Lecture: Michael Wex, NYC, 23 Dec 2015
ייִדיש– דַײטש אויף צו להכעיס די דַײטשן Yiddish: German to Spite the Germans, a lecture with Michael Wex
Wednesday, December 23, 6:00pm
Mid-Manhattan Library, New York Public Library (NYPL)
455 5th Ave,
New York, New York 10016
A look at how and why Jews living in German-speaking areas turned a thoroughly Christianized language into a vehicle for Jewish ideas and values. Although Yiddish shares most of its vocabulary with German, it was never really “German.” Many innocent-looking Yiddish terms and idioms express profound opposition to the German, i.e., Christian, worldview; we’ll see how the fundamental ironies produced by such opposition contributed to the development of the characteristic Yiddish sense of humor. No knowledge of either Yiddish or German is required.
More info: www.facebook.com/events/421658341367183/