Jewish Studies 260 - Colloquium: Yiddish Literature and Culture

Colq: Yiddish Lit and Culture

Fall
2026
01
4.00
LeiAnna Hamel

TU TH 1:20 PM - 2:35 PM

Smith College
JUD-260-01-202701
lhamel@smith.edu
Why did Yiddish, the everyday language of Jews in east Europe and beyond, so often find itself at the bloody crossroads of art and politics? From dybbuks and shlemiels to radicals and revolutionaries, the course explores Yiddish stories, drama, and film as sites for social activism, ethnic and gender performance, and artistic experimentation in Europe, the Soviet Union, and the Americas. How did post-Holocaust engagements with Yiddish memorialize a lost civilization and forge an imagined homeland defined by language and culture rather than borders? All texts in translation. No prerequisites. Enrollment limited to 18.
Permission is required for interchange registration during the add/drop period only.
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