Miriam Udel
Associate Professor of German Studies and Jewish Studies at Emory University specializing in Yiddish language, literature, and Jewish children's literature; author of Honey on the Page and Never Better, The Modern Jewish Picaresque.
Best podcasts with Miriam Udel
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Apr 6, 2026 • 58min
Yiddish Children’s Literature and Jewish Modernity: A Conversation with Miriam Udel
Miriam Udell, a scholar of Yiddish language and Jewish children’s literature at Emory, explores how Yiddish kidlit helped shape modern Jewish life. She discusses how stories imagined aspirational childhoods, the influence of Haskalah, Zionism and socialism, and spaces like the cheder and the “girl out of doors.” Topics include play as resistance, heterotopias, and shifting didactic styles.
Jan 6, 2026 • 60min
Miriam Udel, "Modern Jewish Worldmaking Through Yiddish Children's Literature" (Princeton UP, 2025)
Miriam Udel, an Associate Professor at Emory University and author of Modern Jewish Worldmaking Through Yiddish Children's Literature, delves into the rich tapestry of Yiddish children's literature. She highlights how these narratives shaped modern Jewish identities, from secular ideals to proto-feminism. Udel explores the genre's historical context, discussing feelings of shame, the importance of Shabbos, and its role in addressing Holocaust trauma. Her insights reveal how storytelling became a means of cultural resilience and political engagement.
