Beyond Yiddish 101: Current Approaches to Undergraduate Yiddish Studies Syllabi

Session Submission Type: Roundtable

Session Sponsor: In geveb: A Journal of Yiddish Studies

Abstract

Wherever we are in the cycle of Yiddish's presence in the popular imagination (renaissance or revenant?), undergraduate courses in Yiddish Studies are a testing ground for the continued vitality and relevance of Yiddish culture for today’s university student. The participants in this roundtable will each share a syllabus for a recent undergraduate course on a range of topics in Yiddish studies and related fields. The discussants come from a variety of college and university settings including small liberal arts schools and major research universities in the US and Europe. Discussion questions will range from specifics of syllabus construction (course goals, assignments, approaches to teaching literature in translation, incorporating newly available materials) to big picture questions about what is drawing undergraduates to the study of Yiddish today.

Justin Cammy will share a syllabus for his seminar on “Yiddishland,” which includes travel to Warsaw and Vilnius during spring break. A central question for this seminar is how to create travel experiences for students that incorporate the Khurbn, but are not overwhelmed by it.

Madeleine Cohen will discuss her class “Yiddish Nation: Language as Homeland” and the experience of teaching about Jewish national identity during the fall of 2023 in light of October 7 and the ensuing war.

Matt Johnson is developing two courses that respectively address beginning and advanced undergraduates: "Introduction to Yiddish Studies: Migration, Gender, and (Post-)Vernacularity" and a new version of the "BA Kandidatkurs" (similar to a senior seminar in the US), which focuses on developing research and analytic writing skills in Yiddish Studies.

Jessica Kirzane will discuss a course on practical and theoretical considerations in literary translation developed for advanced Yiddish students.

Samuel Spinner will discuss his syllabus for “Yiddish Literature and Holocaust Literature,” which presents the challenge of teaching about Yiddish literature and culture while reading texts focused on its decimation.

The roundtable will be moderated by Ayelet Brinn, who incorporates topics related to Yiddish studies into her courses on medieval and modern Jewish history, modern Jewish literature, American Jewish history, and banned books.

Sub Unit

• Pedagogy & Professional Practice

Moderator

• Ayelet Brinn, University of Hartford

Discussants

• Justin Cammy, Smith College

• Madeleine Cohen, Yiddish Book Center

• Matthew Johnson, Lund University

• Jessica Kirzane, The University of Chicago

• Samuel Spinner, Johns Hopkins University

Zoom Host

• Zoom Host 10