WATCH: So many Yiddish words for ‘imbecile’

Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
Read this article in Yiddish
On October 19th more than 1,000 people tuned in to watch the Forward’s first online gala.
One of this year’s features was an online auction. One of the offerings people could bid on – a private Yiddish lesson with Forverts editor Rukhl Schaechter – went up to $720. The evening also included greetings from celebrities including former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg and actress Mayim Bialik, as well as various musical and comic routines by talented performers.
A highlight of the evening was a sketch featuring Yiddish actors Allen Lewis Rickman and Yelena Shmulenson. The married comic duo taught viewers a number of colorful Yiddish expressions that not only demonstrated the clever irony and sarcasm of eastern European Yiddish speakers, but was also downright hilarious.
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
