Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 5.222 January 18, 1996 1) Helft yidish vern gezunt (Leybl Botvinik) 2) Aktivitetn in yisroyl, yan-feb 96 (Leybl Botvinik) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 18 Jan 1996 13:08:19 +0200 (IST) From: leybl@telecomm.tadiran.co.il Subject: Helft yidish vern gezunt yidish shtarbt nit. yidish iz nit gezunt. dos iz zikher. fregt zikh di frage, vos mir darfn ton tsu helfn dem patzyent. ot lemoshl, iz undzer mendele-reshime a gute 'refue'. dos ken men tsuglaykhn tsu 'mitsves bikur khoylim' (di mitsve fun bazukhn kranke). dos farfestikt dem gayst, un helft oyfmuntern di shtimung. me brengt yenem epes zis tsu farzukhn, a bisl humor, khaverishkeyt. a simen, az men hot yenem nit fargesn, az er iz undz tayer. zoln take gebentsht zayn der shames mit ale gute kahveyrim fun der liste. vos mer mir veln bazukhn, alts gezunter vet vern undzer khoyle. farshteyt zikh, az es endikt zikh nit mitn 'bikur khoylem'. az der khoyle vet vider gezunt zayn, mertshem, veln mir vayter geyn bazukhn, un geyn mit em in teater, oyf a kontsert, tsi oyf a shpatsir. un mirn avade mitnem di gantse mishpokhe: kinder un eltern un zeyde-bobe mit ale kroyvim un gute fraynt, darfn kumen bazukhn oyf der mendele reshime. vitaminen, ober, darf men oykh gebn undzer opgeshvakhtn mame loshn. a por hunderter toyznter dolarn, do un dort, vet nit shatn. es zaynen faran a sakh vikhtike yidish institutsyes vos neytikn zikh in gelt tsu kenen vayter ongeyn mit zeyer vikhtiker arbet, un vos me darf afile oysbreytern zeyer tetikeyt. ot lemoshl hob ikh zikh dervust, az bay der yugnt organizatsye, yugntruf, iz letstns opgeshnitn gevorn zeyer hoypt mekor fun finantsyeler shtitse. zey neytikn zikh itst in finantsyeler hilf. lomir take nit zhaleven, un gebn dort vu men darf, mit a breyter hant, un zogn undzere khaveyrim oykh tsu helfn. un nit mit keyn kleyngelt, nor take bekhovedik. un men darf dem khoyle oykh gebn tsu esn un trinken. a guter hiner yoykh mit lokhshn, a gebrotns, tsi vos. mir darfn oykh gebn gaystike maykholim, leyenen yidishe bikher un tsaytungen, shtitsn yidishe shraybers un dikhters. zorgn, az naye lider, pyeses, videos, filmen un kompyuter materialn zoln geshafn vern. a bisl fizyo-terapye, mit a geheriker diete volt oykh nit geshat dem gezunt. undzere ale klubn darfn vern mer tetik, un oykh merer aktiv in algemeyne kehile aktivitetn. fodern a bekhovedikn onteyl mit a yidish vort oyf kehile unternemungen lekoved yomtoyvim, lekoved yom haatzmaut, lezeykher dem khurbn. un undzer khoyle iz dokh a yidisher khoyle, un a yid darf shtendik lernen. mir darfn zen aleyn oysbesern undzer yidish, un shafn shmues, leyen un shrayb aktivitetn. mir darfn tsushteln kursn far dervaksene, un oykh far kinder in di kehile tsenters, in di templen un sinagoges, in di tog shuln, ovnt shuln, un zuntik shuln. tsum sof, darfn mir zen, az dem khoyle zol men oft bazukhn. un azoy vi mir dervaksene zaynen tomid farnumen mit dos tsi yents, zoln mir zen az kinder un yugntlekhe zoln adoptirn a yidish reydndikn (oder farkert). di kinder un yugntlekhe, ven zey kumen oyf regulere bazukhn, zol men zey oyslernen reydn, leyenen, shraybn tsi zingen yidish; zey oyshern, un zey dertseyln fun amol, un fun haynt, un bekhlal farbrengen mit zey un zey ibergebn a bisl yidish. ikh gleyb, az oyb mir veln helfn shtarkn yidish, vet der khoyle gikh gezunt vern. az 'yidish shtarbt'? dos iz shver tsu gleybn. mayn tate hot amol ongeshribn in gramen fir sheyne shures, vos ikh trog zey arum mit zikh oybn on, in mayn tayster. dos vel ikh aykh mitteyln nokh der englisher iberzetsung fun dem i-brivl oyf yidish: ------------------------------- Yiddish isn't dying. Yiddish is not well. That is definite. So we ask ourselves, what we should do to help the patient. Here, for example, our Mendele-list is a good 'medicine'. This can be compared to 'mitsves bikur khoylim' (the good deed of visiting the sick). This strengthens the spirit, and helps to uplift the spirits (mood). You bring him sweets to taste, a bit of humour, companionship. This is a sign, that he has not been forgotten, that he is dear to us. The 'shames' and all the good friends of this list should be blessed. The more we visit, the better our patient will get. It is understood, of course, that we don't stop with the 'bikur khoylim'. When the patient will be well again, God willing, we shall continue to visit, and go with him to the theatre, to a concert, or for a stroll. And we will surely take along the whole family: kids, parents and grandparents with all the realtives and good friends should come visit on the Mendele-list. Vitamins, however, should also be given to our weakened 'mame-loshn' (="mother tongue", but coloquially used to mean the Yiddish language). A few hundred thousand dollars, here and there, won't hurt. There are many important Yiddish institutions which need money in order to continue their important work, and which should have their activities increased. For example, I have just found out, that the youth group "Yugntruf" just had one of their main sources of financial support cut off. They need financial help. Let us not be skimpy, and give where it is needed, with a widespread hand, and tell our friends to help too. And not with small change, but really honourably. And the patient should be given to eat and to drink as well. A good chicken soup with noodles, or a piece of roasted meat, or whatever. We should also give food for the spirit, and read yiddish books and newspapers, support Yiddish writers and poets. Ensure, that new songs, theatre pieces, videos, films and computer material should be created. A bit of physiotherapy and a proper diet also wouldn't be harmful to the health. All our clubs should become more active, especially in general community affairs. Demand an honourable participation with a talk in Yiddish at community events in honour of holidays, Israeli Independance day, and Holocaust memorials. And our patient is, of course, a Jewish patient. And a Jew must always study. We should ourselves seek to improve our Yiddish, and set up discussion, reading and writing activities. We should present courses for adults as well as for children in the community centers, in the temples and synagogues, in the day schools, evening schools and Sunday schools. Finally, we should see to it, that the patient should be visited often. And since we adults are always busy with this or the other, we should see to it, that children and youth should adopt a Yiddish speaker (or vice-versa). The children and youth, when they come on regular visits, can be taught to speak, read, write, or sing in Yiddish; to hear them out and recount stories of long ago, and from today, and in general spend some time with them and pass along a bit of Yiddish. I believe, that if we will help strengthen Yiddish, the patient will get well quickly. That 'Yiddish is dying'? That's hard to believe. My father once wrote four lines in rhyme, which I carry around in my wallet, up front: vi lang di erd vet dreyen zikh un mentshn veln freyen zikh un feygl veln zingen vet yidish loshn klingen ! (- dovid botvinik) leybl botvinik netanya 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 18 Jan 1996 15:08:15 +0200 (IST) From: leybl@telecomm.tadiran.co.il Subject: aktivitetn in yisroyl (yan-feb 96) Hemshekh dor ohavey yidish: aktivitetn in yisroyl (yan-feb 96) dinstik dem 22tn yanuar un dinstik dem 5tn februar, 19:00 veln forkumen lektsyes fun profesor meyer berelson oyf der teme: "di geshkhte fun der yidisher shprakh". rekhov brener 14, tel-aviv. ayntrit: 10 shekel. di yerlekhe algemeyne farzamlung vet forkumen dem 1tn februar, 1996, 19:00 oyf kalisher 48, tel-aviv. motse shabes dem 17tn februar, 20:00 vet forkumen a leksye fun melekh ziv, lekoved dem dershaynen fun zayn bukh: "dos purim shpil, do shpilt di role homen un mordekhay" in kinstlerishn teyl: khaya livni, fidlerin. rekhov brener 14, tel-aviv. ayntrit: 10 shekel. vegn yidish kursn far onheybers: (03)314-798 sore siklik (in ovnt) leybl botvinik netanya ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 5.222