Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 07.077 October 15, 1997 1) Food in songs (Bob Rothstein) 2) A story of Chelm (Louis Fridhandler) 3) a Mase....! (Mendy Fliegler) 4) Davenen-dabern (Morris Feller) 5) davenen/dabern (A. Manaster Ramer) 6) finger in fist superstition (Mikhoyel Basherives) 7) superstitions (David Sherman) 8) Jewish Heritage Society information bulletin (Igor Zlochevsky) 9) rhymes/tongue-twisters (Reuven Fraser) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 13 Oct 1997 15:54:22 -0400 (EDT) From: ROBERT A ROTHSTEIN Subject: Food in songs Here are a few more songs involving food, Adolf King's "Oy, iz dos a rebetsn" (which needs to be sung in theater [i.e., SE] Yiddish for the rhymes to work) and two folk songs. I've capitalized the food references. Bob Rothstein ======================= DI MAME KOKHT VARENIKES Di mame kokht VARENIKES, un ikh bin gor fleyshik; derze ikh a sheyn meydele, krig ikh tsu ir kheyshek. La-la, la-la, la-la-la, la-la, la-la, la-la-la! Mir gefelt dos meydele, mayn mame in der mit; ikh hob lib dos meydele, mayn mame vil dokh nit. Sheyn iz dos meydele, vi di gantse velt. Nor a khesorn hot zi dokh, zi hot dokh nit keyn gelt. Gelt iz dokh kaylekhdik, es koyklt zikh avek; nem ikh mir mayn meydele un for mit ir avek. Ikh for mit ir avek in der shtot Ades; ikh shtel mit ir a khupe in eyn mes-les. OY, DI REBETSN Sha-sha, es zol zayn shtil, der rebe geyt fun shul, sha-sha, er iz shoyn do in a guter sho. Sha-sha, nor, khsidim, zet, di rebetsn, zi geyt, sha-sha, nor, kukt aykh ayn vi zi shmeykhlt fayn. Oy, di rebetsn, oy, iz dos a rebetsn, vi zi geyt azoy breyt fun der shul aheym. Khasidimlekh, talmidimlekh tantsn, zingen kegn ir, oy, iz dos a rebetsn, aza yor oyf mir! Groys un kleyn, zol zi zeyn, vi a PURIM-KOYLETSH sheyn. Oy, iz dos a rebetsn, aza yor oyf mir! Sha-sha, nor, khsidim, hert, oy-oy, der rebe klert, a naye zemerl, oy, vet dos zayn gut. Sha-sha, der rebe zingt, ay-ay, di koyse klingt, sha-sha di rebetsn zingt es mit im mit. Oy, di rebetsn, oy, iz dos a rebetsn, vi zi geyt azoy breyt fun der shul aheym. Khasidimlekh, talmidimlekh tantsn, zingen kegn ir, oy, iz dos a rebetsn, aza yor oyf mir! A toyrele, a boyrele, zi shaynt vi a menoyrele, oy, iz dos a rebetsn, aza yor oyf mir! Sha-sha, es vert shoyn nakht, der rebe kidesh makht, sha-sha, nor, khsidim hert mit kavone fayn. Sha-sha, men trogt tsum tish ay-ay, GEFILTE FISH, sha-sha, di rebetsn teylt ayedn ayn. Oy, di rebetsn, oy, iz dos a rebetsn, vi zi geyt azoy breyt fun der shul aheym. Khasidimlekh, talmidimlekh tantsn, zingen kegn ir, oy, iz dos a rebetsn, aza yor oyf mir! A tsatskele, a shprintsele, a MILKHEDIKE BLINTSELE, oy, iz dos a rebetsn, aza yor oyf mir! Sha-sha, nor, khsidim, shat, der rebe iz shoyn zat, sha-sha, der rebe bentsht mit hislaves hoykh. Sha-sha, der rebe tantst, bay im di oygn glantst, sha-sha, di rebetsn tantst dokh mit im oykh. Oy, di rebetsn, oy, iz dos a rebetsn, vi zi geyt azoy breyt fun der shul aheym. Khasidimlekh, talmidimlekh tantsn, zingen kegn ir, oy, iz dos a rebetsn, aza yor oyf mir! A peysekhdike krigele vi a LOKSHN-KIGELE, oy, iz dos a rebetsn, aza yor oyf mir! HOP, MAYNE HOMENTASHN Yakhne Dvoshe fort in shtot, zi halt zikh in eyn pakn, zi darf oyf purim koyfn mel HOMENTASHN bakn. Hop, mayne HOMENTASHN, hop, mayne vayse, hop, mit mayne HOMENTASHN hot pasirt a mayse. S'geyt a regn, s'geyt a shney, s'kapet fun di dekher. Yakhne firt shoyn kornmel in a zak mit lekher. Yakhne trogt shoyn shalakhmones tsu der mome Yente, tsvey-dray shvartse HOMENTASHN, halb roy, halb farbrente. 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 13 Oct 1997 19:06:40 -0400 (EDT) From: Lfridhan@aol.com Subject: A story of Chelm [English follows] Ikh vel dertseyln a mayse fun der barimter shtetl khelm. Ikh hob es gehert ober keynmol nisht geleynt tvishn di bakante mayses fun khelm. Di mayse derkelert azoyns: oyb di khlemer yidn laydn fun farshtopte kep, hobn zey, eygntlekh, gute, vareme, tsarte hertser. Amol iz geven a khelmer yid vos zayn shtele iz geven zeyer a poshete. Er hot zikh oyfgekhapt fun shlof gants fri, kayor, un iz arumgegangen ibern shtetl. Af di lodns fun ale hayzer hot er shtark ongeklapt un gemakht a hilkhik liarem, a gepilder. Farvos? Azoy hot er oyfgevekt ale yidn fun shtetl zey zoln geyn in shul arayn davnen. Dos hot er geton yorn lang, yorn mit yorn. Derfun hot er gemakht a lebn. Nu, nokh a sakh yorn iz er gevorn zeyer alt, un di arbet iz gevorn far im zeyer, zeyer shver, kemot tsu shver. Di khelmer yidn hobn moyre gehat az bald, bald vet der alter yid mer nisht hobn koyekh genug arumtsushpatsirn ibern shtetl. Ober er hot gemuzt zeyer neytik hobn a shtele, er zol kholile nisht shtarbn far hunger. Nu, vos tut men? Di khelmer khakhomim hobn zikh tsunoyfgeklibn haltn an eytse, getrakht un getrakht: "Vos far an arbet ken er ton?" Plutsem iz eyner aroyfgeshprungen afn tish un hot gezogt, "Lomir ale trinken a koyse, vayl ikh hob far aykh a fayne eytse. Oyb der alter yid ken mer nisht arumgeyen ibern shtetl onklapn af undzere lodns veln mir ale brengen undzere lodns tsu im in zayn shtibele un dort vet er kenen klapn un klapn gezunterheyt!" This story about the famous townlet of Chelm is one I've heard, but never read among the well-known tales of this town. The story illustrates that if the Jews of Chelm are blockheads, they, in fact, have kind, warm, and sympathetic hearts. Once there was a Jew of Chelm whose job was a simple one. He woke very early, and went around town. He knocked very hard on the shutters of every house, very hard, made a loud noise. Why? That's how he woke up all the Jews in town so that they should go to shul to pray. He did this for years and years. It was his living. Well, after many years he became very old, and the work became hard for him, almost too hard. The Jews of Chelm were afraid that very soon he would no longer have enough strength to walk about the town. However, he had to have a job so that, God forbid, he should not die of hunger. What could be done? All the wise men of Chelm came to hold a meeting to think of a solution. They thought and thought about what work the old man could do. Then, suddenly, one of them jumped on the table and said, "Let's drink a toast! I have a fine solution for you! If the old man can no longer go around town to knock on our shutters, then we will each bring our shutters to _his_ house. And there, he'll be able to knock on them in the best of health!" Louis Fridhandler 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 14 Oct 1997 00:03:45 -0200 From: emenems@juno.com (Mendy Fliegler) Subject: a Mase....! Ikh vet zeyr gevolt take visn, a vi Reb Herskovic hot zikh oysgelernt aza tifn Galitzyanish!!? Un fun vanent kimt aza maanse [7.076]? Mendy Fliegler 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 13 Oct 1997 21:49:53 -1000 From: feller@indirect.com (Morris Feller) Subject: Davenen-dabern In Mendele 07.076, elye pavlevsky asks about "davenen-dabern". In the song "A khasndl oyf shabbos", the wagon driver describes how the khasn davened by saying: "Oy, hot er gedabert!" Morrie Feller Phoenix 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 14 Oct 1997 09:18:44 -0400 (EDT) From: manaster@umich.edu Subject: davenen/dabern Elye Palevski suggests that davenen could be related to dabern, but this is just not possible. Yiddish verbs of Hebrew origin are really quite faithful to the Hebrew forms, and you cannot suddenly lose an /r/ or change /b/ to /v/. And then there is the meaning. And I really do think that trying to do etymology without linguistics is like trying to build a suspension bridge without engineering or send an expedition to the moon without astronomy. A. Manaster Ramer 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 14 Oct 1997 09:29:58 -0700 From: Mikhoyel Basherives Subject: finger in fist superstition I read with interest the following by Paul Ilie: "...squeezing the thumb between the fingers tightened into a fist and motioning to the door after a visitor left one's dwelling place. Sometimes both hands were used if the visitor's (usually admiring) words were especially feared." I once visited my employer's home with the entire studio crew for dinner. Her elderly & somewhat senile mother was present during the evening. She spoke no English & we really did not understand eachother much with her speaking German & my speaking Yiddish. They are not Jewish. I always wondered since that night exactly what happened as we all bid them goodbye at the front door. As I shook hands with the mother I found her hand clenched in the above-described manner which made handshaking very awkward. She retained her hand in this position (I wondered if she were pointing slightly toward us or me) until my boss noticed it & promptly & very annoyed reprimanded her mother in German "Mutti! Stop doing that right now! Stop it!" and physically undid her mother's hand twice as the old lady tried to recreate the fist with finger. I asked my boss what she had been doing & with an annoyed furrowed brow she did not respond & deflected my question... Now I have a clue as to what may have been going on. I have found other folk superstitions that I thought were uniquely Byelorussian Jewish in my family to be shared by my German Gentile neighbor who is my age who was also partly reared by a great grandmother. Mikhoyel Basherives 7)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 13 Oct 1997 23:41:21 -0400 From: "David M. Sherman" Subject: superstitions "Gay nisht iber im (ir), er (zi) vet nisht vaksn!" My wife grew up with this one and still practices it. If I step over one of our kids, I have to step back over them, or she gets very upset. I thought it was just her family, but a couple of years ago I was waiting at our pediatrician's office with one of the kids, and stepped over a baby who was playing on the floor in the waiting room. The father very apologetically asked me to step back over the child, saying his wife would be very upset otherwise. (And she wasn't even there.) David Sherman Toronto 8)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 07 Oct 1997 18:59:41 From: Jewish Heritage Society Subject: JHS information bulletin INFORMATION BULLETIN OF JEWISH HERITAGE SOCIETY The Jewish Heritage Society's quarterly Bulletin contains information on: - current events in academic Judaic Studies, mostly devoted to research in Jewish History in Eastern Europe, including conferences, seminars, academic programs, exhibitions; - research work of the Society's members such as surveys of archival work, research proposals, publications in preparation; - annotated surveys and reviews of recent research publications in Jewish history and culture. The Bulletin also includes the following sections designed to introduce scholars in the former Soviet Union to academic Judaic studies worldwide: - academic Judaic Studies on the Internet - compilations from electronic mailing lists devoted to Judaica, information from WWW home pages of Jewish research institutions and libraries; - research institutions specializing in Jewish Studies including information on research centers, archives and libraries engaged in the study of the Jewish past in Eastern Europe. Along with other JHS publications the Bulletin contributes to the development of information exchange among scholars and to creation of links and cooperation within international research community. To recive printed copy of the JHS Information bulletin on the regular basis, please send your subscription request to the Society's address through regular or electronic mail. Back issues of the bulletin are available on the JHS web site at http://www.glasnet.ru/~heritage Published Bulletins (available on the JHS web site): - Judaica in the CIS and Worldwide. The JHS information bulletin, in Russian: 1994 - 1 issue, 1995 - 2 issues, 1996 - 1 issue, 1997 - 1 issue (not available on the Web). - Jewish Studies and Higher Education. Information bulletin of the JHS and Center "Sefer", in Russian with some materials in English: 1996 - 2 issues. Jewish Heritage Society is an independent scholarly institution for the development and coordination of research in history and culture of the Jewish people in the Russian Empire and the USSR, documenting and preservation of the Jewish historical legacy. Address: Russia 117449 Moscow, Novocheremushkinskaya Ul., 1/14-3-12 Telephone: 7-095-503-78-45 E-mail: heritage@glasnet.ru Web site: http://www.glasnet.ru/~heritage/ Igor Zlochevsky 9)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 15 Oct 1997 08:22:03 -0400 (EDT) From: Gruvnruvn1@aol.com Subject: rhymes/tongue-twisters Im reading about dialects and was hoping someone would share some "rhymes/tongue-twisters/shiboleths" for the different dialects, something along the line of the Bostonian "park your car in the Harvard yard" or New "Joy"sey's "dirty girdie murphy she really was a bird she lived on 32 st right next to 33rd/toity toid". One of the few I can remember is a "shagus hot geshosen a shikse oyfn shabas" with a Litvak pronouncing the sh as s, and the s as sh. A hartsiken/guten/shaynen dank, un a gitn/gutn tug/tog. Reuven Fraser ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 07.077 Mendele on the Web: http://mendele.commons.yale.edu http://sunsite.unc.edu/yiddish/mendele.html