War-weary Ukrainian students learn Yiddish to reclaim a Jewish past nearly erased at home

In war-weary Ukraine, students are turning to Yiddish to recover a Jewish past that was nearly erased at home.

The students, who include non-Jews, are learning about the region’s history through language study with New York’s YIVO Institute. The classes also connect them with American Jews around a national heritage that suffered devastating losses.

The effort confronts a history that was not erased by outside forces alone. Some local collaborators helped destroy that Jewish heritage, adding another difficult layer to the students’ attempt to reclaim it.