The Yentl Rubin and Mordko Fishman Memorial Endowment Fund presents

Jeffrey Shandler in conversation with Zachary M. Baker about Yiddish: Biography of a Language

Yiddish, the most widely spoken Jewish language on the eve of the Holocaust, continues to play a significant role in Jewish life today. An exciting renewal of interest and study among younger generations of diverse backgrounds promises many surprises for the future.

Yiddish: Biography of a Language presents the story of this centuries-old language, the defining vernacular of Ashkenazi Jews, from its origins to the present. Jeffrey Shandler tells the multifaceted history of Yiddish in the form of a biographical profile, revealing surprising insights through a series of thematic chapters.

Jeffrey Shandler is Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies at Rutgers University and the author of many books that have appeared in French, German, Polish, Yiddish, and six other languages.

Interview by Zachary M. Baker, Judaica Librarian and Specialist in Yiddish Studies.

Copies of Yiddish: Biography of a Language are available for purchase at Bibliophile Bookstore.

In collaboration with The Toronto Workmen's Circle Foundation, Montreal Workers Circle, KlezKanada, The Historic Kiever Synagogue Downtown Toronto, and the Museum of Jewish Montreal.