Yiddish: Biography of a Language
From New Books in Language and Translation by Marshall Poe
May 6, 2026
About this episode
The episode features a discussion with Jeffrey Shandler about his book on the history and cultural significance of the Yiddish language.
Jeffrey Shandler’s new book, Yiddish: Biography of a Language ( Oxford UP, 2020), presents the story of Yiddish, the defining vernacular of Ashkenazi Jews, from its origins to the present. Shandler relates the multifaceted history of Yiddish in the form of a biographical profile. Through a series of thematic chapters—from “Name” and “Date and Place of Birth” to “Religion” and “Life Expectancy”—he offers surprising insights into the dynamic interrelation of the language, its speakers, and their culture and explores the varied symbolic investments that Yiddish speakers and others have made in the language. Join us for a conversation celebrating this new book with Jeffrey Shandler, Anita Norich, and Ayala Fader, moderated by YIVO's Academic Advisor and Director of Exhibitions Eddy Portnoy. Buy the book This book talk originally took place on February 17, 2021. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/language
People in this episode
Host: Eddy Portnoy
Guests: Jeffrey Shandler, Anita Norich, Ayala Fader
Topics covered
- Yiddish language
- Ashkenazi culture
- language history
- biographical profile
- cultural identity
Keywords
- Yiddish
- language biography
- Ashkenazi Jews
- cultural history
- language and culture
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: YIVO, Oxford UP
Books & works: Yiddish: Biography of a Language
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