Yiddish has been one of the most widely spoken Jewish languages in history. Yet it is often misunderstood, maligned, or reductively imagined as a jargon of jokes or a mongrel tongue. In this presentation, we'll go beyond the stereotypes to explore the origins and evolution of this global language, with an emphasis on its vast literature and vibrant culture. And why on one foot? You'll just have to hop on in to find out! Sebastian Schulman from the Yiddish Book Center will present his talk virtually on the Yiddish language.

This program is hybrid: come in person and join the discussion or attend virtually. Zoom links will be emailed to registered attendees.

Sebastian Schulman (he/him) is a multilingual writer, literary translator, and independent scholar working in and between English, French, Yiddish, Esperanto, Russian, and other languages. His work has appeared in anthologies and literary journals including Words Without Borders, Two Lines, and Electric Literature. Schulman’s translation of Spomenka Stimec’s Esperanto-language novel Croatian War Nocturnal was published by Phoneme Media. He has held leadership positions at several cultural institutions, currently serving as the director of special projects and partnerships at the Yiddish Book Center in Amherst, MA. He divides his time between western Massachusetts and Montréal, Québec.