The Living Legacy of Yiddish

When the founders of Temple Beth Israel built our congregation, they brought with them more than tradition — they brought Yiddish, the language of their homes, their humor, and their hearts. Many were Holocaust survivors, carrying with them the richness of Yiddish culture: its music, theater, literature, poetry, and art.

Yiddish grew up in Central and Eastern Europe over the past thousand years, blending German, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Slavic influences. It was the everyday language of Ashkenazi Jews — spoken in homes, markets, theaters, and synagogues. Though the Holocaust nearly silenced it, Yiddish is making a remarkable comeback, embraced by new generations and celebrated around the world.

At the Temple Beth Israel Preservation Society, we’re keeping Yiddish alive in fun and meaningful ways — through music, storytelling, readings, and celebrations. It’s our way of honoring the voices of our founders, sharing their joy and creativity, and making sure the warmth, humor, and spirit of Yiddish continue to thrive in our community.

From Norm Berman

Tayere Fraynt (Dear Friends),

I’m very proud and excited to share this video of Woodie Guthrie’s classic which premiered in Yiddish in February 2021!  

Guthrie, was not Jewish, but had deep personal and artistic connections to Yiddish and Jewish culture. His mother-in-law was the acclaimed Yiddish poet Aliza Greenblatt and the two often performed their works for each other.

With Greenblatt’s input, Guthrie wrote nearly a dozen songs about Hanukkah and other Jewish themes at the suggestion of Moses Asch, the owner of his record label. 

Asch was the son of the well-known Yiddish author and playwright, Sholem Asch.

My dear friend, Linda Gritz with whom I sing in the Boston Workers Circle Yiddish Chorus, assisted in the translation into Yiddish.  

Let it not be said that Yiddish is dead.   We’ve just been ignoring it for a while.