The Archaeology of Yiddish Folklore: Towards an Understanding of Jewish Folk Practice in the 19th Century

Summary

Jews, as a cultural and religious group, have been largely underrepresented in archaeological studies of diaspora populations. Recently there has been a paradigm shift in diaspora archaeology toward understanding these populations from both the perspective of their originating geography as well as their diasporic home. The archaeology of Jewry in North America has largely centered on a period, from 1820-1880, that largely saw migrations from Eastern European populations. These people, known ethnically as Ashkenazi, brought with them a vibrant culture and folklore imbedded in the Yiddish language. The incorporation of a deep understanding of Jewish folk religious traditions from Eastern Europe allows for a more holistic and nuanced understanding of Jewish domestic life archaeologically. This paper will present a case study that incorporates a multi-locale view of Jewish identity that addresses the multi-vocal and dynamic landscape of Jewish religious and secular life in the diaspora.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2015   •
• Historical Archaeologies of Diaspora: Moving Between Boundaries and Beyond Peripheries

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 510