A hybrid of Hebrew and medieval German, Yiddish takes about three-quarters of its vocabulary from German, but borrows words liberally from Hebrew and many other languages from the many lands where Ashkenazic Jews have lived. It has a grammatical structure all its own, and is written in an alphabet based on Hebrew characters.

• The goal of this course is to help beginning students develop skills in Yiddish conversation, reading and writing. Yiddish is the medium of a millennium of Jewish life. We will frequently have reason to refer to the history and culture of Ashkenazi Jewry in studying the language.
• In this module you will start by learning the Hebrew alphabet and you will learn about the morphology and syntax of modern Yiddish, focusing on verbs and constructing simple sentences.
• In this course, you will also learn about the treasures of Yiddish culture through songs, literature, folklore, and films.

Upon completion of this module you will have:

• basic reading and writing skills in modern Yiddish
• basic knowledge of the morphology and syntax of modern Yiddish

You may improve your Yiddish by signing up to Modern Yiddish Language Acquisition 2 in February - March 2026.

Time, location and price

• November - December 2025
• the exact days and time are to be announced
• Location: P.C. Hoofthuis 
• Costs: € 210 (€ 189 AUV members)

Important to know

• The registration deadline is 20 October 2025.
• Active participation and weekly homework assignments are compulsary.
• You are expected to have a sufficient level of digital literacy and skills.
• The language of instruction is English. In case all students have a command of Dutch, Dutch will be used as a second language of instruction.
• You can only audit an OUC, which means that you may only attend lectures and cannot take part in the examination, or obtain ECTS credits.
• The location of the lectures may change during the semester. For the current study schedule, please consult the UvA timetable website. 

Study material

The instruction of the Yiddish language skills will be based on sources and materials from a variety of Modern Yiddish Language Acquisition books, which will be provided to the students on Canvas. 

Yiddish Dictionary and Workbook

Access to a Yiddish dictionary is critical in this course. You will need to consult it on a regular basis. You can acquire a physical dictionary, or you may acquire access to online dictionaries. All the relevant information will be given in our first class.

• A recommended dictionary is the Comprehensive Yiddish-English Dictionary by Solon Beinfeld and Harry Bochner. It can be ordered at Atheneum Boekhandel; the delivery time is one to two weeks. You are of course not obliged to order this from Atheneum, but they are aware of this and have it stock. It may also be nice if everyone has the same dictionary at hand.
• Learning to write the Yiddish alphabet requires the student to exercise on a regular basis. The student can order an exercise workbook especially crafted for this course Sholem Aleichem! Yiddish Alphabet Workbook for Beginners. This workbook is crafted for those new to the Yiddish language, focusing on the cursive script used in everyday writing. With step-by-step practice pages and pronunciation guides, the student will build skills in writing and recognizing Yiddish letters. Please note that delivery may take one to two weeks.

Lecturer

• Daniella Zaidman-Mauer, d.mauer@uva.nl

Public programme Humanities

This Open UvA Course is part of the Faculty of Humanities' public programme. Beside Open UvA Courses, the public programme also comprises special lectures and series of courses. The public programme is intended for alumni, employees looking for extra training, and all others who are interested in art, culture, philosophy, language and literature, history and religion.