Are you fluent in Yiddish or hebrew?

amother

↑ Copper

Thu, Aug 08 2024, 4:19 am

amother Tan wrote:

Dumb question: don't all frum people learn how to read hebrew? How do you daven?

I”m BT and I read the siddur with difficulty lots of things I know because how the chazzan sings it I always feel silly and dumb when I’m at a Seder I have in-laws who are in klei kodesh feel like I’m mentally [crazy] to them…

amother

Blushpink

Thu, Aug 08 2024, 5:16 am

amother Holly wrote:

I speak several languages fluently including Yiddish and Hebrew. I am always astounded when I see how ppl, mostly Americans that speak just English, not a word of Hebrew.
And it’s even more astounding when they live in Israel and simply can’t communicate in hebrew. How do you expect to get by with just English?

English is universal, you can live anywhere only knowing English with difficulty.
The problem is Americans that don't speak English only Yiddish!!!!!
I work in a psychologist office and in a short time has come across 2 people who only speak Yiddish and couldn't get the help they needed. (Dr is 1 in maybe 3 who treats this problem so they don't have any options)
How do they manage to live in US and not speak English???

ChassidishMommy

Thu, Aug 08 2024, 5:41 am

Fluent Yiddish, basic Hebrew decent enough to get around in Israel but not to hold a conversation. It's a work in progress for me Smile

amother

↑ Holly ↓

Thu, Aug 08 2024, 6:36 am

amother Blushpink wrote:

That is a whole other topic for itself. A real tragedy. And I say this as a chassidish woman.

amother

Birch ↓

Thu, Aug 08 2024, 7:07 am

amother Holly wrote:

That is a whole other topic for itself. A real tragedy. And I say this as a chassidish woman.

Why a tragedy? There are thousands upon thousands of non jewish people living in America that don't know or understand a word of English.

↑ giftedmom ↓

Thu, Aug 08 2024, 7:12 am

amother Holly wrote:

That is a whole other topic for itself. A real tragedy. And I say this as a chassidish woman.

Plenty of real tragedies going around. This may not be an ideal situation but let’s not overuse the word. Tragedies are when babies are beheaded, burned, kidnapped, or left in hot cars to die. Tragedies are when young kids commit suicide, are run over by cars, or die from cancer.
A chassidish man choosing to not speak English ain’t no tragedy.

amother

Brunette

Thu, Aug 08 2024, 7:37 am

amother Offwhite wrote:

My parents made Aliyah to israel when I was a kid but returned shortly after
I can speak Hebrew and understand Hebrew if the person is talking slowly
I understand a few words in Yiddish
🇮🇱❤️🇮🇱❤️🎗️🇮🇱❤️🎗️🇮🇱❤️🎗️

Omg same here! When I was 6 my family moved from Europe to Israel. But shortly after that we moved the America.
And somehow from that experience I know a lot of Hebrew but only if it's spoken slowly.

amother

↑ Holly ↓

Thu, Aug 08 2024, 8:47 am

amother Birch wrote:

Why a tragedy? There are thousands upon thousands of non jewish people living in America that don't know or understand a word of English.

And? How does it make it any better if some Horche out there doesn’t speak English?
We Jews have always been an enlightened and educated people, our gedolim fluent in many languages besides for lashon hakadosh and Aramaic. The shoftim in the sanhedrin had to be fluent in all 70 common languages of the world.

amother

↑ Holly ↓

Thu, Aug 08 2024, 8:51 am

giftedmom wrote:

Ok, tragedy might be the wrong word to describe this unfortunate situation.

amother

Hyssop

Thu, Aug 08 2024, 8:53 am

amother Holly wrote:

And?
I agree that education among some sects are lacking. I don't agree with bashing another sect like this though.
I also think that living here enough years has taught majority of Americans, even the ones you claim can not string 2 words together, some words by osmosis, I think you're exaggerating a lot.

amother

Cornsilk ↓

Thu, Aug 08 2024, 8:56 am

We have a large majority of Yiddish and not Hebrew speakers here. Reminder to please translate your Yiddish on this website since not all of us understand it.

amother

↑ Cornsilk

Thu, Aug 08 2024, 9:00 am

giftedmom wrote:

When you put it that way. But do you agree that not speaking the language of the country you live in isn’t ideal?

behappy2

Thu, Aug 08 2024, 9:04 am

I can speak Yiddish easily to children. With adults I'm a bit stilted and need them to slow down. Hebrew I can read well mostly but the speed of speech is too fast for me. So if someone slows down I can understand and speak it a bit.

Bnei Berak 10 ↓

Thu, Aug 08 2024, 9:37 am

amother Birch wrote:

Why a tragedy? There are thousands upon thousands of non jewish people living in America that don't know or understand a word of English.

Living in a country where you don't know the language is kind of a tragedy. You don't connect with the country's culture if you dont know the language. It's a major disadvantage and has zero benefits.

amother

↑ Holly

Thu, Aug 08 2024, 9:39 am

amother Hyssop wrote:

What am I exaggerating? That our gedolim spoke many languages? I don’t understand your point.

↑ Bnei Berak 10 ↓

Thu, Aug 08 2024, 9:45 am

amother Holly wrote:

It's a mindset IMHO.

amother

↑ Tan

Thu, Aug 08 2024, 9:47 am

amother Copper wrote:

The ladies who s said that they barely read hebrew didn't specify that they are BTs. They also didn't say that they meant reading and understanding a newspaper.

amother

↑ Birch

Thu, Aug 08 2024, 9:47 am

amother Cornsilk wrote:

When you put it that way. But do you agree that not speaking the language of the country you live in isn’t ideal?

It's not a big deal to those few men that hold that English shouldn't be spoken. They get by just fine.
And to the thousands, perhaps millions of non jews living in America & don't speak English, it's not a big deal for them either. They don't even care to learn English. Everything is catered to them in Spanish.
People living in America & don't know English, is no different than the many jews that live in Israel & don't know Hebrew.
It's not a tragedy.

↑ giftedmom ↓

Thu, Aug 08 2024, 9:48 am

amother Cornsilk wrote:

When you put it that way. But do you agree that not speaking the language of the country you live in isn’t ideal?

Definitely not ideal, but from what I see anyone who wants to speak it can. Unless they have an actual learning disability in which case they struggle in all languages.