Intensive beginners’ Yiddish class will use new prizewinning textbook
Image by Yiddish Book Center
By Forverts Staff October 5, 2021
For six weeks in November and December, the Yiddish Book Center will conduct an intensive beginners class online, using its prizewinning multimedia Yiddish textbook, “In Eynem” (a Yiddish expression which means “together”).
The book, written by Asya Vaisman Schulman and Jordan Brown with Mikhl Yashinsky, received a Textbook Excellence Award last February from the Textbook and Academic Authors Association. As one of the judges put it: “I’ve seen a lot of foreign language textbooks over the years, but this one was so engaging that I had a hard time putting it down. It’s the best marriage of authentic language and culture (both day-to-day and high culture) I’ve seen in a foreign language textbook.”
The prizewinning textbook that will be used for the course Image by The Yiddish Book Center
Using the textbook’s website, students will be introduced to a wide variety of multimedia resources, primary source historical documents and literary texts. The book also includes a cast of characters that represent the various types of people who speak and study Yiddish today, from Hasidim to Jews of color.
Although the course, which will meet twice a week, is designed for students with no prior Yiddish language experience, they are expected to familiarize themselves with the Yiddish alphabet before the program begins. To sign up for the class, click here.
A message from Forverts editor Rukhl Schaechter
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you move on, I wanted to ask you to support the Forverts' 127-year legacy — and its bright future.
In the past, the goal of the Forverts was to Americanize its readers, to encourage them to learn English well and to acculturate to American society. Today, our goal is the reverse: to acquaint readers — especially those with Eastern European roots — with their Jewish cultural heritage, through the Yiddish language, literature, recipes and songs.
Our daily Yiddish content brings you new and creative ways to engage with this vibrant, living language, including Yiddish Wordle, Word of the Day videos, Yiddish cooking demos, new music, poetry and so much more.
— Rukhl Schaechter, Yiddish Editor
