How did London change the lives of Yiddish-speaking immigrants? How did the English language change Yiddish into Cockney Yiddish and how did Yiddish infiltrate Cockney English? Nadia and Vivi discuss how London’s English has changed over a century with linguist Professor Paul Kerswill. They follow the decline of East-End Yiddish through two generations and its re-emergence in the Yiddish revival today. They listen to a comic Yiddish music-hall song that describes how for new immigrants in the East End, the world felt turned upside down. They discuss a Yiddish story in translation, read by Miriam Margolyes, that tells of the rupture between a grandmother and granddaughter as they struggle to communicate.

‘A London Girl’s Secret’ (A sod fun a londoner meydl) (1933)

I.A. Lisky, translated by Barry Smerin

Yehudah Itamar (Summer) Lisky (1899-1989) was born in in Yezerne, Eastern Galicia (today Ozerna, Ukraine). He moved to London in 1930 and was active in left-wing circles and the communist branch of the Workers’ Circle Friendly Society. He wrote articles and short stories which were published in Di tsayt (The Jewish Times) and coedited Ovent nayes (The Jewish Evening News).

It was already long past the time when people are released from their daily work, and Grandma Leah’s eyes were ceaselessly searching for Sybil. And the more the hour hurriedly advanced towards night, the more worried Sybil’s grandmother became. Something frightened her: it was so late, and Sybil wasn’t home yet. She mused and brooded, until the noise of the city filled her head and her thoughts began to spin a dark web… [read more]

Listen to the story in Yiddish below

‘London hot zikh ibergekert’ (London is Turned Upside Down) (c. 1900)

Sam Levenvirt, translated by Vivi Lachs

Sam Levenvirt (1880-1954) was born in England and had child roles in the Yiddish theatre under the famous actor/theatre director Jacob Adler. He was from a theatre family and often performed with his brothers and sisters. Levenvirt later went to America but returned to perform in London’s Yiddish music-halls between 1907-9.

London iz nisht vi es iz amol geven.
Ikh in mayne yunge yorn hob dos keynmol gezen
az unter der erd zol forn a topener treyn –
a bus zol loyfn on ferd…

London is not the same as it once was
In my young days I never saw anything like this.
That a tube train travels underground
And a bus runs without a horse… [read more]

The Cockney Yiddish Podcast is written and presented by Nadia Valman and Vivi Lachs

Produced by Natalie Steed at Rhubarb Rhubarb for Queen Mary University of London

Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council

Guest: Professor Paul Kerswill

Contributors: Katy, participants from the Holocaust Survivors Centre Yiddish group and the Yiddish Sof-vokh 2024: Divyam, Zack, Doris, Misha, Dawn and Irmiye. Extract from oral history interview with Heimi Lipschitz, courtesy of Jewish Museum London

Reader in English: Miriam Margolyes

Reader in Yiddish: Tamara Gleason Friedberg

Featured story: I A Lisky, ‘A London Girl’s Secret’, translated by Barry Smerin. From East End Jews: Sketches from the London Yiddish Press (Wayne State University Press, 2025)

Featured songs:

• Katsha’nes, ‘London hot zikh ibergekert’ (Lyrics: Sam Levenvirt. Music: Vivi Lachs). From the CD Don’t Ask Silly Questions (Katshanes, 2017).
• Great Yiddish Parade, ‘Der frayhaytsgayst’ (Ensemble Festival, 2024)

Theme music: Klezmer Klub, ‘Vaytshepl mayn vaytshepl’ (trad), and ‘Yiddisher Honga’ (trad). From the CD Whitechapel mayn Vaytshepl (Klub Records, 2009)

Website images:

• Masthead of Di tsayt (Jewish Times, 1919)
• ‘Lisky’ (Drawing, courtesy of Francis Fuchs)
• Sam Levenvirt, ‘London hot zikh ibergekert’ (Londoner kupletist, c. 1903)

Podcast image: © Jeremy Richardson