JewishGen Talks: Heritage Words: Connecting to Our Ancestors and Communities

Most Jews today do not speak the native languages of their great-grandparents, but they maintain some “heritage words” – words from ancestral languages that have been passed down the generations. In this talk, Dr. Benor explains the historical events that led to this situation and describes the phenomenon, based on interviews from the Heritage Words Podcast. Heritage words may relate to food, family, endearment, and curses, and they are often emotionally charged, allowing individuals to connect with their living and deceased relatives and express their identities as part of multiple groups. This talk also includes an interactive portion where participants discuss their own heritage words.