The Jerusalem Bridge
בענקשאַפֿט
benkshaft
longing, the ache of missing something far away · noun (feminine)
Illustration for the Yiddish word benkshaft

The quiet, stubborn ache of longing that immigrants lived with for decades after the boat docked, distinct from simple homesickness.

אַ גאַנצע וואָך האָב איך אַ בענקשאַפֿט נאָך מײַן מאַמעס קיך.

All week I've had a benkshaft for my mother's kitchen.

Who or what do you have a benkshaft for right now?

Published 9 September 2026

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Yaacov, native Jerusalemite

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