​

I am a historian, genealogist, and Yiddish translator specializing in translating handwritten Yiddish. Contact me for a free quote today, and bring your family history alive, one letter at a time!

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

​

​

Mihály Kálmán, PhD

​

Profession

I earned a master's degree from Oxford, and a PhD from Harvard in Jewish Studies, with a focus on modern East European Jewish history. I have nearly 20 years of experience in translating from Yiddish to English.

 

Over the years, I have worked with dozens of clients, ranging from private individuals looking to learn about their family to professional genealogists and university professors in need of Yiddish translation services for research purposes. Building on in-depth knowledge of the historical context, I aim to illuminate even the most minute details, often adding scholarly footnotes to the translations.

​

I always aim to provide fair quotes and and deliver translations swiftly but without compromising on quality. I take pride in consistently exceeding my client's their expectations.

​

Polyglottism

My native tongue is Hungarian. In addition to Yiddish, I am also fluent in Hebrew and Russian. I also have at least reading knowledge of Ukrainian, German, Arabic, Church Slavonic, Aramaic, and Latin. My language skills come in handy when translating, for instance, Slavic-inflected Yiddish.

​

Practice

While conducting research for my doctoral dissertation, I worked my way through countless printed and handwritten Yiddish texts in over two dozen archives and numerous libraries, located in five countries on three continents – from Odessa and Moscow, through Jerusalem and Minsk, to New York City, and beyond. Over the years, I have also honed my expertise as a genealogist, working with online and offline sources alike.

​

Passion

Using my expertise in deciphering Yiddish handwriting, as well as my language and genealogical research skills, for a number of years I have been translating from Yiddish to English handwritten Yiddish letters, Yiddish diaries, postcards and backs of photos, Yizkor books, newspaper clippings, and the like. It has become my passion and vocation to help people unearth stories of their ancestors, from the Old Country to the New World. I always go above and beyond to help with family research.

​

I regularly volunteer as a Yiddish translator (and also as a Hungarian and Russian translator) at the Jewish Genealogical Society of Greater Boston's Sunday research sessions and on the Jewish Genealogy Portal Facebook group, the largest group dedicated to Jewish genealogy. I am featured in YIVO's and the Yiddish Book Center's list of translators.