Writings on Yiddish and Yiddishkayt: A Spiritual Reappraisal, 1946–1955
February 1, 2025
Translator and editor Stromberg (who also edited 2024's Old Truths and New Clich�s: Essays by Isaac Bashevis Singer) presents an anthology of 25 previously published essays by Singer (1903-91), the Nobel Prize winner who was a lifelong journalist for the Yiddish press in addition to being a prolific novelist (with The Magician of Lublin numbering among his 20-some works) and short story writer (including the National Book Award-winning collection A Crown of Feathers and Other Stories). Each essay in this volume is preceded by a brief analysis by Stromberg, who asks readers to view Singer's post-Holocaust writings through the lens of his intent. He posits that although Singer wrote his stories about the world he knew growing up in the shtetls of Poland, his purpose was to influence postwar Jewish people. Singer saw the Jewish community changing and wanted them to understand Yiddishkeit, or the Jewish way of life, often considered to be specific to pre-20th-century Yiddish-speaking Jews from Eastern and Central Europe. Singer was particularly critical of Jewish organizations and movements in the United States and their increasing secularity, but he remained an optimist who hoped his writings would show the benefits of an old way of living. VERDICT A wonderful collection by an expert storyteller, in a translation that lends vibrancy to the essays. Ideal for readers interested in Jewish studies and literature.--Jacqueline Parascandola
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