Interdisciplinary Study of Religions Program and Jewish Studies Program Present
The Strange Stories of Yiddishland: What the Yiddish Press Reveals about the Jews
Tuesday, February 13, 2018
Olin Humanities, Room 102
4:45 pm EST/GMT-5
4:45 pm EST/GMT-5
Dr. Eddy Portnoy in conversation with Prof. Luc Sante
An underground history of downwardly mobile Jews, Eddy Portnoy's new book Bad Rabbi and Other Strange but True Stories from the Yiddish Press mines century-old Yiddish newspapers to expose the seamy underbelly of pre-WWII New York and Warsaw, the two major centers of Yiddish culture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One part Isaac Bashevis Singer, one part Jerry Springer, this irreverent, unvarnished, and frequently hilarious compendium of stories provides a window into an unknown Yiddish world that was.
Eddy Portnoy received his Ph.D. from the Jewish Theological Seminary. A specialist in Jewish popular culture, he has taught at Rutgers University and currently serves as academic adviser for the Max Weinreich Center and exhibition curator at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research.
Luc Sante, the author of several award-wining books, is visiting professor of writing and photography at Bard College.
For more information, call 845-758-7543, or e-mail [email protected].
Time: 4:45 pm EST/GMT-5
Location: Olin Humanities, Room 102