Tag Archives: yiddish

Hasidic Sex Symbol: Punk Jews

It was bound to happen sooner or later. Hasidic sex symbols. Several year ago, still sporting payess and a more-or-less Chasidic appearance, I met a girl in Greenwich village who stopped me on McDougal Street to tell me, “I think Hasidic … Continue reading

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Russian President visits Yiddish-speaking Jewish homeland.

Dimitry Medvedev, the president of Russia, has come to Birobidzhan, the only Yiddish-speaking Jewish homeland outside of Brooklyn. Asked at the local airport why he had come to the Jewish Autonomous Republic, he said, ” If you only knew how … Continue reading

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Yiddish alive and doing quite well, thank you.

For years I have been hearing secular Jews tell me that Yiddish is dead. Meanwhile, people have continued to speak Yiddish but, if you listen to the rest of the world, they don’t exist or, maybe, don’t count. While languages … Continue reading

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US Hasidic town wins first prize…for poverty.

Kiryas Yoel, a Hasidic town in upper New York state, has now earned the dubious distinction of being the fastest growing place in the region as well as the poorest city in America and the one with the greatest number … Continue reading

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NY Times style book: Tukhus out, tush in.

Jeffrey Goldberg, a writer for The Atlantic, has had the language mavens at the NY Times tell him that his Yiddish is unsuitable for their paper. In an interview with Helene Cooper he used the word tukhus, ass. This word, … Continue reading

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Why are Jews funny?

David Simmons is an English recording company CEO who is obsessed with Jewish comedians.  His play, “The boy who was Woody Allen”, is now in production in London’s West End. The more Jewish the comedian, he says, the funnier they … Continue reading

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Yiddish-speaking Jewish homeland.

In the 1930′s, Stalin, no friend of the Jews, established a Jewish Autonomous Region on the border of Northern China. It is called Birobidzhan. Many Jews flocked there from around the world. Those who did, survived the Nazis. Yiddish was … Continue reading

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Israeli Haredim find their clout.

There are approximately 700,000 Haredim or ultra-orthodox Jews in Israel, a land of seven million. Traditionally, the poorest sector of the society, they have now found a way to make their presence known in a way that benefits them. They … Continue reading

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Why The Jewish Daily Report?

Over the years it has become more and more obvious that much of the major media is very selective in its reporting of news of the Jewish community and Israel. Chances are that your local TV, radio, newspaper doesn’t report … Continue reading

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