Growing up, Yiddish was always spoken in our home. My mother, Esther, was from Lodz and my father, Reuven, from Pinsk – so a Lodzer & Litvak – there were constant & lively debates and correct pronunciation!!

My father wanted me to be fluent in mameloshen so I attended the I.L.Peretz Yiddish school in Carlton every Wednesday after school & half-day Sunday. I resented it at the time but today I’m grateful for my father’s insistence and my learning!

For me, there is no other language that describes behaviour, personalities, emotions & feelings as brilliantly as Yiddish & I have many favourite expressions which roll off my tongue daily – sometimes involuntarily – like GEVALT!!!