Testimonials

Here are some recent testimonials from Yiddish-Translation.com Clients:

Translations were done quickly and for a very reasonable price. I would highly recommend this service. -David R., Shadow Hills, CA, USA

Very pleased with the quality of the translation and transliteration.  Most of the other sample translations we found were mechanical and soulless, whereas Naomi’s was bright and engaging.  You could tell she had worked with the original text to understand the meaning, which lead to a much better translation. She also went the extra mile to find meanings for borrowed words from a handful of other languages (Russian, Belarussian, Ukranian and Polish).  I recommend her without reservation.  – Z.G., USA

In searching the web for a Yiddish to English translation service I reviewed several. I had a very precious autobiographical paper hand written by a poet/cousin to be translated. The care which www.Yiddish-Translation.com took to complete the project was excellent. They went out of their way to find the translation of many Yiddish words no longer used today. I expect to use their service in the future. – I. Skorka, Delray Beach, FL, USA

Do you have a Yiddish document to be translated? Contact us today for your free, no-obligation quote.

56 thoughts on “Testimonials

  1. I am researching my family and found family letters from the 19th Century – I searched from Miami to Manchester for someone to translate them – to no avail. When my grandson said Google Yiddish to English I did – it was my lucky day when I found Yiddish-translation.com – Naomi and her team have turned pieces of paper into ancestors I would love to meet. I actually cried when I found that one of the people mentioned in the letters had perished in the Shoah they had become so real to me. I cannot wait to continue my research. P.S. Did I mention that I found Y.T.com’s charges very reasonable and the speed in which the translations were returned took my breath away.

    1. Thanks for this feedback! I am so touched by your words!
      It was nice “meeting” you via Skype video!
      Naomi

  2. Naomi’s deft and thoughtful translations of old family letters, despite their profound sadness, gave powerful insight to my family struggles. Naomi was extraordinarily conscientious in her translations while, at the same time, very sensitive to my reaction following a reading of them. After a lifetime of these letters gathering dust in the closet, in less than a week Naomi has begun to remove the shroud that has concealed my family’s past. Absolutely priceless. I feel so very fortunate to have stumbled upon yiddish-translation.com and would have no hesitation in recommending them to anyone. Thank you, Naomi.

  3. I cannot speak highly enough about Naomi and her translation services. We had some old family photos of forgotten relatives that we found in the garage when my parents moved. I searched for a long time to find someone who could translate them or at least read them aloud (my parents speak Yiddish, but do not read it). Many people tried, but none were able to provide translations. Naomi not only translated my Yiddish photos, she found someone to translate the Russian ones as well.

    Because of Naomi’s translations, we were able to put names to the faces and share them with our other relatives. We also have some additional names and places to search for living relatives in Europe.

    Thank you Naomi, for all that you do.

  4. It was a very happy day when I found https://yiddish-translation.com/ !
    After years and years of attempts to find someone who could translate my husband’s grandfather’s novel, I was about to give up. I thought I had tried everything possible … with no luck. Then I found https://yiddish-translation.com/ and the price was OK and the quality of the translation was very high – and then it was also fast!
    Thank you so much!! All the family are extremely surprised and very happy to read it – after so many years trying to get someone to translate it.
    We’ll be back – that’s for sure.
    Thank you again
    Best wishes
    Elsebeth Paikin, Denmark

  5. I was very pleased with Naomi’s quick turnaround on my translation. Thanks for helping me translate my grandfather’s writings. Now his grandchildren and great grandchildren can know what he wrote in his village’s Yizkor book and get a sense for pre-war life in the village.

  6. I was delighed to find Naomi’s website after googling “YIddish translation.” Most other translation services (not Yiddish) I have used did poor work and were very expensive. Naomi’s work is excellent, and her fees very reasonable. She got the translation back to me very quickly, and I am looking forward to working with her in the future.

  7. Naomi,

    Thank you so much for translating the letter from “bubbie” Khana Leya Zurski so quickly and professionally. It means so much to my family, especially since it is the only family letter we have from Europe.

    Your translation taught us that Khana Leya’s son emigrated from Poland to Argentina in 1935 (thus narrowly escaping the Holocaust). With this information, I just tracked down and emailed the Zurskis in Buenos Aires. Thanks to your translation, the cousins in the U.S. and in Argentina- divided by the Holocaust and seven decades- have been reunited!

  8. I highly recommend Naomi at Yiddish-Translation.com.

    After months of searching for someone who could translate “old” Yiddish letters into English, I found Yiddish-translation.com through a Google search. Naomi’s services are wonderful. She has brought life to letters written more than 100 years ago by my grandfather to my grandmother during their courtship. These letters are especially meaningful to my 91 year-old father!

    Naomi’s prices are fair, and she promptly delivers the translated documents.

    Thank you so much for allowing us to “read” these priceless letters!

    Judy

  9. Naomi, I am so pleased by the timely and excellent work in translating our family letters. I feel fortunate to have found you.

    Thank you so much,

    Raymond

  10. We wish to thank you for the service, professionalism and fair price. We hope that the translations will lead to build a family tree and to find relatives. I told you the letters that make up my name are the first letters of the names of my grandfather’s brothers who perished in the Holocaust. When we find the five pictures – I’ll send you.
    Thank you again.

  11. Dear Naomi, I feel I have been really fortunate in meeting you over the internet. You are a most wonderful, caring and meticulous translator. You have helped me unlock some family mysteries hidden behind the intricacies of Yiddish which my family lost two generations ago. Thank you SO much.

    Alexandra

  12. Thank you Naomi!! The letters I asked you to translate were especially important as they were my only link to my great grandfather’s family in Lithuania. As a result, I asked both you and another translator to simultaneously translate the same documents in order to compare translations and make sure nothing was lost in the process. Naomi, your translation was at an altogether different level of professionalism than the translation performed by the other party. Your prose was detailed yet absolutely clear, and you were able to translate some words/expressions that the other translator could not comprehend. To others – I highly recommend Naomi and will use her services again for any Yiddish translation work. Thank you Naomi for helping me to rescue my family’s documents…and important genealogical information about our past!!! Best, David A., New York, NY

  13. I would like to commend Yiddish Translation for their excellent service. When my Yiddish speaking cousin was unable to decipher my great Uncle’s handwriting, I turned to the internet for assistance with translating several Yiddish letters. I could not be happier with the results. Yiddish Translation responded quickly to my queries with a fair and accurate quote. Within days, I could now read something that I had wondered about for years. Thank you so much for giving me this new insight into my family’s history. Jonathan G. Brooklyn, NY

  14. Shmuel and his team did a wonderful job translating a batch of old family letters dating back to the early 1900’s. They contained a mixture of Yiddish, Hebrew and English and some of the letters were really difficult to read let alone translate. I am really grateful for the perseverance of the translators and the glimpse they’ve afforded me into the life of my ancestors.
    Many thanks
    ROS 🙂

  15. This is the real deal. Friendly and context accurate. And fast. Deciphering old Yiddish correspondence is an art; you are not likely to get it done yourself. They even gave me the literal translation and meaning for an idiom.

  16. Shmuel was so helpful and diligent in his translation of postcards dating from 1913, sent from the Ukraine. He even commented on the style of Yiddish and the grammar, which has given me an insight into the type of people my ancestors were. In one of the letters, there is a French expression, popular at the time yet out of use now. Shmuel provided a literal translation of the expression as well as an explanation. This is so much more than mere translation; this is an insight into my family history.

  17. The translation services provided were top rate, very reasonably priced, and more than I expected. I was provided with a very thorough explanation and history of the information in document I provided. The response time was very quick. This is a professional, honest company that I highly recommend.

  18. Schmuel gave me very personalized service. He replied to an inquiry I had after I received the results of my project. He is clearly a very honest person and is passionate about his work, being very particular to satisfy customers, going above and beyond what is requested.

  19. Thank you, Shmuel. I’m writing a book and needed a quick colloquial translation and he got back to me right away.

  20. Shmuel and his team did a great job translating some very difficult Yiddish materials. Prompt, pleasant, reasonably priced, expert work – I’m not sure what else one can ask for.

  21. Shmuel is a true professional and a delight to work with. Even for a rush translation of a time-worn letter, his price was more than fair, and he delivered on my request even sooner than I expected. The translation itself is excellent, and reflects his deep, personal knowledge of historic Yiddish culture and colloquialisms. From beginning to end, I couldn’t be more pleased with our transaction, and I will absolutely be back for other projects!

  22. Thanks to Lena for the translation she did for me recently. It was a wonderful read which captured the essence of the extract I had translated.

  23. Thank you, Lena, for all your work translating my family’s photos and letters!

    I had a three-page letter from Latvia from 1940; one of the last letters sent to my grandfather and his parents from the Old Country. I am pretty good at making out Hebrew cursive, but the handwriting on this letter was so illegible to me, and Lena was able to translate! I had many photos with captions in Yiddish and old style Russian, the translations of which helped me piece together names of family members that I didn’t know. It was well worth the money, and if you are considering using this service, I can tell you that you won’t be disappointed!

  24. LENA WATSON translated over 30 Yiddish letters for me. These letters, from family in Poland 1920-1940, were worn and tattered and the handwritings were in some cases virtually illegible. She was able to read them and translate them, keeping the flavor of the Yiddish while reading perfectly correct in English. Her work is thorough and quick. Her communication with me was outstanding. She asked great questions and seemed genuinely interested in getting my lost family’s messages to me. It was a joy working with her and I plan to return to her whenever I need Yiddish translations.

  25. Very friendly, quick and helpful service. I would without hesitation recommend using Shmuel and Naomi @ Yiddish-translation.com

    Thank you so much

    Chris

  26. I typically leave no on-line reviews/testimonials however this time I must. For decades I carefully carried around a 1932 Jewish newspaper because it has pictures – Hitler and next to that, Hindenburg. Only recently did I search for a Yiddish translator; settled on Lena to do the project. The project was done quickly, fairly priced, and with a sense that she was interested in the project as more than just ‘work’. I felt this was handled more like person to person, she showed true interest in the project as well as offering potential avenues to pursue possibly locating a missing page (or the text of that page) of the article. If I should be lucky enough to get that text I will again request Lena translate.
    Very appreciative;

  27. I came across some Yiddish letters from my great grandparents written to my grandmother who and come to America in 1921. With the wonderful help of Lena I was able to get English translations. The letters were in poor condition however she did a fantastic job of working on them to get the most information. She captured the struggles and fears of the time. She took a personal interest in my family. The translations were done quickly and efficiently. I would highly recommend her services.

  28. Lena did a truly wonderful job translating a short note in Yiddish that had been written by my grandfather to his daughter (my mother) in 1930.
    It made me very happy to be able to “connect” with my mother and grandfather in this way.
    Lena did this very quickly and the price was very reasonable.
    A have some additional family letters written in Yiddish. I am happy that I will now be able to have them translated.
    A shaynem dank, Lena.
    Nina

  29. I had several dozen Yiddish letters that I wanted to translate. I came across “Yiddish Translations” online. From the second I contacted them until the job was finished Lena was nothing but 100% professional. Not only were the turn around times quick but I also felt that Lena took that “extra step.” Although we only communicated via email I never felt that she was just doing a “job” but really cared and was extremely accurate. She even found errors in dates written by the letter writer some 80 years ago!
    I recommend their services 100%
    Thank you Lena for a job well done!

  30. Shmuel was very helpful, prompt and professional with the translation of an old marriage document. He also double-checked with other colleagues on important names and places. I highly recommend this service!

  31. Asked for a translation and received it within seconds. Thank you so much for your help. You are wonderful to be so thoughtful and kind.

  32. My wife inherited 6 pages of Yiddish letters in extremely fragile condition dating from around 1900. Not knowing who sent them or whom they were addressed to, I located the most promising website for a translation and requested an estimate. Shmuel assigned my task to Lena, who immediately took an interest in the project and quoted a very reasonable rate.

    Lena’s translation identified the people in the letters and made them come alive. Not only was her work exceptionally skilled, but she took an interest in the writer and recipients and found an academic paper describing the Yiddish translation of a classic Victorian poem quoted by the writer. The poem, “Song of the Shirt” by Thomas Hood, expresses the frustration of over-worked garment workers. As our ancestors were tailors, it helped illuminate their lives. Lena’s translation of a Yiddish proverb used in the letters, “Mountains never meet, but friends may always greet” also helped clarify the context.

    Upon completion of the project Lena wrote that I was welcome to share any further insights I might have regarding the relationships in the letters. After some research I sent her my conjectures, which she continues to follow up on. I am extremely grateful for the services provided by both Lena and Shmuel and recommend them highly.

    1. Hi William,
      Lena is amazing, for all those reasons and more.
      So glad you’re happy with the work, and really appreciate the time you took to express that! Very kind words, and we’re certainly happy to work with you too.
      Zay gezunt! – Shmuel

  33. I am so happy, working with Lena was an absolute pleasure. She made the people in the postcards from the past come alive for us. She communicated well and quickly with me. I would highly recommend her and would use her again if I need anything else translated. Thank You so much!!!

    1. Thanks so much for giving us the feedback! Lena is a top translator, and a pleasure to work with. She overdelivers and adds a personal touch. Thanks again!

  34. Lena did an extraordinary job of translating a WWI-era postcard that my grandfather wrote to his brother from France, just prior to being sent to fight on the front lines. Although I was prepared for the translation to be profoundly sad (as several other previously-translated WWII family letters and postcards proved to be), this particular postcard was a lovely and welcome surprise; the card apparently accompanied a gift sent from my grandfather in France to his brother and his brother’s family in America. Although the card, on its surface, did not at first seem to contain information that was initially particularly weighty or special, after learning the translation of the card, it was immediately clear to my mother and her sisters how this gesture from my grandfather to his brother was wholly indicative of his character — a deeply loving man who was always thinking of others, even in times of great personal duress. My grandfather fought for America during WWI while not yet an American citizen, and having never before hurt anyone — not even a fly (according to my mother). Upon hearing the translation, my mother said that, although I never got to meet my grandfather before he passed, I was finally able to meet him today. My mother and her sisters were beyond thrilled to have Lena’s translation of this postcard, and it became the impetus to hearing more untold stories about my grandfather from them. None of this would have been possible without the skilled translation from Lena. Thank you, Lena, for bringing my grandfather to life once again!

  35. Several years ago, my Bubby told me she couldn’t see the collage of family photos that had been hanging on her wall. When I took it down to enlarge the photos, we were all shocked to see that there was Yiddish on the back. I sent scans of the words to yiddish-translation.com and am so happy that I did. Naomi did an incredible job of translating and my Bubby was thrilled she could read the long-forgotten words from her family. Naomi was quick, professional, affordable, and kind. I recommend her without hesitation and look forward to contacting yiddish-translation.com for all future translation work.

  36. While going through my great-grandpa’s memorabilia and pictures, we came across a handful of letters from the mid-late 1930s written to him in Yiddish from Seirijai, Lithuania (where he was originally from). While we had suspicions that there were close family members who had stayed behind in the old country (who had perished in the Shoah), we knew nothing about them. Lena helped us to not only solve the mystery, but to put names to the faces in pictures that were in my great-grandpa’s albums, and to allow us to finally hear the voices of family members (including his mother, sister, and nephews) who were tragically lost long before we knew them.

    I can’t begin to express how grateful my family and I are for all of Lena’s help in translating our Yiddish letters. She was so thoughtful and attentive as she guided us throughout the whole process, answering my many questions and doing her own research on the towns and names mentioned in the letters. We couldn’t have found anyone more compassionate and suited to the task than Lena.
    Thank you again for everything!
    Ash

    1. Wow Ash! We feel so privileged to be able to help you get in touch with that part of your family.
      You are so welcome. We are grateful for having Lena on the team, and agree with you 100%!
      Your comment is much appreciated! All the best and zay gezunt!

  37. My great grandfather Chaim Yehuda left for Palestine in the mid 1920s. He had built a real estate empire which he left in the hands of his son Reuben. The family came across a series of Yiddish letters from Chaim to Reuben. Lena did a wonderful job translating the first of the series.

    1. Thanks, Harold!
      Lena is amazing. Thanks for filling us in on the name of your great grandfather.
      All the best,
      Shmuel Yosef

  38. I would like to warmly thank the translator Mrs. Lena Watson for her quick and highly professional translation from Yiddish of the letters kept in my archives.
    For several years in various countries, I unsuccessfully asked people in synagogues who knew Yiddish to translate the letters, then I turned to those who positioned themselves as Yiddish translators…
    Everyone I approached said that the text was very difficult to translate and refused to do it. At that time I used my archives – letters and documents in Russian – to make a three-part film, “The Jewish Fate of the War Years”, which I uploaded to my YouTube channel. Soon I received a request from the Yad Vashem Centre for the rights to show the film, which I immediately passed on. In correspondence, I sent letters in Yiddish and asked Yad Vashem to help me find a good translator – to no avail…
    My relatives lived in a Jewish shtetl in Lithuania and went to a Jewish school. Yiddish was their mother tongue. I understood that the problem was to find a translator who knew Yiddish at their level – as mother tongue.
    I had already lost hope of ever being able to translate the letters my relatives wrote in 1941 from besieged Moscow.
    By chance, I found the website Yiddish-Translation.com… When I wrote a translation request, I immediately received a reply from Mrs. Elbinger, who recommended a translator Mrs. Lena Watson. As a result – a highly professional translation was made ahead of schedule.
    Mrs. Lena Watson is a very highly educated and intelligent translator, to whom I am very grateful and give my top recommendations!
    Dear Lena Watson – my applause to you!

    1. Wow, what a story! The part that doesn’t surprise me is that it was only Lena who could do your translation work. She’s amazing!

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