Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 6.120 December 4, 1996 1) Yiddish Conference in Kishenev (Leybl Botvinik) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 4 Dec 1996 06:46:28 +0200 (IST) From: leybl@telecomm.tadiran.co.il Subject: Yiddish Conference in Kishenev konferents far yidisher shafung, dertsiyung un komunikatsye in di lender fun mizrekh eyrope (keshenev 15-17/08/96) dem fargangenem zumer, iz in keshenev, tsvishn dem 15tn bizn 17tn oygust, forgekumen di "konferents far yidisher shafung, dertsiyung un komunikatsye in mizrekh eyrope". loyt di informatsyes vos ikh hob bakumen, zaynen dort geven 65 forshteyers fun farsheydenem elter, fun moldaviye, rumenye, vaisrusland, rusland, un ukrayne. es zaynen oykh baygeven lektorn un observatorn fun yisroyl, un forshteyers fun der moldaver melukhe, funem Joint, funem sokhnut, un der hoypt rov fun rumenye. This past summer in Kishenev, between the 15th and the 17th of August, there was a conference entitled "Yiddish Creativity, Education and Communication in Eastern Europe". According to the information I have received, there were 65 representatives from Moldavia, Romania, the Ukraine, Russia and Byelorussia. There were also lecturers and observers from Israel and representatives of the Moldavian government, of the Joint, the Jewish Agency, and also the Chief Rabbi of Romania. The following is a slightly edited version of the statements and resolutions (in Yiddish) as formulated by the delegates. An English translation follows. ------------------------- ot zaynen di deklaratsyes un rezolutsyes: ------------------------- di onteylnemer fun der konferents shteln mit hartsveytik fest, az der sof funem totalitaristishn rezhim, di demokratizatsye un di farbreyterung fun di kontaktn mit oysland hobn nit farbesert di lage fun yidish in di gevezene sovetishe republikn. als bayshpiln fun di kritishe lage fun der yidisher kultur konen dinen azelkhe faktn, vi lemoshl: fun 1991 hot men in moskve oyfgehert aroys- tsugebn bikher in yidish, un in 1993 iz farmakht gevorn der yidish opteylung in turo koledzh. di filtsuzogndike kulturele initsyativn, vos hobn shoyn bakumen a groysn gezelshaftlekhn opklang, shtitsn zikh oysshlislekh oyf der mesires nefesh fun entuziastn, vi tsum bayshpil, der yidisher teater in lemberg, oder der literarisher zhurnal "mame- loshn" (odes). emes, di melukhishe instantsn in di gevezene sovetishe republikn shtern nit, un oyfl vifl s'iz meglekh, helfn tsurikshteln di yidishe kultur. tsum bayshpil, inem melukhishn gezets vegn shprakhn in moldave iz yidish tsuglaykh mit hebreish onerkent als natsyonaler shprakh fun yidn. farsheydene initsyativn fun di ukrayinishe un moldavishe makht-organen bavayzn, az di dozike tsvey republikn nemen oyf un folgn nokh di algemeyne bashlusn fun yunesko [1988] un di rekomendatsyes funem eyropeyishn rat vegn der yidisher kultur, vos der parlament-sesye hot ongenumen dem 20-3-96. in der tsayt ven der eyropeisher rat ruft tsu bashitsn di yerushe fun yidish, gefinen zikh yidn, un nemlekh, di forshteyer fun der sokhnut, velkhe tretn aroys kegn yidish. es baumruikt zeyer, der forshteyer fun dem sokhnut in ukraine un moldave, yoysef traupianski, mit zayne demagogishe reyd vegn der "nit-neytikeyt" fun der yidisher shprakh, un derniderikt di aktivistn far yidish. di dozike oyffirung fun der sokhnut un fun di yisroyldike kultur-tsenters antshprekht nit dem gezets vegn bashitsn yidish un ladino, vos iz ongenumen gevorn in yisroyl [7-3-1996]. tsum glik, nit ale organizatsyes firn zikh azoy. men darf opshatsn vos der dzhoint hot oysgeteylt finantsyele hilf durkhtsufirn a yidishn lerer- seminar in kishenev in 1995 un in 1996. ober dos vos gevise yidishe organizatsyes zaynen kegnerish geshtimt tsum goyrl fun yidish, farshaft unds fil tsar, un freyt zeyer di yorshim fun hitler un stalin. nemendik in akht dos alts, vendn mir zikh, di delegatn fun 18 yidishe kehiles (keshenev, tiraspol, bukaresht, moskve, sant-petersburg, minsk, kiev, kharkov, odes, lemberg, tshernovits, belatserkov, berditshev, rovne, slavaute, truskavets, kanatop, vinitse, kamenets-podalsk), tsu di forshteyer fun medines yisroyl un tsu di forshteyer fun di yidishe gezelshaftlekhe organizatsyes funem gevezenem ratnfarband, mit di folgndike foderungen: 1. tsu di geherike makht-organen in medines yisroyl: A) shikn in di mizrekh eyropeishe lender shlikhim mit a pozitiver batsiyung tsu yidish, vos zaynen farinteresirt in ophitn un antviklen di yidishe kultur; B) aynfirn yidish als obligatorisher limud in ale yidishe mitlshuln vos vern geshtitst durkh yisroyldike kultur-tsenters; 2. tsu di forshteyer fun der sokhnut: A) oyfhern diskreditirn di yidishe kultur in undsere lender; B) helfn di natsyonale un lokale kerpershaftn, velkhe farnemen zikh mit antviklen di yidishe kultur. 3. tsu di forshteyer fun dzhoint: A) fargresern di shtitse far di yidishe lerer-seminarn in dem gevezenem ratnfarband. 4. tsum veltrat far yidisher kultur: A) fodern fun di regirungs instantsn in medines yisroyl tsu shtitsn yidishe teaters, lern-krayzn, prese, un azoy vayter; B) shafn a fond baym veltrat oyf aroystsugebn di bikher fun yidishe shrayber fun gevezenem ratnfarband. 5. tsu di amerikaner yidishe organizatsyes vi, "der komitet far vider oyflebung fun yidish in di gevezene sovetishe republikn"; "di natsyonale bikher tsentrale"; "der forverts"; un andere vos pretendirn oyf helfn yidish kultur tetikeyt in mizrekh eyrope, -- tsu farvandlen zeyere derklerungen in konkrete maysim. di onteylnemer fun der konferents drikn oys a hartsikn dank dem veltrat far yidisher kultur far organizirn un durkhfirn dem eyntsikn, dervayl, seminar far yidish in di post-sovetishe republikn, un oykh dem joint, der mishpokhe klurman, dem moldavishn melukhishn universitet un der keshenever gezelshaft far yidisher kultur, far finansyele, moralishe un praktishe shtitse far dermeglekhn dos durkhfirn di konferents far yidisher shafung, dertsiyung, un komunikatsye in mizrekh-eyrope. ================================================================ conference for Yiddish Creativity, Education and Communication in the lands of Eastern Europe (Kishinev 15-17/08/96) The participants of the conference painfully acknowledge, that since the demise of the totalitarian regime and increased ties with other countries, the fate of state of the Yiddish language and culture has not improved in the lands of the former Soviet Union. The various cultural initiatives are mostly by unsupported enthusiasts, such as the Yiddish Theatre of Lemberg, or the literary journal "Mame-Loshn" (Odessa). True, governmental offices in the former Soviet Republics don't set obstacles, and as far as possible, actually help rebuild the Yiddish culture. For example, in the Moldavian government's language policy, Yiddish and Hebrew are equally recognized as national languages for Jews. Various initiatives in both Moldavia and the Ukraine clearly demonstrate that these governments are following up on the UNESCO General Assembly resolution [1988], and the recommendations of the European Council about Yiddish Culture adopted in their parliament session on the 20th of March, 1996. At the same time as the European Council calls for protecting the Yiddish heritage, there are Jews, specifically the representatives of the Sokhnut (The Jewish Agency) who speak out against Yiddish. It is very disturbing, that the representative of the Sokhnut in the Ukraine and Moldavia, Joseph Traupianski, speaks out demagogically about Yiddish not being necessary, and humiliates the Yiddish activists. This behaviour by the Sokhnut and by the Israeli culture centers goes contrary to the Israeli Parliamentary decision [7-3-1996] protecting the Yiddish and Ladino languages. Fortunatly, not all organizations conduct themselves in this manner. We are grateful for the Joint's financial assistance for the Yiddish Teachers's Seminary in Kishenev in 1995 and 1996. However, the fact that certain Jewish organizations have an actively negative attitude vis-a-vis the fate of Yiddish, can only bring joy to the heirs of Hitler and Stalin. Taking all of this into consideration, we -- the delegates of 18 Jewish communities (Kishinev, Tiraspol, Bucharest, Moscow, St-Petersburg, Minsk, Kiev, Kharkov, Odessa, Lemberg, Czernowitz, Belatserkov, Berditshev, Rovno, Slavaute, Truskavets, Kanatop, Vinitse, Kamenets- Podalsk), -- appeal to the representatives of the State of Israel, and to the Jewish communal organizations in the former Soviet Union, with the following demands: 1. To the State of Israel: A) To send Shlikhim to the East-European countries who have a positive attitude towards Yiddish, who are interested in preserving and propogating the Yiddish culture; B) To introduce Yiddish as an obligatory subject in all the Jewish High Schools supported by the Israeli Cultural Centers; 2. To the representatives of the Sokhnut: A) To put to a stop the discrediting of Yiddish in our lands; B) To help national and local bodies who participate in developing the Yiddish culture. 3. To the representatives of the Joint: A) To increase their support for the Yiddish Teacher Seminaries in the former Soviet Union. 4. To the World Council For Yiddish Culture: A) To demand from the governmental bodies in Israel to support Yiddish Theatre, Study-groups, Press, etc; B) To create a fund for publishing the books of Yiddish writers in the former Soviet Union. 5. To the American Yiddish organizations such as, "The Committee for the Revival of Yiddish in the former Soviet Republics"; "The National Yiddish Book Center"; "The Forwards"; and others who proclaim to help Yiddish cultural activity in Eastern Europe, -- to transform their words into concrete acts. The participants of the conference express their heartfelt thanks to the World Council for Yiddish Culture for organizing and carrying out the only seminar for Yiddish in the post-Soviet republics, and the Joint, the Klurman family, the Moldavian University and the Kishinev Yiddish cultural society for their financial, moral and practical help in carrying out the Conference for Yiddish Creativity, Education and Communication in Eastern Europe. Leybl Botvinik ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 6.120