Have you ever heard the words “schmooze,” “glitch,” or “kvetch”? These words entered English from Yiddish, the daily language of east European Jews. But Jews have spoken many other languages as well, including Hebrew, Aramaic, and Jewish versions of Arabic, Italian, and Spanish. As one historian put it, “one language was never enough for the Jews.” In this class, we will explore the fascinating role of languages in Jewish culture and history. Analyzing diverse materials from Passover Haggadahs to popular Netflix shows Unorthodox and Shtisel, students will learn how, when, and why Jews have used different languages. Among our topics will be code-switching and the role of languages in ideological debates about topics such as Zionism, religion, and Holocaust memory. You do not need to have prior knowledge of any of the languages mentioned in this description.