Italy is having a Yiddish moment. An unprecedented I.J. Singer translation is part of the boom.

Italy is experiencing a resurgence of interest in Yiddish literature, highlighted by the first-ever Italian translation of I.J. Singer's collected American dispatches, titled "Viaggi in America" (Travels in America). Published by Giuntina and translated by Enrico Benella, the book compiles Singer's articles for the Yiddish Forverts from his 1932 visit to the U.S., many of which have never been translated before. This boom in Yiddish literature in Italy follows the significant success of Singer's novel "The Family Carnovsky," which sold over 120,000 copies after its 2013 Italian release. Publisher Shulim Vogelmann noted, "Yiddish is alive and well — even in Italy." The revival is attributed to factors like the expiration of Singer's copyrights in Europe in 2015, the emergence of new translators working directly from Yiddish, and increased access to digitized Yiddish archives.