. We acknowledge that everyone is coming to this class from a different place, and we want to make space for individual learning within the space of our collective process.