Eastern European Jews were famous for the stories they told - funny, tragic, thought-provoking. We read Yiddish stories written in Russia, the Soviet Union, the United States, and elsewhere, by Sholem Aleichem and Isaac Bashevis Singer and others. Writers in other languages have tried to write stories with a "Yiddish accent;" we read some of those and experiment writing such stories ourselves. Readings in English; separate section available for students who want to read in Yiddish.
3-4 units · Letter or Credit/No Credit
Eastern European Jews were famous for the stories they told - funny, tragic, thought-provoking. We read Yiddish stories written in Russia, the Soviet Union, the United States, and elsewhere, by Sholem Aleichem and Isaac Bashevis Singer and others. Writers in other languages have tried to write stories with a "Yiddish accent;" we read some of those and experiment writing such stories ourselves. Readings in English; separate section available for students who want to read in Yiddish.
Offered in Winter 2026 at Stanford University.