How In geveb Impacted Me

In geveb has played a significant role in my becoming a Yiddishist. I first came across the journal as a graduate student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, which is where I began taking Yiddish language and culture classes. In geveb was the platform that first got me started reading Yiddish Studies scholarship beyond my course requirements and qualifying exams lists. I remember being particularly struck by Naomi Brenner’s article about Milgroym/Rimon and Mariusz Kałczewiak’s article about Perets Hirshbeyn’s Indian travelogue, which expanded my perspectives on how Yiddish has interacted with other languages and cultures. They also changed what I thought Yiddish scholarship could look like. I’ve always found In geveb articles’ images, clickable footnotes, and side-by-side Yiddish/English quotations both user friendly and aesthetically pleasing. I used to read In geveb articles on the bus to the U of I campus as a welcome break from the Midwestern landscape.

In 2019, I was excited to see that In geveb was looking for an editorial associate. I applied and got the job! I worked in the Peer Review section from 2019 to 2022, first with editors Saul Noam Zaritt and Sunny Yudkoff, and later with editors Sandy Fox and Josh Lambert. Much of my work was to solicit and process review essays and manuscript reviews. I’m honored to have been able to assist other early career scholars build their publication records. I also managed the annotated bibliography posts "The Latest in Yiddish Studies in English" for 2019 and 2020, which I compiled with the editorial board. These experiences gave me the chance to see in real time how Yiddish Studies scholarship was changing, and to be a part of a dynamic online Yiddishist community. 

I continue to be an avid reader of In geveb’s publications and teach with them. The listicle “Yiddish Lives!” by Saul Noam Zaritt and the editors is a particular favorite to frame discussions of Yiddish culture, often on the first or second day of class. My students think it’s funny, and I find it useful to dispel stereotypes about Yiddish. I’ve also used the listicle to talk about what Yiddish can be and what Yiddishists are making it—a living, vibrant culture across media and the world. 

A freylekhn geburtstog, In geveb! Biz 120!