Yiddish On Trial: Brooklyn Vs The Mother Tongue

1920s Brownsville was a Yiddish haven for recent immigrants. And upscale members of the established Jewish did their best to “Americanize” these unwashed masses. The Hebrew Educational Society was a key program in this effort. But the attempt to stamp out Yiddish met with… mixed results. In neighboring Crown Heights, we continue to find thriving pockets of Yiddish including yeshivas focusing on the language. Join historian Dr. Daniel Soyer (Fordham) and Raul Rothblatt (Jewish Communities Liaison for the NYC Commission on Human Rights) as we explore how Yiddish has thrived in unexpected Brooklyn places where it wasn’t meant to. Bonus: Yiddish tunes provided by the Rothblatt Family Band. More Info below.