The analysis demonstrates that hybrid combinations of Hebrew and English writing serve four functions: 1) Translanguaging: Enabling people who have access to (elements of) English and a traditionally Hebrew-script language (Yiddish, Ladino, Modern Hebrew, Textual Hebrew, Textual Jewish Aramaic) to represent both languages in the same text 2) Symbolism: Highlighting English-speaking Jews' Jewish and other identities simultaneously 3) Code: Communicating coded messages to other Jews and 4) Pedagogy: Teaching Hebrew decoding to English speakers or teaching English to readers of Yiddish or Ladino. ![]() This paper demonstrates those uses, giving examples from rabbinic literature, Yiddish and Ladino newspapers, handwritten notes, pedagogical materials, organizations' and restaurants' logos, and regalia advertising sports teams, universities, and political candidates. Jewish English writing uses multiple combinations of the Hebrew and English alphabets. “Pastrami, Verklempt, and Tshootspa: Non-Jews’ Use of Jewish Language in the US.” American Jewish Year Book, 2020. These phenomena are discussed in historical context and in comparison to out-group use of language associated with other ethnic groups. An insidious use of Jewish language is white nationalists mocking Jews with words like Goyim and Shoah. Some devout Christians study Hebrew and use elements of Jewish English because Jesus was a Jew. Politicians speaking to Jewish groups use Hebrew and Yiddish strategically, yielding diverse reactions across the political spectrum. – tend to use Jewish English in respectful ways. Those who are “Jew-adjacent” – friends, spouses, co-workers, etc. Non-Jews’ use of Jewish language represent diverse orientations toward Jews: from respect to romance, from humor to hatred. Recently, non-Jews’ notion of Jewish language has expanded from Yiddish as a source of humor to the more serious use of Textual Hebrew in the religious domain and Modern Hebrew in Israeli contexts. ![]() The word chutzpah became part of political discourse, but its continuing association with Jews sometimes leads to controversy. Some words, like klutz, maven, and pastrami, have become so entrenched in English that most Americans are not aware of their Jewish origins. Yiddish words like kibitz, bupkis, and schmuck acquired a comedic valence and an association with New York through their use by second- and third-generation Jewish entertainers. ![]() To what extent do non-Jews pick up these linguistic markers? This paper explains how Yiddish words have become part of the broader American lexicon through social networks, the media and entertainment, commodification, and metalinguistic discourse. Jews in the United States use many Hebrew and Yiddish words in their English conversation.
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