The Yiddish Book Center's

Wexler Oral History Project

A growing collection of in-depth interviews with people of all ages and backgrounds, whose stories about the legacy and changing nature of Yiddish language and culture offer a rich and complex chronicle of Jewish identity.

Comparing Yiddish and Chinese: My Experience Browsing Through Books At The Yiddish Book Center

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Mei Li Isaacson, reflects on looking through Yiddish books during her January term Yiddish class and feeling that she could read them, albeit slowly.

This is an excerpt from an oral history with Mei Li Isaacson.

This excerpt is in English.

Mei Li Isaacson was born in China in 1992.

This interview is part of the Yiddish in the Academy: scholars, language instructors, and students series.

Other video highlights from this oral history

A Double Name Change: How My Father and I Are The Only Two Isaacsons In The Immediate Family

2 min 7 sec

I Always Sort Of Felt Out Of Place": How My Jewishness Fits Into My Identity approved for content

3 min 32 sec

Negotiating Chinese, Jewish, and American Values

3 min 11 sec

Advice to Yiddish Students: Trust Your Relationship With Yiddish

1 min 23 sec

More information about this oral history excerpt

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