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 Drawing on a wealth of literary, musical, and visual materials, as well as archival and historical documents, we will encounter poets, radicals, artists, musicians, and revolutionaries who lived, created and dreamed in Yiddish, and learn how they thought about their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.
Knowledge
We all bring different forms of knowledge, experiences, and perspectives to the table, and all of these are part of our learning together.
We will meet some real experts along the way, but ultimately, the processing, questioning, and knowledge creation will be up to us as a group.
Topics & Themes in Yiddish History
The Origins of Yiddish
Where did Ashkenazi Jews come from? What did Jewish life look like in Eastern Europe? How did the different upheavals, changes, and crises shape Eastern European Jewish communities? Where was Yiddish born?
We will look at the movement of Jewish communities from Central to Eastern Europe, from medieval times to the eve of WWII.
The Shtetl
What do we really know about the Shtetl, a unique type of Jewish settlement, exclusive to Eastern Europe? How did literary, artistic and cinematic images influence our perception of shtetl life, and how do these representations differ from the daily realities?
Drawing from diverse sources, we will get to know a bit about life in the shtetl across different historical periods.
Jewish Life in Transition
The life, traditions and culture of the Jewish shtetl exhibit profound richness, beauty and significance. At the same time, they were deeply embedded within broader social and political structures, both within and outside the Jewish community.
We will explore stories of tradition and change, and study the radical changes faced by Jewish communities with the advent of modernity.
Jewish Political Movements
Autonomism vs. Territorialism, Bundism vs. Zionism, Communism, Diaspora Nationalism… These are some of the political movements and ideologies that swept across Eastern Europe in the early 20th century.
We will work to understand what some of these movements stood for, the complex relationships and rivalries between them, and their influence on broader social and political changes in 20th century Europe (and beyond).
Pictured (edited): Election poster of the General Jewish Labour Bund in Kiev (artist unknown) , 1917 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Guest Lectures from Yiddish Scholars & Artists
Since 2021 (when the first Zhargon course was offered), each Zhargon cohort extends and opens our classroom learning with a series of public, online lectures that broaden our perspectives of Yiddish history and culture.
The Zhargon Speaker Series brings leading figures in Yiddish Studies and contemporary Yiddish arts and culture to share their work and engage in a live discussion with participants. Current Zhargon students get free access to the Zhargon Speaker Series, with an alumni discount for future series.
Past EventSun, Dec 08ZoomDec 08, 2024, 5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PSTZoom
Past EventSun, Dec 01ZoomDec 01, 2024, 5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PSTZoom
Past EventSun, Nov 24ZoomNov 24, 2024, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.Zoom
Past EventSun, Nov 17ZoomNov 17, 2024, 5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PSTZoom
