At this point in my learning, I have accomplished my goal of learning the Yiddish alphabet. It was a little difficult to pick it back up since I took a break from it, but I was able to familiarize myself with it enough to read my vocabulary words in Yiddish. Additionally, I’ve met my goals of learning to read Yiddish by studying the alphabet, reviewing vocabulary from the live online class, practicing writing and completing formal lessons from the Yiddish for Beginners book, and using Duolingo to strengthen other skills. Since Duolingo teaches mainly through repetition, I’ve found that I can’t move forward in the lessons without repeating the same material at least five or six times. It did become quite repetitive and mundane at times, and it took a while to progress to another level. However, I stuck with all the strategies I set out to use and haven’t hit any major bumps in the road. It’s just been a slow journey to reach this point in my Yiddish skills.
Language learning has brought out a mix of emotions for me—some pride, a fair amount of frustration, but mostly curiosity and a growing sense of connection. One of the most meaningful parts so far was learning that Yiddish was the language my paternal grandparents once spoke fluently, though they never passed it down. It makes me feel sad and disappointed that they let their native tongue fade. Learning Yiddish through these methods has made me feel like I’m uncovering a part of my family history that was hidden in plain sight. It’s made me pay more attention to the culture it represents—stories, history, songs, humor, even grief. There’s something incredibly human about a language that carries both the weight of survival and the joy of everyday expression. I feel even more connected in a way, especially since my grandparents passed before I could meet them. Despite the little I’ve learned, I believe I’ve been successful in reaching my goals of connecting with the language and understanding the history of its people. I feel ashamed that I don’t have many opportunities to practice with others around me, which only emphasizes even more why it should be practiced and continued—otherwise, it might fade away from the world entirely.
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