Occupied Words: What the Holocaust Did to Yiddish. By Hannah Pollin-Galay. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2024. 312 pages + 11 b/w images. 44. 95 hardcover or eBook.

Key Points

• The aim is to explore the profound effects of the Holocaust on the Yiddish language and cultural identity.
• Analyzed historical and literary texts related to Yiddish before and after the Holocaust.
• Discussed the sociolinguistic context of Yiddish-speaking communities during and post-Holocaust.
• Identified significant shifts in Yiddish language usage influenced by cultural trauma.
• Highlighted the loss of literary traditions in Yiddish following the Holocaust.