A classic work revisited and a testament to the beauty and endurance of the Mame-loshn (mother tongue) through the trials and tribulations of Americanization.
An abridged version of the collection originally published in 1961, the forty-two stories here are written by some of the the most brilliant and poignant Jewish writers of the twentieth century, including Sholem Aleichem, Abraham Raisin, and Joseph Opotashu. They paint a sometimes hilarious, sometimes somber, but always moving image of the experiences of the “greenhorns” coming to America. These are not stories written by outsiders empathizing with the hardships of life in America but rather by the newcomers themselves who encountered the harsh realities
and withered expectations in “the new country.” The earliest Yiddish American writers were intent on sharing with their readers—most of them unsophisticated in literary taste—observations and interpretations of common men and women. The writings were meant to create an atmosphere of moral sensitiveness, spiritual refreshment, and cohesive Jewishness.
Henry Goodman was the translator of numerous works and compiled and edited The Selected Writings of Lafcadio Hearn and Our People in the Middle Ages. He was also a regular contributor to Jewish Currents and The Yiddish Forward for over twenty years.
