Language:
English
Year of publication:
2022
Titel der Quelle:
AJS Review
Angaben zur Quelle:
46,2 (2022) 374-397
Keywords:
Rosten, Leo,
;
Yiddish language Lexicography
;
History
Abstract:
In November 1968, Leo Rosten published his best-selling lexicon, The Joys of Yiddish. The present essay traces the reception history of this iconic text, framing its analysis with the three Yiddish variations of "joy" that Rosten includes in his volume: naches, simcha, and mechaieh. These terms circumscribe both the positive and negative reception of his work, alternately highlighting the enthusiasm of devoted readers and fueling the ire of the most enraged. The paper further identifies moments in the reading history of Rosten's work when the wager of postvernacular Yiddish culture brushes up against the interpretive perspectives of Yiddish activists. Examining both the "joys" that Rosten includes and those he does not brings into relief the emotional goals and strategies of the volume and situates this paper in the emerging debates in Jewish studies concerning affect.
DOI:
10.1353/ajs.2022.0047
URL:
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