Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 4.323 February 14, 1995 1) Was Tevye a good father? (Louis Fridhandler) 2) Political salutations (Marjorie Schonhaut Hirshan) 3) Yidl Mitn Fidl lyrics (Rokhl Bernard) 4) Correction: Boston Arbeter Ring program (Shimen Kass) 5) Love of Yiddish (Arre Komar and Chane Honig) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: 13 Feb 95 15:11:28 EST From: 74064.1661@compuserve.com Subject: Was Tevye a good father? Aponim di talmidim vos shtudirn mit Daniella Harpaz viln shmuesn vegn Tevye's foterish batsiung tsu zayne tekhter, der iker, zayn oyffirung mit Khave. Tsi iz er geven a rekhter tate tsi neyn? Tevye hot zikh oysgelernt di minhogim fun zayn tsayt, mistome fun zayne eltern. Khave iz oysgevaksn in an ander min svive. Di yidishe velt hot zikh nokh amol gegebn a shokl nokh di antisemitishe "May Laws" fun 1882. Sholem-Aleykhem makht nisht in gantsn klor di yorn fun di Tevye mayses, ober in "Lekh Lekho," Tevye muz geyn avek fun Anatevke. Di "May Laws" hobn nisht gelozt az yidn zoln kenen voynen in a dorf. Anatevke iz nisht a shtetl. Anatevke iz a dorf. Ikh gedenk nisht vu, ober ikh hob geleynt az Anatevke iz ibergedreyt fun Ignatievke. Ignatiev iz geven a redaktor fun di "May Laws." Az a golekh zol hobn hashgokhe iber Khave hot gedarft zayn far Tevyen vi zayn tokhter hot zikh ibergegeben tsu di antisemitn. A shtokh in hartsn arayn! Tevye farlirt zayn glaykhgevikht. Er beyzert zikh oys af zayn gezindl, un heybt on shlogn zayn getrayer ferd on rakhmones far a kleynikayt. Er ken dos gornisht farshteyn un Tevye iz nisht tsu derkenen. Louis Fridhandler Irvine, California 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 13 Feb 1995 16:02:07 -0500 From: shirshan@aol.com Subject: Political salutations Mendele's postings about khaver/khaverte brought memories of my parents, right-wing Socialists and ardent farvalter in the Arbeter Ring. They were addressed as Freynt Sheynhayt and Freyndine Sheynhayt, and used Freynt and Freyndine when they addressed someone. Khaver/khaverte was left to the linke I.W.O.niks. In retrospect, was this choice, perhaps, their means of separation from the linke, the enemy, who used khaver and khaverte for salutations? I also recall that at times they would use the feminine article only in lieu of freyndine when referring to the woman, and say, "Freynt Sheynkin un di Sheynkin gayen kumen tzu der zitzung." Marjorie Schonhaut Hirshan Boynton Beach, Florida 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 13 Feb 1995 20:25:35 -0500 (EST) From: dschrag@acs.bu.edu Subject: Yidl Mitn Fidl lyrics I perform Yidl Mitn Fidl very often in concerts. Here are the lyrics: Iber felder vegn, oyf a vogn hey Mit zun un vint un regn, forn klezmer tsvey A khidesh, oy, a khidesh, zog ver zenen zey? Yidl mitn fidl, Arye mitn bas Dos lebn iz a lidl, to vozhe zayn in kas. Hey, Yidl, fidl, shmidl, hey, dos lebn iz a shpas. A tsig shteyt oyf der lonke Un meket troy'rik "me!" Hey, du tsig, du shoyte, tro'rik zayn is fe! Shoklt er dos berdl: "Take, take fe!" Yidl... A foygl flit "gut morgn, gut morgn, a gut yor" Der troyer un di zorgn tsu al de shvartse yor! Dem vint a lakh in ponem, un Yidl, Yidl for! Yidl.... Enjoy! Rhoda (Rokhl) Bernard 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 10:06:10 EDT From: kass@umbsky.cc.umb.edu Subject: Correction: Boston Arbeter Ring program Sunday, March 12, at 2.30 Arbeter Ring, 1762 Beacon Street, Brookline. Marion Aptroot (Harvard University, Instructor in Yiddish): "A Satirical Look at Jewish Life of Two Hundred Years Ago" [Date had erroneously been listed as March 11.] Shimen Kass 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 14 Feb 1995 13:53:05 -0500 (EST) From: komar@yu1.yu.edu Subject: Love of Yiddish Mathew Dailey's note evoked a very great response in all of us. Chana Honig sent a very moving personal note directly to him. When I read it I found it so relvant and reflective of many of our feelings I received her permission to forward it to the entire khevre. I herewith enclose it. Arre Komar Just a note as a mendele subscriber to tell you that i cried when i read your email on mendele. There was a time up to a few years ago in syracuse, when i thought i will keep my love for yiddish alive by singing the folk songs ...which i do...and there are hundreds of wonderful songs...as from no other folk ( for example lines like ( lomir trinken far di sonim no r sog zay nit on)...lets even drink a health to our enemies...after all they are human beings too..but we wont nose the news too publicly, essentially is how i translate this). but i may be the last of a small group of human beings who honors the beauty of the destroed shtetlach of Europe...the life of my zayde and bubbe..honest, caring, hard working, God fearing...and bringing up each child well loved and trying hard to be a decent mentsch... that world of Yiddishkeit vanished ...with the HOlocaust..with the tremendous drive toward assimilation in to the world of blessed America who welcomed the pogrom driven ( my grandparents) to this blessed land. but their descendants want to be like the Gentiles and blend in...perhaps the pain...perhaps the shames of the past are too much for so many. but your words stirred my heart so much. my own oldest son...a ph.d. and an md. has acted so ashamed when i used a yiddish word in conversation...he doen's mind of course if i talk at length in French( my second language) he believes that it would be better if everyone became gentiles...then there would be no more troubles. The shame that some Jews feel about Yiddish breaks my heart..though i dearly love my child so much... where does this shame come from.. ich vays nit... although I am a licensed psychologist! maybe too many centuries of antisemitism that modern people want to flee from. . The horror that hitler really has won..wiped out yiddishkeit...stayed with me until really the past few years..now , reading mendele every day...i take so much joy from this new e-mail mishpoche - of all the mendelniks... but your understanding of this issue of the yiddish people being alive in the flavor of mamaloshen...that splendid statement touched my heart. a hartsikn dank fun a bobe vos hot gehat azoy fil frayd tsu layzn deyn brif!. Alice Sterling Honig ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 4.323 Mendele has 2 rules: 1. Provide a meaningful Subject: line 2. Sign your article (full name please) A Table of Contents is now available via anonymous ftp, along with weekly updates. 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