Jeffrey Shandler is Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies at Rutgers University. A scholar of modern and contemporary Jewish culture, he has written, edited, or translated sixteen books. Shandler has served as president of the Association for Jewish Studies and is a fellow of the American Academy for Jewish Research.

• Acknowledgments


• Author's Note


• Introduction


• 1. Date and Place of Birth


• 2. Family Background


• 3. Residence


• 4. Name


• 5. Gender


• 6. Appearance


• 7. Health


• 8. Religion


• 9. Education


• 10. Literacy


• 11. Occupation


• 12. Politics


• 13. Personality


• 14. Life Expectancy


• Notes


• Index

Yiddish: Biography of a Language presents the story of the foundational vernacular of Ashkenazi Jews, from its origins to the present, spoken around the world. This book examines the uses of Yiddish and values invested in it to trace the dynamic interrelation of the language, its speakers, and their cultures.