Orthodox Yiddish Brit Chadasha New Testament

Orthodox Yiddish Brit Chadasha New Testament (YDDAII)

Overview

The Orthodox Yiddish Brit Chadasha New Testament (OYBC) is a 2022 Yiddish-language New Testament published by Artists for Israel International (AFII). [1] The translation is based on the classic Yiddish New Testament by Aaron Krelenbaum (also spelled Krolenbaum, 1909-1987), originally published in 1949 in Hebrew script, and updated for contemporary Orthodox and Hasidic readers. [2] The title “Brit Chadasha” (Hebrew: בְּרִית חֲדָשָׁה) means “New Covenant” and is the standard Hebrew term for the New Testament. The project was led by Dr. Phillip Goble of AFII as part of a larger effort to produce a Yiddish Triglot (Yiddish in Hebrew script, transliterated Yiddish, and English) alongside the complete Bible. [3]

Translators and Contributors

Artists for Israel International was founded in New York City by Dr. Phillip Goble as a not-for-profit organization combining a Bible society, Bible school, and theatre for the purpose of promoting Biblical Judaism through the arts and media. [3] Goble is also the author of the Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB), a complete English Bible paraphrase employing Yiddish and Hasidic cultural expressions, completed in 2002. [3] The Yiddish Brit Chadasha draws on Aaron Krelenbaum’s 1949 Yiddish New Testament, which was originally published by Millions Testaments Campaigns in Philadelphia and printed in Sweden. [2]

Language and People

Eastern Yiddish (ISO 639-3: ydd) is spoken by approximately 371,657 people, primarily in Hasidic and Orthodox Jewish communities in Israel, the United States, and other countries. [Glottolog: east2295]

Yiddish is a Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews across Central and Eastern Europe. Written in the Hebrew alphabet, it incorporates elements of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Slavic languages. Despite a dramatic decline in the number of speakers following the Holocaust, Eastern Yiddish remains a vibrant daily language in ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) communities worldwide, particularly among Hasidic groups. [4]

References