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A German museum aimed to honor Jewish wit. The result is downright demeaning.
Kibbizter, kvetcher, nudnick, nebbish, nudzh, meshugener, alter kocker, pisher, plosher, platke-macher
These ten Yiddish/Yinglish insults are mounted on the cornice of the Haus der Kunst art museum in Munich, Germany. The installation, entitled The Joys of Yiddish (2021), is the final iteration of a work by the late conceptual artist Mel Bochner (1940–2025).
According to the Haus der Kunst’s website, this word chain is supposed to “convey a particular humor that survived the National Socialist regime, despite all odds.” The color scheme — yellow-on-black — is meant to evoke the stigmatizing patches of the same colors forced upon Jews under Nazi rule.
The installation was named for the 1968 book The Joys of Yiddish by Leo Rosten — a collection of Yiddish words and phrases that made its way into English.
Unfortunately, the installation is an ill-conceived attempt to honor the Jewish humor of millions of Yiddish speakers murdered by the Nazis. It cheapens and reduces a nearly millennium-old language and culture to kitsch. Is this tired, old rehashing of Yiddish insults not itself a badge of stigmatization — a “yellow patch” if you will?
When Bochner’s The Joys of Yiddish debuted at the Spertus Institute in Chicago in 2006, it was meant as a statement on the Jewish immigrant experience in America. It dealt with linguistic barriers, between immigrants and their new country, and between immigrant parents and their children. (Bochner was raised by Yiddish-speaking parents but never learned the language himself.)
At the Haus der Kunst, however, the piece takes on a very different meaning. Originally called the Haus der Deutschen Kunst (House of German Art) when it opened in 1937, it was intended by its Nazi builders as a temple to “Aryan” art. Mounting Yiddish insults on that building is, at first glance, a defiant and transgressive act.
Yet the cutesy terms Bochner chose (a subset from the Chicago original) are wholly insufficient to the task. Instead of switching out a word here and there, he could have transgressed against the art-school reject Hitler (may his name be obliterated) on the façade of his would-be temple to Aryan art, with some stronger epithets. Perhaps yimakh-shmoynik, paskudnyak, or the well-known mamzer?
Of course, no words in any language can convey the evil of what Hitler’s Nazis did to the Jewish people, and to Jewish diasporic languages. But that’s no excuse for not trying. Was Bochner’s intent to jab the viewer, or merely to tickle?
Prof. Sunny S. Yudkoff, in a 2022 journal article, notes that Bochner’s oeuvre often deals with the failure of words to sufficiently convey a particular meaning, with language’s perceived transparency and its actual instability. Yet despite the “performative failures” (as Prof. Yudkoff puts it) of Bochner’s other works, the failures of The Joys of Yiddish seem to be a bug rather than a feature.
To convey the Yiddish humor that survived the Nazis, we might look to the Jews of Lublin. During the German occupation, an SS officer commanded a group of Jewish men, at gunpoint, to entertain him. According to testimony recorded by Moshe Prager, they sang a well-known Yiddish song, replacing the refrain lomir zikh iberbetn (let’s make up) for mir veln zey iberlebn (we will outlive them). Despite the similarity of Yiddish to German, the SS officer apparently didn’t understand the phrase, giving those Jews a good laugh at their oppressors’ expense.
This time around, Bochner unwittingly perpetuates a long American Jewish tradition of treating Yiddish as a punchline. To do so in Munich is to internationalize that tradition in a shamefully conspicuous way.
According to a 2021 conversation between the artist and curator Andrea Lissoni, Bochner’s parents “were not really interested in us kids learning Yiddish, because […] it was a secret language.” This dynamic is all too familiar. But instead of digging in and working with Yiddish on its own terms, the artist engaged with it only superficially, in what Prof. Jeffrey Shandler has termed the “post-vernacular” mode. Bochner simply picked some words out of Rosten’s book, several of which are Yinglish Americanisms, that he thought most American Jews of his generation would have heard and known.
To do so in Chicago or New York as a comment on cultural assimilation is a sad reflection on American Jews’ cultural impoverishment. To recycle the piece into a provocation toward German Holocaust memory, or a tribute to the humor of murdered European Jewry, is lazy and demeaning.
In fairness, the late Mr. Bochner isn’t here to defend his honor. Then again, neither are the millions of Yiddish-speakers murdered by the Nazis.
So what could the curators of the Haus der Kunst do instead to honor them? Maybe host an exhibition of works by Yiddish-speaking artists who survived or perished in the Holocaust. Or commission a new work inspired by Yiddish anti-Nazi jokes and folksongs. It shouldn’t be hard to improve on what’s there now.
The post A German museum aimed to honor Jewish wit. The result is downright demeaning. appeared first on The Forward.
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France’s Culture Minister Welcomes Israel’s Philharmonic Orchestra for Concert Amid Criticism
A side view of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
France’s Minister of Culture Rachida Dati expressed support for the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) visiting Paris for a concert on Thursday after a French union criticized the upcoming performance because of what it called Israel’s “crimes” in the Gaza Strip.
“Welcome to Israel’s national orchestra,” Dati wrote Tuesday in a post on X. “Nothing justifies a boycott call for this moment of culture, sharing and communication. Freedom of creation and programming is a value of our republic. [There is] no pretext for antisemitism.”
The IPO, led by conductor Lahav Shani, is scheduled to perform a sold-out concert at the Paris Philharmonic Hall on Thursday. The venue is a public institution under supervision of the Ministry of Culture and the city of Paris.
The Paris Philharmonic Hall said in a statement on Monday to Radio France that it hopes Thursday’s concert will take place “in the best possible conditions” and the venue welcomes “both Israeli and Palestinian artists.” It added that it never demands visiting artists to take “a position … on the subject of ongoing conflicts or sensitive political issues, which could sometimes have significant repercussions for them in their country of origin.” Musicians “cannot be held responsible for the actions of their government by simple association,” the institution insisted.
In late October, the French union CGT Spectacle – which represents workers in the entertainment industry including cinema and the performing arts – claimed the Nov. 6 concert is “an attempt at normalization by the State of Israel,” which they claimed is “responsible for a genocide against the Palestinian people.” The union said the concert should only take place if the audience is informed about the “serious accusations” against the Israeli government.
“The Paris Philharmonic Hall cannot host the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra without reminding the audience of the extremely serious accusations against the leaders of that country [Israel] and the nature of the crime committed in Gaza,” the union stated. “If culture is meant to be a vehicle for peace among peoples, no progress in this area can be expected without speaking the truth at every opportunity.”
Shani has previously been boycotted for being Israeli.
In September, organizers of the Flanders Festival Ghent canceled a scheduled performance by the Munich Philharmonic due to concerns regarding Shani and his “attitude to the genocidal regime in Tel Aviv.” Shani, the chief conductor of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, will take over as chief conductor of the Munich orchestra for the 2026/27 season.
After the festival rescinded its invitation, Belgium’s Prime Minister Bart De Wever attended a concert by the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra in a sign of solidarity.
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Freed Israeli Hostage Elizabeth Tsurkov Describes Torture, Sexual Assault by Iran-Backed Terror Group in Iraq
Princeton researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov, 2017. Photo: Facebook
Freed Israeli hostage Elizabeth Tsurkov, who was released after two and a half years in captivity, recounted being beaten, tortured, electrocuted, and sexually assaulted by the Kataib Hezbollah terrorist group in Iraq, describing the abuse in an interview published on Wednesday.
In her first appearance since being freed in September, Tsurkov told The New York Times that her Iran-aligned captors “basically used [her] as a punching bag”— especially during the first months after her abduction.
Tsurkov, a dual Israeli-Russian national and Princeton University student, was kidnapped in March 2023 after agreeing to meet a woman who had reached out to her on WhatsApp, claiming she needed help researching the Iran-backed Islamist group.
After showing up to the alleged meeting at a Baghdad coffee shop, Tsurkov was forced into an SUV by several men, who repeatedly beat and sexually assaulted her.
“I genuinely believe I would have died,” she said, noting the Trump administration’s “incredible determination” in negotiating and ultimately securing her release.
Tsurkov expressed her gratitude to US President Donald Trump, the administration officials who helped secure her release, and Gal Hirsch, Israel’s coordinator for hostages and missing persons, praising their efforts and unwavering support throughout her captivity.
Over the course of more than two years, Tsurkov was held in confinement by Kataib Hezbollah, an Iran-backed terrorist group that has never explicitly admitted to abducting her, enduring conditions similar to those faced by hostages held by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in Gaza.
Eight months after her abduction, Tsurkov was seen on Iraqi TV for the first time, providing proof she was still alive while being forced to admit she worked as an Israeli and US spy.
During her two years in solitary confinement, Tsurkov said she initially kept her Israeli identity a secret. However, her abductors eventually discovered evidence on her phone and accused her of being a spy.
Even after she tried to demonstrate her pro-Palestinian stance by showing some of her online posts to them, her captors’ treatment of her grew even more brutal.
When she refused to confess to being a spy, Tsurkov said she was “strung up and tortured.”
In her interview, she described one of her captors, referred to as “the colonel,” as “very filthy and very obsessed with sex,” saying he repeatedly threatened her with rape and grabbed a tattoo on her thigh.
In September, Tsurkov was handed over to the Iraqi government, where female doctors examined her weakened physical state, marking her first contact with women since her abduction.
During such a traumatic experience, she recalled that seeing people, including one of her sisters on TV, advocate for her release gave her a sense of hope and helped sustain her strength.
Tsurkov is now in Israel, undergoing rehabilitation for the severe injuries she endured during her captivity. She spends most of her days lying on her back, as sitting or standing remains too painful.
Due to the relentless beatings, she also revealed that she is missing a tooth and continues to suffer constant pain.
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Jewish Groups Vow to Hold Mamdani ‘Fully Accountable’ After Mayoral Victory to Ensure Safety of New York Jews
Democratic candidate for New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani, delivers remarks while campaigning at the Hanson Place Seventh-Day Adventist Church in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, US, Nov. 1, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ryan Murphy
Major Jewish organizations were quick to respond to far-left democratic socialist and anti-Zionist Zohran Mamdani being elected as the new mayor of New York City on Tuesday night.
Mamdani, 34, a fierce critic of Israel who has been widely accused of antisemitism, defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo by a margin of 50.4 percent to 41.6 percent, while Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa received 7.1 percent of the votes.
The Democratic state assemblymember — who has repeatedly accused Israel of “apartheid” and “genocide,” refused to recognize its right to exist as a Jewish state, and supported boycotts of all Israeli-linked entities — will be the city’s youngest mayor in over a century and the first Muslim to hold the office.
Mamdani is a member of the controversial Democratic Socialist of America (DSA) organization and has refused to explicitly condemn the phrase “globalize the intifada,” which has been associated with calls for violence against Jews and Israelis worldwide.
Following Tuesday’s election, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) announced the launch of an initiative to track and monitor policies and personnel appointments of the incoming Mamdani administration in order to help protect Jewish New Yorkers. As part of the new initiative, the ADL is establishing a citywide tipline for New Yorkers to report antisemitic incidents.
New York City has experienced a surge in anti-Jewish hate crimes over the past two years, following Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks in southern Israel, and many Jewish leaders have expressed concerns that the trend will continue and even intensify with Mamdani in office.
“Mayor-elect Mamdani has promoted antisemitic narratives, associated with individuals who have a history of antisemitism, and demonstrated intense animosity toward the Jewish state that is counter to the views of the overwhelming majority of Jewish New Yorkers. We are deeply concerned that those individuals and principles will influence his administration at a time when we are tracking a brazen surge of harassment, vandalism and violence targeting Jewish residents and institutions in recent years,” Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the ADL, said in a statement.
“We expect the mayor of the city with the largest Jewish population in the world to stand unequivocally against antisemitism in all its varied forms and support all of its Jewish residents just as he would all other constituents,” Greenblatt added. “In the months ahead, we will hold the Mamdani administration to this basic standard, and ADL will be relentless and unyielding in our work to ensure the safety and security of all Jewish New Yorkers.”
The United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York, Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, ADL New York/New Jersey, American Jewish Committee of New York, and New York Board of Rabbis said in a joint statement they “cannot ignore that the mayor-elect holds core beliefs fundamentally at odds with our community’s deepest convictions and most cherished values.” They called on Mamdani and all elected officials to “govern with humility, inclusivity, and a deep respect for the diversity of views and experiences that define our city.”
“As we have done for over a century, we will continue to work across every level of government to ensure that our city remains a place where our Jewish community, and all communities, feel safe and respected,” they added. “Our agenda remains clear. We will hold all elected officials, including Mayor-elect Mamdani, fully accountable for ensuring that New York remains a place where Jewish life and support for Israel are protected and can thrive. We will continue to confront, without hesitation, the alarming rise in antisemitism and hate crimes, and loudly call out any rhetoric or actions that delegitimize Israel or excuse antisemitism.”
Rabbi Dr. Josh Joseph, executive vice president and COO of the Orthodox Union, said he urges the mayor-elect to “embrace the responsibility of governing for all, protecting the vulnerable, rejecting divisive rhetoric, and ensuring that safety, dignity, and respect are guaranteed to every New Yorker, including Jewish New Yorkers.” The OU is the largest umbrella organization for Orthodox Jews in the US.
Joseph said the OU “is more determined than ever to continue advocating for the needs of the Jewish People and transforming our collective strength into lasting impact at City Hall and beyond.”
New York has the largest Jewish community outside the State of Israel. The ADL’s Center on Extremism recorded 976 antisemitic incidents in New York City in 2024, which is the highest in any US city since the ADL began monitoring such incidents. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) revealed that last year, 54 percent of all hate crimes in New York City targeted Jewish New Yorkers.