The fact is that Yiddish speakers in the "old country" had plenty of words for fool, and presumably many occasions to use them.

The number of Yiddish speakers, a tiny portion of those, has declined precipitously.

Native Yiddish speakers, they adopted English, which was then the official language.

Time and upward mobility have eroded its base of Yiddish speakers.

David Lewis was a native Yiddish speaker and understood very little English.

Reports of the number of current Yiddish speakers vary significantly.

"The greeners are 80 years and over, so in a sense of original Yiddish speakers there are fewer than needs to be," she says.

Have you talked to Yiddish speakers who have read your book?

Many members of Yugntruf have decided to raise their children as Yiddish speakers.

And the number of Yiddish speakers continues to decline.