IDF troops in Bnei Brak given list of Yiddish words to help speak with locals

IDF soldiers operating in the ultra-Orthodox city of Bnei Brak have been equipped with a list of Yiddish words and phrases to help them communicate with residents who regularly speak the language, according to Army Radio.

Among the terms included in the list are greetings such as “hello” (“sholem-aleykhem” in Yiddish) and how are you (“vos makht ir”), as well as other phrases such as, “Does anyone here speak Hebrew” (“iz ez do emets vos redt do ivrit”) and “I’m sick” (“ikh bin krank”).

The soldiers are helping to provide food and other necessities to elderly residents of Bnei Brak, after the government declared the city a “restricted zone” due to the high number of coronavirus cases there.

באוגדה 98 מציידים את הלוחמים ביידיש לקראת המבצע בבני ברק. להלן מילון עברי-יידיש נוסח צה״ל: pic.twitter.com/5EMcRKSYZ0

— צחי דבוש (@TsahiDaboush) April 5, 2020