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What is Yiddish? During the Middle Ages, Yiddish evolved as the everyday language of the Jews of Eastern Europe while Hebrew was reserved as the language of prayer. Developed from Middle High German around the turn of the first millennium, Yiddish also contains elements of Hebrew, Romance, Slavic languages with more recent influences from English. Yiddish accompanied the Jewish immigrants as they travelled to new lands. It is the language in which songs associated with klezmer music are sung. Yiddish is an expressive and emotive language. It has given rise to a broad and rich tradition of theatre, literature, poetry and song in Europe, Australia and the Americas.

What is Klezmer?