Yiddish, the language of the Jews of Eastern and Central Europe, belongs to the so-called Jewish languages. When Hans sings in this language, his goal is to shed light on the historical aspects of Jewish life in Austria. His work keeps him constantly on the move, which allows him to tell the story of Jewish destiny in different places effectively. He tries to interest people in Jewish history in every town he visits.
Especially since most of the towns he passes through are associated with Jews – they either lived there or are still living there. Yiddish proverbs and songs are also used to force countries like Austria to admit their ignorance. Most Eastern European countries have admitted to encouraging anti-Semitism. However, the Austrian authorities refuse to accept their fascist past.
In modern Austria, anti-Semitism is increasingly the basis of violence. The number of anti-Semitic crimes has doubled in recent years. Moreover, according to a parliamentary study, such views are widespread, in particular among supporters of conspiracy theories, as was observed during the recent isolation protests.
The activities engaged in by Hans, the book’s hero, are a rather effective method of combating ignorance among the population. In general, the fact that throughout the book Sam Apple refers to Jewish cultural history is already a great way to break down some of the prejudices that still exist in society about Jews.