I Really Love Yiddish offers an entertaining introduction to the wondrous world of Yiddish. This course was written by Rabbi Emanuel S. Goldsmith, a Professor of Yiddish and Jewish Studies at Queens College in New York, and he is the Rabbi of Congregation M'vakshei Derekh. In addition, this short course consists of an oversized, 30 page booklet and an accompanying audio cassette. In the booklet you will find the text of thirty different examples of Yiddish drawn from poetry, folksongs, and humorous writings. Each text is presented in three different formats - in Yiddish, in transliteration, and in English translation.
The audio cassette contains the Yiddish text of all these selections, read or sung by Goldsmith. This audio cassette can be used as a 'follow-along' aid while reading the booklet, it can be listened to strictly for pleasure, or can be used as a study aid to learn the correct pronunciation of Yiddish.
Some of the myriad of works that you'll find in this collection included:
Amerikaner Fir Kashes, adopted from Sholem Aleichem
Oyfn Veg (On the Road)
Yerusholyim (Jerusalem), by Kadye Molodowsky
Ziger (Victor), by Jacob Glatstein
Di Balade Fun Di Shabes-Likht (The Ballad of the Sabbath-Lights), by Itzik Manger
In Di Vaytste Lender (In the Most Distant Lands), by Abraham Reisen
Shray Yid, Her Velt (Shout Jew, Hear World), by Hillel Zeitlin
and many, many more wonderful selections...
If you already know Yiddish, you'll find that I Really Love Yiddish is a pleasure to read. If you have never studied Yiddish before, I Really Love Yiddish is an appetizer that is designed to whet your appetite for more. Once you finish this mini-course, head on down to your local Workmen's Circle. They offer Yiddish courses and various cultural events all across the county, and they publish many fine Yiddish textbooks for those wanting to continue their Yiddish studies in a formal setting or on their own.
Related Reviews:
A Dictionary of Yiddish Slang and Idioms, by Fred Kogos.
A concise Yiddish-English, English-Yiddish dictionary filled with numerous Yiddish terms and phrases, as well as a wide selection of slang words and idioms. All Yiddish words are written in English transliteration.
Born to Kvetch, by Michael Wex.
Yiddish Language and Culture in All of Its Moods.
The Worlds of S. An-sky, by Gabriella Safran and Steven J. Zipperstein.
A Russian Jewish Intellectual at the Turn of the Century. A collection of sixteen essays on An-sky, written by scholars in a diverse range of fields including history, literature, anthropology, Slavic and Jewish studies. Includes a music CD containing Russian and Yiddish songs.
