This course is not cross-listed with Religious Studies, but I know many of you are interested in Jewish culture.
"To whom it may concern:
I am writing to inform you of my Yiddish Language and Culture course which
is slated to run in the Fall semester (2091) next academic year at the
University of Pittsburgh. It is an exciting opportunity for students to
engage with Yiddish culture and develop reading knowledge of Yiddish.
Please announce this to your students and spread the word to others.
Here is the course description:
Yiddish language, a Germanic-based fusion language derived from a dialect
spoken and written by German Jews (Ashkenazim) in the Rhineland and dating
back to before the Crusades, is one of the true miracles of cultural
history. After having undergone the demographic devastation of the
Holocaust and having experienced marginalization of all kinds, Yiddish
language and culture has survived as an authentic linguistic chain that
links modern diaspora Jewry to centuries of Judaic civilization and
culture. The revival of klezmer music on the world musical stage and the
upsurge of interest in the history and culture of Russia and Eastern
Europe have coalesced as defining factors in the recent comeback of
Yiddish. Waves of immigration from Eastern Europe and Russia to the West
have also contributed to this resurgence. In response to the Yiddish
revival, this course intends to offer students the basic reading
proficiency necessary for working with Yiddish texts and an overview of
Yiddish culture, including Soviet, secular-socialist, and orthodox
milieus.
Here is the catologue information:
German Department Course #: GER 0033
Class #: 29796
I hope you are interested in the course and if you have any questions,
feel free to contact me via email at elmensch@gmail.com or I can be
reached at (412-)-624-5909.
Sincerely,
Elliott Bergman
PhD Student and Teaching Fellow
German Department
University of Pittsburgh"
