Eric, 23 months old, and I recently spent a happy hour in the car listening to Music from the Yiddish Radio Project, which is exactly what it sounds like: a collection of music from the Yiddish Radio Project. The Yiddish Radio Project is cataloging, sifting through, and broadcasting archival material from "the golden age of Yiddish radio," 1930s-50s. We borrowed the CD from the library, and that was a good thing, because it was fun to listen to once but not much of a repeater. Some of the best parts were the commercials, which included an ad for gefilte fish ("Gefilte fish in jars...in the finest Passover tradition, packaged under strict Rabbinical supervision. Gefilte fish in jars!"), and ads in Yiddish for products like Ajax, Manischewitz matzoh, and something called Milady Frozen Fruit. The promos for the radio shows themselves are also a hoot ("featuring Sam Medoff and the Yiddish Swingtet!").
I picked up the CD because, after a children's concert at a friend's synagogue, I wanted to hear more Jewish music. This CD is mostly Yiddish swing, a genre I hadn't previously been familiar with, and one so strange I found myself wondering at times whether the whole thing was an elaborate practical joke. But I'm glad I lived to hear the Yiddish versions of "Surrey with the Fringe on Top," and "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," both sung by a man named Seymour Rechtzeit, a name that makes me ask, "And who better?"
I highly recommend the experience to all my friends, Jewish, Gentile, heathen, and other. And check out the Yiddish Radio Project on NPR. I've only caught it a couple of times by chance, but it's worth listening to.