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A nonprofit, independent news source to inform, inspire, educate and connect the St. Louis Jewish community.

St. Louis Jewish Light

A nonprofit, independent news source to inform, inspire, educate and connect the St. Louis Jewish community.

St. Louis Jewish Light

A nonprofit, independent news source to inform, inspire, educate and connect the St. Louis Jewish community.

St. Louis Jewish Light

Yiddish

Ikh vel fun im makhn minst fleysh

Ikh vel fun im makhn minst fleysh

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished January 7, 2024

Since joining the Jewish Light, I’ve reflected on my own Jewish experience growing up, and part of that was the Yiddish my grandparents would use, particularly my maternal grandparents, whom I affectionately named Mama and Baba. Both would use...

Funny Yiddish things my bubbe said to me

Funny Yiddish things my bubbe said to me

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished December 19, 2023

Since joining the Jewish Light, I’ve reflected on my own Jewish experience growing up, and part of that was the Yiddish my grandparents would use, particularly my maternal grandparents, whom I affectionately named Mama and Baba. Both would use Yiddish...

Schumer uses Yiddish shtick in new campaign ad

Published October 24, 2022

(New York Jewish Week) — In a new political ad, Sen. Chuck Schumer gives constituents a Yiddish lesson while lauding some Democratic victories and decrying some Republican actions of the last term.  The thirty-second ad is titled “Yiddish Lessons...

An ode to ‘Oy’ — the perfect Yiddish word

An ode to ‘Oy’ — the perfect Yiddish word

By Kelly Lea Roth, KvellerPublished July 17, 2022

From an early age, we are taught that words matter and so we should choose them wisely. For me, this is where all facets of myself converge. As a high school English Literature and Drama teacher, words are my lessons. As a Jew, “mila,” the word...

My bubbe told me to do this after meeting my future wife

My bubbe told me to do this after meeting my future wife

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished June 21, 2022

Since joining the Jewish Light, I’ve reflected on my own Jewish experience growing up, and part of that was the Yiddish, my grandparents would use, particularly my maternal grandparents, Mama and Baba. Both would use Yiddish on occasion, and not knowing...

Why I pray I'll never become a Schmegoogle

Why I pray I’ll never become a Schmegoogle

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished April 11, 2022

I ran across a book today, that I just had to tell you about. It's written by Daniel Klein, who figured that Yiddish needed an update to make it more conducive in modern times.  He penned "Schmegoogle: Yiddish Words for Modern Times," which contains...

What your bubbe meant when she said 'gey strashe di gens'

What your bubbe meant when she said ‘gey strashe di gens’

Jordan Palmer, Chief Digital Content OfficerPublished February 28, 2022

According to the YIVO, the Institute of Jewish Research, the term “Yiddish” is derived from the German word for “Jewish.” The most accepted (but not the only) theory of the origin of Yiddish is that it began to take shape by the 10th century...

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