Yiddish and Power
Published on 19. December 2014
Book
Hardback
330 pages
978-0-230-51760-8 (ISBN)
Description
Yiddish and Power surveys the social, linguistic and intellectual history of the Yiddish language within the traditional civilisation of Jewish Ashkenaz in central, and then in eastern Europe, and its interaction with the surrounding non-Jewish culture. It explores the various ways in which Yiddish has empowered masses and served political agendas.
Reviews / Votes
"Katz's book invites scholars of Yiddish and of vernacular languages generally, especially those spoken by minority peoples living in a diaspora, to think expansively about a language's potential to empower its speakers. In the case of Yiddish, this approach is key to considering the state of the language today and tracking its future." (Jeffrey Shandler, Journal of Jewish Languages, Vol. 4, 2016)More details
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Dovid Katz
Content
Introduction 1. A Yiddish Romance with Powerlessness PART I: OLD YIDDISH IN WESTERN ASHKENAZ 2. Gentile Culture Empowers Simple Jews 3. Power of the Printing Press 4. Women of Western Ashkenaz 5. The Neo-Religious and the Jewish-Secular 6. Power Shifts of West?East, Earlier?Later, Secular?Religious 7. Women (and Men) of Eastern Ashkenaz 8. Religious Theories of Yiddish PART II: TRANSITION IN THE WEST 9. Antisemitism Targets Yiddish 10. Jewish Enlightenment also targets Yiddish PART III: RISE IN THE EAST 11. Religious Power 12. Secular Power 13. Party Politics PART IV: MODERNITY 14. Interwar Encounters with Government Status 15. Yiddishless Yiddish Power, Powerless Yiddish