Introducing: Yiddish in Sydney

The Jewish Museum of Australia is proud to partner with Plus61J on their new podcast, Yiddish in Sydney.

2020 has signalled a new dawn for Yiddish. Hit Netflix series Unorthodox has beamed the language into millions of lounge rooms for the first time. Video conferencing platforms have connected Yiddish speakers – from beginners to advanced – living in lockdown. A Yiddish translation of Harry Potter sold out in days.

But in Sydney, the city that hosted Australia’s first ever Yiddish theatrical performances, the language has been on a long, slow decline.

This two-part podcast investigates what became of the city’s small but passionate Yiddish community, and whether Zoom, streaming services and a renewed interest in the past might hold the key to its future.

Image: Bindi Bettman, Yiddish in Sydney, 2020, Australia.