Yiddish in America

4 points, lecture. First offered spring 2016, and every 3rd or 4th semester thereafter. No prerequisites. The course explores the role of Yiddish in the history and culture of the United States. The chronological coverage is from the age of mass migration at the turn of the twentieth century to our days. Students will learn about Yiddish-speaking farmers and trade unionists, Anarchists, Socialists, Zionists, and Communists. The course examines the Yiddish press, theater, cinema, scholarship, and literature. Special attention is paid to such leading Yiddish authors as Morris Rosenfeld, Sholom Asch, Isaac Bashevis Singer, and Abraham Cahan. It discusses the role of Yiddish in education, religion, and other domains of American Jewish life, both historically and in contemporary times.