Mendele: Yiddish literature and language
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Contents of Vol. 6.198
January 12, 1997

1) Beit sholem aleichem (Sylvia Schildt)
2) Textbooks in prewar Poland (Lisa Tomlinson)
3) Yiddish language tapes (Leybl Botvinik)
4) Yankev (Ruben Frankenstein)
5) Yehoyash ovnt (Leybl Botvinik)

1)----------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 11 Jan 1997 17:23:09 +0100
From: creativa@charm.net
Subject: Beit sholem aleichem: a closed corporation

Als teyl fun Festival Yidish in Yerushalayim, hot men undz arumgefirt
ibern gantzn land (kimaat) - un in Tel Aviv, hot men far undz antplekt
an oytser fun Sholem Aleykhem's shriftn un andere gute zakhn -- mamesh a
kval fun oytzres. Me ken afile dortn hern di shtime funem dikhter aleyn.
Ober, tzum badoyern lozt der direktor, Khaver Liss, nit makhn bikher
oder video tashmes oder casetn derfun - nit fun di briv, nit fun di
fotografrishe materialn, nit fun di raykhe kunstverk, (mozaic, portretn,
perzenlikhe shriftn) vos gefinem zikh umetum in binyen. er meynt az zayn
funktzie iz tzu haltn di materyaln far forsher. Ober es iz k'day az
yidishistn un libhober fun sholem aleykhem iber der gorer velt zoln
kenen genisn funem oytzer -- in land, un khutz l'aretz. ikh vunder zikh
farvos me lozt im firn aza gesheft.

er hot undz endlekh forgeleyent a briv fun s. aleykhemen tzu bialikn
vegn bialik's shtekshikh, vos er hot ibergelozn baym humorist in shtub,
ven er iz bay zey geven a gast. mamesh a derkvikenish. farvos drukt men
dos nit op far ale vos viln keyfn?

fun di gelter volt men gekont vayter fargresern yidishe kursn, drukeray
un andere aktivitetn in israel.

as part of Festival Yiddish in Jerusalem, we were taken all over Israel
)(almost) - and in Tel viv, they relealed to us a treasure of Sholem
Aleykhem's writings and other good stuff == virtually a treasure trove.
You can even hear the actual voice of Sholem Aleykhem. But, sad to say,
the Director, a Mr. Liss, refuses to make available books, video tapes
or tapes of this material == not his correspondence, personal writings,
etc.) that are to be found throughout the building. There is also a rich
collection of artwork, portraits, photos and more. The director beleives
his function is to maintain  atightly held archive for researchers.
Isn't it more appropriate to make this material available in
reproduction for Yiddishists and lovers of Sholem Aleykhem the world
over, so they too can enjoy these treasures. Eventually he agreed to
read us a delightful letter from the author to Bialik about Bialik's
slippers, which he had left behind after a visit. truly refreshing. why
couldn't this be available in repro for purchase -- it would be great
framed.

monies from such sales could be used to help further yiddish education
and publication in israel.

sylvia schildt
baltimore, maryland

2)----------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 08 Jan 1997 12:52:42 -0700
From: ltomlins@direct.ca
Subject: Textbooks in prewar Poland

Does anyone have information about the Hebrew textbook Hasignon Haivri,
by M. Kerinski, published in Poland in 1909?

What academic institutions used it?  What grades was it used for? Who is
the author?

My own impression is that the level of sophistication of the Hebrew is
stunning.  Many modern native speakers would have a hard time reading
it. It is striking that such a fine text was actually taught for second
(or third) language acquisition in Poland.  Are the Yiddish textbooks of
the time as impressive?

Lisa Tomlinson

3)----------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Jan 1997 09:56:06 +0200 (IST)
From: leybl@telecomm.tadiran.co.il
Subject: Yiddish language tapes

ikh hob letstns bakumen a heft fun "Barnes & Noble- books by mail", fun
arum 40 zaytn. oyf zayt 33, iz do an anons vegn lernen shprakhn, un
yidish vert ongegebn in der reshime. di serye heyst "Language/30", un
yidish iz eynen fun etlekh un draysik shprakhn. der kod far yidish iz
"1516541". der prayz vos vert ongegebn iz $16.95, far 2 kasetn mit an
frazn-bikhl. tsi ken emestert di serye bikhlal, un dem yidishn
lern-program bikhlal?

I've just received a 40 page list of books from "Barnes & Noble- books
by mail" which includes a listing of over 30 language audio-tape sets
for $16.95, for 2 cassettes and a phrase dictionary. Yiddish is listed
as item "1516541".

They tout: "Learn a Foreign Language Quickly...speak with the ease of a
native..." They also mention: "...it incorporates the 'speed-up' method
of language learning... used to train US government personnel..."

Does anyone know of the method, of the set of language tapes? Has anyone
heard the Yiddish tapes?

Leybl Botwinik
Netanya

4)----------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Jan 1997 12:01:01 +0100 (MEZ)
From: frankens@mail.uni-freiburg.de
Subject: Yankev

Irving D. Goldfein asks (6.195) about Yankev and its relation to the
hebrew Ya`akov. A naye klots-kashe!  It seems to me to go on the very
same lines as the case is with "khezhbm" and "yontef", just quite more
comprehensible. The vowel extension with guttural sound of the hebrew
_ayin_ finds no appropriate substitute other than the corruption through
the nasal _n_. The next step is from yankev to _Yankl_ and _Yankele_,
both much more in use than Yankev. The not very customary  alternative
is Yoykl or Yekl and yekele. By the way the _ayin_ of Yaakov is mostly
neglected in colloquial hebrew in Israel, where besides the yiddish
influenced Yankale we find also the alternatives Kobi and Kuba solving
the problem by completetely omitting the first syllable.

Ruben Frankenstein

5)----------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Jan 1997 15:13:46 +0200 (IST)
From: leybl@telecomm.tadiran.co.il
Subject: Yehoyash ovnt

der veltrat far yidisher kultur un der yidisher shrayber fareyn in
yisroyl farbetn aykh tsu der yehoyash akademye - 70 yor nokh zayn ptire.
dos vet forkumen donershtik dem 23stn yanuar, 1997 (tu bishvat), 17:00
nokh mitog, in beys leyvik, dov hoz 30, tel-aviv.

es nemen onteyl: yitskhok ganoz, prof' dov noy, prof' gershon vayner un
dem forzitser funem ovnt, mordkhe tsanin.

arayngang fray.

leybl botvinik
netanya

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End of Mendele Vol. 6.198