For hundreds of years, Yiddish was the spoken language of the Jewish people. Beginning in the 19th century, its literature described the lives of Jews at the crux of tradition and modernity.
The Guide to Yiddish Short Stories is a gateway into this world.
It provides an annotated summary of more than 130 stories available in English translation, from the classics of Sholem Aleichem and Mendele Moycher Sforim to those written by Holocaust survivors in post-war America.
For each story there is a bibliographical listing of where it can be found, both in English and the original Yiddish.
Arranged topically, the Guide can help readers or educators select stories centered around themes including: Jewish holidays, questioning God’s justice, the struggle of workers, ethics and piety, life in the shtetl, the curse of poverty, moral choices, anti-Semitism, parents and children, marriage, and spirituality.
The Guide further provides biographical sketches of the 43 authors whose works are featured in this volume.
