YIDDISHKEIT: JEWISH VERNACULAR AND THE NEW LAND
Edited by Harvey Pekar and Paul Buhle
This is the project Harvey Pekar was working on when he passed. It is a collection of essays, comics journalism and even a play script delving into the state and condition of Yiddishkeit. Yiddishkeit is a term used to describe the culture of primarily Eastern European Jews and the vernacular language of that group of people, but it also means a lot more. The contributions to Western culture by these often-persecuted people are quite extensive, including language, cuisine, entertainment and science. It is somewhat disheartening to realize that one reason Yiddishkeit is so prevalent in Western society is directly attributable to the frequent forced relocation of persecuted people. It is fascinating to me, however, how much resilience is shown by the people who spread Yiddishkeit around the world. I thought I knew a lot about Jewish history and culture, but reading this book has opened my mind to a much deeper understanding of Yiddishkeit.
Review by HOWARD!
