How did London change the lives of Yiddish-speaking immigrants? How did the English language turn Yiddish into Cockney Yiddish and how did Yiddish infiltrate Cockney English? Nadia and Vivi discuss how London’s English has changed over a century with linguist Professor Paul Kerswill. They follow the decline of East-End Yiddish through two generations and its re-emergence in the Yiddish revival today. They listen to a comic Yiddish music-hall song that describes how for new immigrants in the East End, the world felt turned upside down. They discuss a Yiddish story in translation, read by Miriam Margolyes, that tells of the rupture between a grandmother and granddaughter as they struggle to communicate.

The Cockney Yiddish Podcast is written and presented by Nadia Valman and Vivi Lachs

Produced by Natalie Steed at Rhubarb Rhubarb for Queen Mary University of London

Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council

Guest: Professor Paul Kerswill

Contributors: Katy, participants from the Holocaust Survivors Centre Yiddish group and the Yiddish Sof-vokh 2024: Divyam, Zack, Doris, Misha, Dawn and Irmiye. Extract from oral history interview with Heimi Lipschitz, courtesy of Jewish Museum London

Reader: Miriam Margolyes

Featured story: I A Lisky, ‘A London Girl’s Secret’, translated by Barry Smerin. From East End Jews: Sketches from the London Yiddish Press (Wayne State University Press, 2025)

Featured songs:

• Katsha’nes, ‘London hot zikh ibergekert’ (Lyrics: Sam Levenvirt. Music: Vivi Lachs). From the CD Don’t Ask Silly Questions (Katshanes, 2017).
• Great Yiddish Parade, ‘Der frayhaytsgayst’ (Ensemble Festival, 2024)

Theme music: Klezmer Klub, ‘Vaytshepl mayn vaytshepl’ (trad), and ‘Yiddisher Honga’ (trad). From the CD Whitechapel mayn Vaytshepl (Klub Records, 2009)

Podcast image: © Jeremy Richardson

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