Will you give me a free Yiddish translation? This is one of the most frequently asked question that I get on this site. My answer is: a competent Yiddish translator costs money. Some people feel that I have a sacred duty to Jewish history translate their old Yiddish documents for free, while others wish they Read More…
Category: Handwritten Yiddish
Yiddish Letters and Postcards: An Appreciation
If you are lucky enough to possess original Yiddish letters and postcards handed down in your family, then you are probably very curious to know what they say. Do they contain interesting family stories that you never knew? Or even a juicy family secret? Or maybe a unique insight into world history? Perhaps they do. We’ll Read More…
Is it Really Yiddish?
Yiddish translation almost always involves more than just Yiddish… Yiddish was orignally formed from a mixture of other languages: German, Hebrew, Slavic languages, etc. In contemporary Yiddish-speaking communities, the languages continues to morph and borrow words from the languages of the host countries where it is spoken. For example, American Yiddish is rich in English Read More…
Yiddish Handwriting – Why is it so hard to read?
One of the most challenging aspects of Yiddish translation is that the majority of the texts are handwritten. In other language pairs, many translators won’t even touch handwritten texts – they are too time-consuming and frustrating to decipher. But when working with Yiddish, handwriting is a translator’s bread and butter. Yiddish is usually written using Read More…