Yiddish Language and Culture

The basis of the Yiddish program at The University of Chicago are the Yiddish language courses, from elementary to advanced, taught by Senior Lecturer Jan Schwarz. The main motivation for offering courses in Yiddish is its crucial importance for understanding the complex interaction between tradition and modernity in Jewish culture in Eastern Europe and the US. In the language courses, language instruction is also linked to the broader cultural historical context. Courses in Yiddish at the University of Chicago also connect students with the Yiddish academic and cultural world via the Internet and exchange of Yiddish letters with students at other universities; students are also encouraged to continue their studies in various intensive Yiddish summer programs. The philosophy of the Yiddish courses at the University of Chicago centers on the development of communicative skills (speaking, comprehension, reading and writing) in a Yiddish cultural context, and the classes critically address the Jewish character of the Yiddish language by examining Yiddish songs, proverbs, and holiday celebrations.

In addition to courses offered through the university, Jan Schwarz has also conducted a weekly Yiddish tish at the University of Chicago. This group attracts students as well as Yiddish speakers in the Hyde Park community, and has created a stimulating forum for informal discussion in Yiddish about current Yiddish cultural phenomena.
If you are interested in joining the weekly Yiddish conversation group, please contact Jan Schwarz.

For an overview of the past, present, and future of Yiddish at University of Chicago, read the article "Yiddish Renaissance at Chicago" by graduate student Andrew Sloin, which appeared in the Spring 2005 issue of the Newsletter of the Committee on Jewish Studies.