3.0

credits

Average Course Rating

Many Jews in the modern period abandoned the traditional religious way of life, but continued to identify strongly as Jews, and even those who remained committed to tradition had to adapt. Through the prism of the Yiddish language, the vernacular of Eastern European Jewry, this course will explore different ways in which Jews reacted to historical developments and embraced political and cultural movements of their time, from the founding of modern Yiddish theater in Romania, to the creation of a Jewish autonomous region in the far east of the Soviet Union, to the development of avant-garde poetry in New York. In addition to studying a wide range of texts—including fiction, poetry, memoir, song, and film—students will learn how to read the Yiddish alphabet, and will explore food culture by preparing a meal of Eastern European Jewish dishes. No prior knowledge of Yiddish is necessary for this course