Temple Israel Boston x Brookline Booksmith

Join us for this special event with author Miriam Udel, who will discuss her forthcoming book Modern Jewish Worldmaking Through Yiddish Children’s Literature (Princeton University Press; October 14, 2025). In this groundbreaking work, Udel uncovers the neglected yet profoundly important archive of Yiddish children’s stories, poems, and books written during the twentieth century. These works reimagined Jewish life in the face of migration, antisemitic violence, and the transformations of modernity—encouraging young readers to embrace values of justice, empathy, equality, and curiosity. Written in an accessible and deeply humane way, the book reframes Jewish modernity through the lens of childhood and demonstrates how these forgotten works continue to resonate powerfully today.