What Must Be Forgotten: The Survival of Yiddish Writing in Zionist Palestine by Yael Chaver (hardcover)

As Zionism took root in Palestine, European Yiddish was eclipsed by the dominant Hebrew context. A complex relationship between cultural politics and Jewish writing ensued that paved the way for modern Israeli culture. Yael Chaver reveals a previously unrecognized, alternative literature that flourished vigorously but without legitimacy." "Because of the flexibility of Yiddish, authors in Israel were able to give voice to minority members of the Yishuv. The use of Yiddish persisted for many years - in conversation, in newspapers, and in songs." Using rare archival material and personal interviews, What Must Be Forgotten unearths dimensions largely neglected in mainstream books on Yiddish and Hebrew studies.