Avrom Novershtern: Yiddish in Literature and His Personal Life

The 'Yiddish Voice' Podcast

The Yiddish Voice was in Israel earlier in June 2023 and had the opportunity to interview Avrom Novershtern, who is professor emeritus from the Yiddish Program at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and currently serves as the director of Beit Sholem Aleichem in Tel Aviv, a cultural center devoted to Yiddish and the Eastern European Jewish Heritage

Topics discussed:

1. About Beys Sholem Aleykhem - history, accomplishments, current activities (בית שלום עליכם) (Find on Facebook; Find on the Web).
2. Yiddish writer Chaim Grade - an introduction.
3. Women Writers Controversy - in 2021, Novershtern gave two lectures for YIVO, which resulted in some controversy with two online discussions in response. See links below.
4. Novershtern's early home life in Argentina, and what brought him to Israel.

Novershtern - Women Writers Controversy - Timeline and Links:

• Monday Jul 12, 2021: YIVO Yiddish Civilization Lecture:
  • Yiddish Women Writers (Part 1) with Avraham Novershtern (In Yiddish)
    • https://youtu.be/3wl81swZO2A
• Monday July 19, 2021: Vaybertaytsh podcast episode:
  • Episode 54: Re: "Yiddish Women Writers" | ייִדישע שרײַבערינס / July 19, 2021
    • http://www.vaybertaytsh.com/episodes/2021/7/18/episode-54-re-yiddish-women-writers-hjhes
• Monday Jul 19, 2021: YIVO Yiddish Civilization Lecture:
  • Yiddish Women Writers (Part 2) with Avraham Novershtern (In Yiddish)
    • https://youtu.be/66iydt6dzg0
• Thursday Jul 22, 2021: YIVO Yiddish Civilization Lecture:
  • Women Writers in Yiddish Literature with Anita Norich and Karolina Szymaniak (In Yiddish)
    • https://youtu.be/p2p_gt0EBIQ

Music and Comedy Recordings, mostly in honor of July 4th, America's Independence Day:

• Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz
• Mandy Patinkin: American Tune (Words&Music by Paul Simon)
• Seymour Rexite: Battle Hymn of the Republic in Yiddish
• Cantor Ari Brown: America Medley
• Yiddish Philharmonic Chorus: Amerike di Prekhtike
• Michel Rosenberg: Getzel at a Baseball Game
• Clara Gold: Telebende Furt Kein Amerika
• Moishe Oysher & Florence Weiss: Chasidic in America

Air Date: June 28, 2023