Yiddish Wisdom: Yiddishe Chochma

by Kristina Swarner

All the color, vibrancy, and humor of Yiddish is captured in this delightfully illustrated treasury of over 100 folk sayings in both English and Yiddish. From the sublime (Man thinks and God laughs/ A mentsh tracht un Got lacht ) to the practical (When you look to the heights, hold onto your hat/ Az du kukst oif hoicheh zachen, halt tsu dos hitl ), Yiddish Wisdom collects the best from the Old Country. The perfect icebreaker for social gatherings' mah jongg games, and coffee klatches, this enchanting volume also makes a charming gift for any happy occasion.

Genres: Jewish, Judaism, Judaica

80 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1996

Reviews

[Paula Kirman]

This is a lovely little book that was gifted to me by a volunteer at an organization where I work. Each saying is presented in English and phonetically in Yiddish (which is a combination of Hebrew and German, and usually written with Hebrew characters), beautifully illustrated by the author's original artwork. You will learn that many common sayings in North American actually are Yiddish in origin.

[Stephanie Cohen]

a joy

[Ali]

A fun book of sayings. I love the artwork.

[Devan Opper]

A short and sweet collection of Yiddish quotes! One of the highlights for me were Swarner's illustrations, which were very nostalgic, having read the Bedtime Sh'ma when I was a kid.