Yiddish Word of the Day: Fetchaila
Fetchaila. A large shawl used to keep warm in cold Eastern European countries.
Click below to hear Momma J recall a word from her past that popped into her head during these cold winter months.
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Ask Momma J Hanukkah Bonus Post
Hanukkah may be over, but Momma J isn’t ready to stop celebrating just yet.
Click below to hear Momma J recount memories of her childhood and what it meant to celebrate the holiday through song, tradition, and how it effected everyday life.
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Holiday Yiddish Word of the Day: Dradel
On this last eve of Hanukkah we post the word for:
Dradel. “Dradel.” A traditional Hanukkah game of chance.
Click below to hear Momma J explain the rules and her experience from childhood of this holiday staple.
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Holiday Yiddish Word of the Day: Tanzen
On this sixth evening of Hanukkah our Yiddish Word of the Day is:
Tanzen. “Dancing.”
Click below to hear Momma J recall memories of her childhood holiday celebrations including Purim.
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Holiday Yiddish Word of the Day: Gelt
The third night of Hanukkah’s Yiddish word from Momma J is:
Hanukkah Gelt. “Hanukkah Money” that is given as a gift and used in dradel game (Momma J’s definition forthcoming).
Click below to hear the definition and Momma J’s recollections of Hanukkahs past.
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Yiddish Oral History 101
Today Momma J explains some of the roots of how Yiddish came to be in her native Poland. She touches on dialects and the composition of the language itself.
Listen to her first hand account below.
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“Momma J – What’s the Yiddish Word for Alimony?”
Hear Momma J’s response to reader Majorie’s submission asking for the Yiddish word for “Alimony” by giving a brief history of what the world was like for married couples in Pre-WWII Poland…
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What were bahnkus and how did they work?
asks Fred from Baltimore. Momma J explains how her grandmother used this folk remedy back in her hometown of Wloclawek in Poland. Listen.Bankas
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So tell me a little about bankas, did you have it done to you, how popular were they, and did they really work?
This question is from Fred in Baltimore. Momma J will answer as soon as possible.
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