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Yiddish Games

Clubs and teachers frequently use Yiddish games as a means of reinforcing the histories and traditions of the Jewish people. The games can teach students the importance of Jewish words, expressions and culture. Word games are a particularly common pastime and have many similarities to popular games played throughout the western world. Other games are more traditional and give students a valuable insight into the world of their ancestors.

Etl-Betl
- Etl-Betl is a Yiddish game that bears many similarities to the familiar Cat's Cradle game adopted in the west. Participants position a loop of string around their fingers and form a series of intricate shapes as the game progresses. As skill levels improve, a series of increasingly complex geometrical patterns come into play. The skills required to play Etl-Betl are passed down through different generations, and also help to exercise arthritic hands.
Shimon Zogt
- Shimon Zogt is the Yiddish equivalent of Simon Says, and participants point to bodily features under the instruction of a group leader. Participants are only allowed to point if the "Shimon Zogt" command is used before a bodily feature is named. If the command isn't used but parts of the body are pointed to, the participant has to sit out the game until the next round begins. Shimon Zogt uses 73 different features and helps youngsters learn the basics of Yiddish words relating to the human body.
Yidish Talyen
- Yidish Talyen is a Yiddish alternative to Hangman and uses different forms of transliteration such as the YIVO standard. Participants have to guess a word based on a set number of blank spaces written on a piece of paper. During each turn, the participant chooses a letter from the Yiddish alphabet and, if the same letter is included within the word, it is written into the appropriate blank space. If the letter is not used, a set of gallows and a hanged man are progressively drawn. The participant has to guess the word before the cartoon figure meets his end.
Yidish Geografie
- Literally interpreted as Yiddish Geography, Yidish Geografie helps participants learn about different towns and cities across the world, but is often made more specific to help students learn about different places in Israel. The first person taking part simply names a town or city, and the game moves on to the next person who has to name a new place that begins with the last letter of the previous town or city. The game continues with participants dropping out if they can't name a city within a set time.

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