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.
Yiddish Literature, African Literature, and Modernism
Watch now:
Marc Caplan - Professor of Yiddish Literature, Language, and Culture at Johns Hopkins University - explains how Yiddish and African literature deal similarly with the concept of modernization.
This is an excerpt from an oral history with Marc Caplan.
This excerpt is in Yiddish.
Marc Caplan was born in Alexandria, Louisiana in 1967.
This interview is part of the Yiddish in the Academy: scholars, language instructors, and students series.
Other video highlights from this oral history
Yiddish Literature, African Literature, and Modernism
5 minutes 59 seconds
My Ancestor Fought in the American Civil War, Not on the “Right” Side
2 minutes 8 seconds
Understanding the Importance of Jewish Identity
3 minutes 33 seconds
Working in An Aquarium: Modern Yiddish Culture in the Academy
2 minutes 53 seconds
Yiddish in the Academy: The Advantage of Being on the Periphery
3 minutes 21 seconds
Suckling Pig With the Louisiana Jewish Community
4 minutes 18 seconds
"Dad, an Eel in Yiddish is a Venger"
2 minutes 8 seconds
Comparing Narewka to Louisiana
2 minutes 48 secondsMore information about this oral history excerpt
Themes:
Keywords:
About the Wexler Oral History Project
Since 2010, the Yiddish Book Center’s Wexler Oral History Project has recorded more than 500 in-depth video interviews that provide a deeper understanding of the Jewish experience and the legacy and changing nature of Yiddish language and culture.
Tell Us Your Story
Do you (or someone you know) have stories to share about the importance of Yiddish language and culture in your life?