Italy is having a Yiddish moment. An unprecedented I.J. Singer translation is part of the boom.
The novelist’s dispatches from his 1932 journey through America are newly available in Italian.
In September 1932, Israel Joshua Singer embarked on a journey to New York, invited by fellow Yiddish-speaking Jews to report on the United States for them. The renowned author penned articles for Yiddish Forverts, aiming to help his readers comprehend the complexities of American life. As the specter of Nazism loomed, Singer marveled at the landscapes, Jewish communities, and the support offered to Jewish people back home.
Nearly a century later, his accounts of America have been translated into Italian for the first time, titled "Viaggi in America" (Travels in America).
The collection, published by the historic Italian Jewish publishing house Giuntina, offers a glimpse into Singer's experiences from New York's Lower East Side, Coney Island, the Catskill Mountains, Hollywood's Warner Bros. studios, and a General Motors factory in Michigan. Most of the pieces have never been translated into English or Italian before.
The translation of Singer's work comes amid an Italian renaissance of Yiddish literature, spurred by accessible digital archives and a new generation of translators and readers. Yiddish is alive and well, according to Shulim Vogelmann, the publisher of the book. He attributes the success of Yiddish literature in Italy to its roots in blood, a testament to the struggles faced by Jewish communities during a time of rapid modernization and historical upheaval.
Born in Poland in 1893, I.J. Singer was the elder brother of Nobel laureate Isaac Bashevis Singer, though I.J. has long been overshadowed by his more famous sibling. His work began gaining traction in Italy with the publication of "The Family Carnovsky" in 2013, which sold over 120,000 copies. This success paved the way for over 50 new editions of Yiddish books in Italy, including works by Kreytman, Sholem Aleichem, and Chaim Grade.
Yiddish culture's resurgence in Italy also extends beyond books, but interest has not been swayed by rising anti-Israel sentiment. Some Yiddishists report renewed interest in diasporic Jewish traditions, even as the Israel-Hamas war has made presenting Yiddish material live more challenging. Nonetheless, Yiddish culture's growing presence in Italy is a testament to the language's enduring relevance and the power of storytelling to bridge cultural divides.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
