Yiddish may no longer be the spoken tongue of the Jewish masses, and its once flourishing theater and press have receded into history. But the “jargon” often scorned by educated Jews, has just been recognized as an international language by the European Community.
The European Commission, the E.C.’s executive arm, has given a 8,000 pound grant (about $14,400) to University College London’s department of Hebrew and Yiddish studies to underwrite Yiddish courses.
Department head Mark Geller said he was astonished. “It’s a great coup,” he said. “We can hardly believe it.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
