THE RESOURCES FOR YIDDISH STUDIES AT COLUMBIA
ARE UNIQUE IN THE WORLD
Columbia has a long and distinguished history of Yiddish studies. But
there are many more reasons to study Yiddish at Columbia:
Columbia University is one of the world's most important research
universities. Its world-class departments in diverse fields like
comparative literature, history, sociology, religion, and anthropology, as
well as its strong commitment to interdisciplinary study, provides the
opportunities to approach Yiddish studies in a truly comparative context.
This assures Yiddish Studies a position at the forefront of critical and
scholarly development. Additionally, Columbia's substantial collection of
Yiddish-related books, periodicals, and microfilms makes it one of the
leading places to do primary and secondary research in the field.
Columbia maintains a close relationship with the YIVO Institute for
Jewish Research, allowing students to avail themselves of the world's
largest library and archives relating to Yiddish culture. YIVO also offers
special tutorials and courses, open to Columbia students, which complement
University offerings.
Columbia undergraduates and graduate students can also register for
Yiddish literature courses at the Jewish Theological Seminary a few blocks
away, and take advantage of the Seminary's excellent library and rare
Yiddish book collection.
New York City is a flourishing center for Yiddish literature, theater,
and communal affairs. It's also the home of traditional religious
communities which continue to speak in Yiddish. Columbia thus provides a
natural home for students to study and to experience Yiddish literary and
cultural activity.
Columbia is the home of the ongoing research project,
The Language and Culture Atlas of Ashkenazic Jewry. The project's
sound recordings of detailed and lengthy interviews with native Yiddish
speakers, accompanied by transcripts and maps, represent the most
extensive extant archival collection on the life and culture of Ashkenazic
Jews. Under Marvin Herzog's direction, two volumes of a projected series
have already been published, and recent efforts have guaranteed that
material will not only be permanently preserved, but partially indexed and
digitized for future research. This invaluable resource is available for
research and study by Columbia students.
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