PAINTING BY RENATA DOLLINGER 1973

First draft of books to consider when I speak with the library- but I would appreciate your advice and feedback!  Here are 11 popular books that have been translated into Yiddish:

 
Original Title. Yiddish Title (Transliterated)
Author

Animal Farm. Khayes-Ferme
George Orwell

The Catcher in the Rye.   Der Fanger in der Korn
J.D. Salinger

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Harry Poter un der Filozofisher Shteyn
J.K. Rowling

The Hobbit.  Der Hobit
J.R.R. Tolkien

The Little Prince.   Der Kleyner Prints
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

The Cat in the Hat. Di Kats der Payats
Dr. Seuss

Winnie-the-Pooh. Vini-der-Pu
A.A. Milne

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.   Alis's Abentayer in Vunderland
Lewis Carroll

The Great Gatsby.  Der Groyser Getsbi
F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.   Di Abentayer fun Tom Soyer
Mark Twain

The Odyssey.  Di Odise
Homer
 
A Few Highlights:

Harry Potter: The Yiddish translation (by Arun Viswanath) became a viral sensation in 2020. The translator had to invent Yiddish words for "Quidditch" and "Muggle" (margl) while using specific dialects to represent different Hogwarts houses.
The Hobbit: This translation is celebrated for its use of rich, idiomatic Yiddish to capture the "old world" feel of Middle-earth.  NOTE: In my view the Yiddish translation (alas in English letters except for page 1) is outstanding!
The Little Prince: Because this is one of the most translated books in the world, there are actually multiple Yiddish versions available, ranging from older academic translations to modern, simplified ones for learners. NOTE: We read this in French at Univ of Manitoba
Dr. Seuss: Books like The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham (Grine Ayayer mit Shmen) are often used by students today to practice Yiddish rhyming and meter.
Note: Many of these modern translations are published by White Goat Press, which is the publishing arm of the Yiddish Book Center. They specialize in bringing world literature into the Yiddish language.

Here is a list of 25 published books—ranging from classic poetry and modern prose to children's literature—that feature Yiddish text alongside its English translation:

Poetry Anthologies & Collections

American Yiddish Poetry: A Bilingual Anthology – Edited by Benjamin & Barbara Harshav. A massive, foundational collection featuring seven major poets.
The Penguin Book of Modern Yiddish Verse – Edited by Irving Howe, Ruth Wisse, and Khone Shmeruk. A standard reference for facing-page Yiddish poetry.
The Ineffable Name of God: Man – By Abraham Joshua Heschel. The philosopher's early spiritual poems.
Paper Bridges: Selected Poems of Kadya Molodowsky – Translated by Kathryn Hellerstein.
Zlochov, My Home – By Moyshe-Leyb Halpern; Translated by Kathryn Hellerstein.
Selected Poems of Yankev Glatshteyn – Translated by Richard J. Fein.
Songs to a Moonstruck Lady: Yiddish Poems by and about Women – Edited by Barnett Zumoff.
Sing, Stranger: A Century of American Yiddish Poetry – Edited by Benjamin & Barbara Harshav.
Proletpen: America’s Rebel Yiddish Poets – Edited by Amelia Glaser.
A Century of Yiddish Poetry – Edited by Aaron Kramer.
The Thirteenth Hour – By Rivka Basman Ben-Haim; Translated by Zelda Kahan Newman.
So Many Warm Words: Selections from the Poetry of Rosa Nevadovska – Translated by Merle L. Bachman.
Generations: Selected Poems – By Rokhl Korn; Translated by Seymour Levitan.
Paper Roses – By Rokhl Korn; Translated by Seymour Levitan.
An Anthology of Modern Yiddish Poetry – By Ruth Whitman.
Ode to the Dove – By Abraham Sutzkever; Translated by Zackary Sholem Berger (illustrated edition).
Fiction & Drama

Simple Gimpl: The Definitive Bilingual Edition – By Isaac Bashevis Singer. This edition restores the original Yiddish "Gimpl Tam" alongside the famous translation.
The Canvas and Other Stories – By Salomea Perl; Translated by Ruth Murphy.
Raysn – By Moyshe Kulbak. A bilingual edition of his epic poem/narrative of Belarusian Jewish life.
The Dybbuk (Between Two Worlds) – By S. An-sky. Many academic editions (such as the Syracuse University Press version) include the Yiddish script.
20 Yiddish Short Stories for Beginners – By Duygu Mengioğlu. A dual-language book specifically designed for learners.
Memoirs & Specialized Works

Shackleton’s Three Miracles – By Shalom Asch (translated/published by White Goat Press). A bilingual edition of Asch's reportage.
I Keep Recalling – By Jacob Glatstein; Translated by Barnett Zumoff.
Saying Kaddish with My Mother – By S.L. Shneiderman.
The Passover Haggadah (Bilingual Editions) – There are numerous versions (e.g., the Workmen's Circle or The New American Haggadah) that include the Yiddish Zunami or traditional Yiddish translations of the text.
 

With repetition.  Children’s books in yiddish

Modern Translations of Classics

These books are often used by language learners because the stories are already familiar.

Harry Poter un der Filozofisher Shteyn (Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone) – J.K. Rowling
Der Hobit (The Hobbit) – J.R.R. Tolkien.    NOTE: In my view the Yiddish translation (alas in English letters except for page 1) is outstanding!
 Der Kleyner Prints (The Little Prince) – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Di Kats der Payats (The Cat in the Hat) – Dr. Seuss
Eyn Fish, Tsvey Fish, Roter Fish, Bloyer Fish (One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish) – Dr. Seuss
Grine Ayayer mit Shmen (Green Eggs and Ham) – Dr. Seuss
Der Zeyer Hungeriker Opfreser (The Very Hungry Caterpillar) – Eric Carle
George Der Naygeriker (Curious George) – H.A. Rey
Vini-der-Pu (Winnie-the-Pooh) – A.A. Milne
Alis's Abentayer in Vunderland (Alice's Adventures in Wonderland) – Lewis Carroll
Gevald! (Uh-oh!) – Jenny Kjærbo (A popular modern picture book translated from Faroese).
 
Original Yiddish Literature & Folk Stories

These works were either originally written in Yiddish or come from the deep well of Jewish folklore.

Der Kluger Shnayderl (The Clever Little Tailor) – Solomon Simon: A classic tale of a witty tailor who outsmarts giants and kings.
Emil un Karl – Jacob Glatstein: A moving story of two friends (one Jewish, one Christian) in 1930s Vienna.  < NOTE: we read this in the U ofT Yiddish course 6 years ago!
A Gut Morgn! (Good Morning!) – Boris Sandler: A vibrant book of poems for toddlers and young children.
Tales About Animals and Birds – Boris Sandler: Short, whimsical stories that often come with audio recordings to help with pronunciation.
Di Alte Tsatske-Kist (The Old Toy Chest) – Esther Himelstein: A bilingual story about forgotten toys in an attic.
Zlate di Tsig (Zlateh the Goat) – Isaac Bashevis Singer: While famous in English, this was originally a Yiddish story about the bond between a boy and his goat.
Motl Peysi dem Khazns (Motl the Cantor's Son) – Sholem Aleichem: One of the most famous "child's eye view" stories in Yiddish literature.
Di Heldn fun Khelm (The Heroes of Chelm) – Solomon Simon: Hilarious folk tales about the "wise men" of a town who solve problems in the most backwards ways possible.
Shpilen Tzuzamen (Playing Together) – From the Rebbe Middos series: This is part of a large contemporary collection of Yiddish books published for the Hasidic community, focusing on character development (middos).
 
Where to Find Them

Most of these are published or distributed by the following organizations:

White Goat Press / Yiddish Book Center: The primary source for modern translations like Harry Potter and The Hobbit.
Kinder-Loshn Publications: Specializes in beautifully illustrated bilingual Yiddish/English books.
Hachai Publishing / Israel Bookshop: These publishers focus on Yiddish books for the Orthodox and Hasidic communities, which are often original stories rather than translations.
 

Here are 10 absolute masterpieces originally written in Yiddish:

 
1. Tevye the Dairyman (Tevye der Milkhiker)

Author: Sholem Aleichem The crown jewel of Yiddish literature. While most know it through Fiddler on the Roof, the original stories are darker, more philosophical, and incredibly witty. Tevye’s "conversations" with God represent the struggle of tradition against the modern world.

2. The Brothers Ashkenazi (Di Brider Ashkenazi)

Author: Israel Joshua Singer (I.B. Singer's older brother) Often called the "Yiddish War and Peace." This is a massive, sweeping epic about the rise and fall of the industrial city of Lodz and two brothers competing for power. It is arguably the greatest social-realist novel in the language.

3. The Tree of Life (Der Boym fun Lebn)

Author: Chava Rosenfarb A monumental three-volume work that follows the lives of ten characters in the Lodz Ghetto. It is considered the definitive Yiddish novel of the Holocaust—stunningly detailed, heartbreaking, and deeply human.

4. The Travels of Benjamin III (Masoes Benyomin Hashlishi)

Author: Mendele Moykher Sforim The "Don Quixote" of Yiddish literature. It’s a biting, satirical picaresque novel about two delusional men from a tiny village who set out to find the legendary "Red Jews" across the Sambation River.

5. Satan in Goray (Sotn in Goray)

Author: Isaac Bashevis Singer Before he won the Nobel Prize, Singer wrote this haunting, folk-gothic masterpiece. Set in the aftermath of the 1648 massacres, it explores a town consumed by messianic hysteria and religious fervor.

6. The Zelmenyaners (Zelmenyaner)

Author: Moyshe Kulbak A brilliant, tragicomic look at a traditional Jewish family trying to survive and adapt in Soviet Minsk. Kulbak was a modernist genius whose life was tragically cut short by the Stalinist purges.

7. The Dybbuk (Der Dibuk)

Author: S. An-sky Technically a play, but it is the most influential piece of Yiddish drama ever written. It’s a story of star-crossed lovers, spirit possession, and the thin line between the world of the living and the dead.

8. The Glatstein Chronicles (Ven Yash Iz Geforn)

Author: Yankev Glatshteyn A modernist masterpiece that blends memoir and fiction. It follows a poet returning to Poland in 1934 to visit his dying mother, capturing the growing dread in Europe with incredible linguistic sophistication.

9. Night in the Old Market (Bay Nakht oyfn Altn Mark)

Author: I.L. Peretz A surreal, symbolist ghost story of a play. Peretz was the "soul" of Yiddish modernism, and this work—featuring the dead rising to dance in a town square—is his most ambitious and haunting vision.

10. Three Cities (Dray Shtet)

Author: Sholem Asch A massive trilogy (Petersburg, Warsaw, Moscow) that captures the upheaval of the Russian Revolution through the eyes of the Jewish intelligentsia. Asch was the first Yiddish writer to become a true international bestseller.