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.

A Personal Impression of Yiddish in Israel

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Avi Hoffman, actor, shares the observation from his childhood that Yiddish was not encouraged in any official capacity by Israel's leaders and was disdained by her citizens as the language of Jewish victimhood.

This is an excerpt from an oral history with Avi Hoffman.

This excerpt is in English.

Avi Hoffman was born in Bronx, New York in 1958.

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This interview is part of the Yiddish and the Arts: musicians, actors, and artists series.

Other video highlights from this oral history

Witnessing the Beginning of the Decline of Yiddish in the 1960s

1 min 59 sec

A Core of Yiddishists in the Bronx: Secular Yiddish Culture and Jewish Tradition on Bainbridge Ave.

4 min 34 sec

Theo Bikel and Mike Burstyn: Avi Hoffman Reflects on His Mentors

4 min 7 sec

"It Was Buzzing With Activity": Sholem Aleichem Folk Shul #21

2 min 20 sec

"An Entire World of Creativity": The Secular Yiddish Scene in New York in the 1960s

3 min 6 sec

Avreml: My First Starring (Yiddish) Acting Role at Age Four

2 min 2 sec

A "Modern Revolution in Yiddish Theater": The Genesis of The Show "Dos Goldene Land"

3 min 40 sec

More information about this oral history excerpt

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