LEADER 03758cam a2200361Ia 4500001    27976
005    20240621143517.0
008    980409s1994    xx      r     000 0 eng d
035    (OCoLC)37973972
035    27976
049    LHMA
040    LHM |beng |erda |cLHM
090    PJ5119.U6 |bR33 1994
100 1  Radick, Esther Gerstenfeld.
245 10 Mame-loshen, immigrants, and the Holocaust : |bYiddish in the United States / |cby Esther Gerstenfeld Radick.
264  1 [Place of publication not identified] : |b[publisher not identified], |c1994.
300    v, 452 pages
336    text |btxt |2rdacontent
337    unmediated |bn |2rdamedia
338    volume |bnc |2rdacarrier
502    Thesis (Ed. D.)--Rutgers University, 1994.
504    Includes bibliographical references (pages 409-448).
520    Yiddish in the United States has generally followed the path of most immigrant languages, that is it has been displaced by English within two to three generations. Fishman (1965) has found that Jewish immigrants have tended to displace Yiddish with English even more quickly than has usually been the case for other groups (Hansen, 1938). However, unlike the experience of most other groups whose languages are being maintained in their home countries, Yiddish is not being maintained in any home country. Therefore the disuse of Yiddish by Jews in the United States virtually equates with the imminent death of this language. This study included an investigation of the impact of history, most especially recent history--notably the Holocaust and the creation of the State of Israel--on Jews and on the attitudes of a small group of Jews toward Yiddish. Eleven Jews falling into three groups--pre-Holocaust immigrants, Holocaust survivors,and the children of survivors, known as the Second Generation--participated in conversational interviews regarding their lives and experiences. Most respondents were bilingual or multilingual and had had at least some contact with Yiddish usage. Interviews were analyzed linguistically for key terms and ideas, known as folk terms and folk definitions elucidating the respondents' views; a thematic analysis followed. Responses fell into a wide range for topics such as definitions of Jewish identity and attitudes toward Yiddish. Though respondents' views of and usage of Yiddish ranged from a favorable attitude and frequent use to rejection of Yiddish and non-use, all the respondents were united in their making no effort to ensure the continuation of the existence of Yiddish. This study brings to light a small group's experience of and attitude toward the maintenance of their first language following immigration to the United States. As there are currently many immigrants from a variety of backgrounds coming into United States schools and being faced with learning English, there is a need to recognize the wide range of difference in how diverse groups value their language and other aspects of their culture. This study indicates that a larger multicultural examination of language questions must be performed to help us understand the dynamics of bilingualism and of language maintenance as they apply to different groups.
530    Electronic version(s)  |bavailable internally at USHMM.
533    Photocopy. |bAnn Arbor, Mich. : |cUMI Dissertation Services, |d1996. |e20 cm.
590     Dissertations and Theses
591    Record updated by Marcive processing 21 June 2024
650  0 Yiddish language |zUnited States.
650  0 Immigrants |zUnited States |xLanguage.
650  0 Jews |zUnited States.
956 41  |u http://dc.ushmm.org/library/bib27976/9429752.pdf  |z Hosted by USHMM.
852 0   |bstacks |hPJ5119.U6 R33 1994
852     |bebook