About

Yiddish is a West Germanic language that is spoken by Ashkenazic Jews and their descendants. In Yiddish, the language’s name translated directly to “Jewish.” However, the language is not spoken by Sephardic Jews, who speak the Judezmo language instead. Yiddish is a blend of Hebrew and medieval German, and many words are borrowed from other languages commonly spoken in regions where Ashkenazic Jews reside. Although Yiddish is mostly a Germanic language, it contains grammatical elements and vocabulary from many Slavic and Romance languages.The language is believed to have originated in the 10th century when Italian and French Jews migrated to Germany in search of religious freedom. There, the Jewish Hebrew language combined with German to create Yiddish. Now, there is a substantial Yiddish community that is keeping the language alive with theatre companies, books, classes, clubs, choirs, and more. However, the language is still classified as endangered, even if there is a community trying to keep it alive.