Learn Yiddish, get a free bagel.

By David Ian Klein March 31, 2021

If you weren’t already interested in learning Yiddish, Duolingo may have given you another reason, — free bagels!

That’s right, in honor of the launch of a new Yiddish course on the popular language-learning platform, Duolingo is offering to pay for your bagel order at a handful of stores around the country when the course goes live on April 6.

They include Katz’s Deli in New York City, Factor’s Famous Deli in Los Angeles, Chicago’s Manny’s Cafeteria, as well as Pittsburgh’s Pigeon Bagels and Miami’s Zak the Baker, which are both certified kosher.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

However, there’s a catch. You have to order in Yiddish.

Since the deal is only available on launch day, you probably won’t have much time to verse yourself in the traditional language of Ashkenazi Jewry before breakfast, so here are a few terms with which to familiarize yourself. Consider this cheat sheet our gift to you.

Can I have a bagel — Ken ikh hubn a beygl

Toasted — Tsubroynte

With — Mitn

Cream Cheese — Shmirkez

Butter — Puter

Onions — Tsibele

Garlic — Knobl

Tomato — Pomidor

Lox — Loks (it’s an easy one)

Egg — Eyer

Everything bagel — Altsding-beygl

So how to put it all together at the counter?

“Can I have an onion bagel with cream cheese, lox and tomato?” would be “Ken ikh hobn a tsibele beygl mitn Skmirkez, loks un Pomidorn?”

Or, my go-to order, a toasted everything bagel with butter, would be: “Ken ikh hobn an altsding-beygl tzubroyntn mit puter”.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount