A Yiddish Yarn

When I did my DNA testing, I found out I was .1% Ashkenazi Jew. It’s not much, but it was enough to get me thinking. I’ve used Yiddish words before, but I wondered exactly how many I knew and understood, so I started counting and I came up with 49 that I recognize. Then I wondered if I could write a blog using some Yiddish words, so I gave it a go.

Shalom! I started my day with a little nosh – a schmear on my bagel. Then, instead of cleaning my house and dusting my tchotchkes, I sat on my tuches and futzed while I tried to write. I ran into some glitches, which made me feel like a literary klutz. I didn’t want it to be a megillah and I didn’t want to kvetch, but I started to feel like a shlump. I began to wonder if I was a meshuggeneh and if this was mishegoss. Then I took a a couple of deep breaths and next thing I knew, I had shpilkes and I was shvitzing as the Yiddish words poured out of me. I don’t want to sound schmaltzy, but I’m proud of myself. Before I knew it, I was feeling verklempt. Oy vey, it wasn’t easy, but I did it. I’m just a shiksa, but I’ve got a lot of chutzpah. My bubbe would be proud of me and think I was a mensch. Mazel Tov!

Written by Susan 4/13/18

10 thoughts on “A Yiddish Yarn”

  1. This made me chuckle this morning. Your creativity is fun and I bet it was fun to write this. I enjoyed every word.

  2. Patty, glad it made you chuckle. I didn’t realize how many Yiddish words I knew. And yes, it was really fun writing it. I also had two Jewish friends fact check it for me.
    Love, Susan

  3. My friend Eric and I plan to schlep over to your place on May 18th and have some more deep conversations, no schmoozing for us.

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