Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 09.011 June 6, 1999 1) Manger-premye (Avraham Nowersztern) 2) Manger-premye laureatn - bibliografie (Iosif Vaisman) 3) Modern Jewry and the Arts - Fellowships (Robert Freedman) 4) Yiddish Lectorship at Oxford (Dov-Ber Kerler) 5) Summer Yiddish institute in Kiev (Gershon Winer) 6) Anivus (Burton (Berel) Leiser) 7) Fusion language (Tsuguya Sasaki) 8) "Eugene Onegin" lyrics (Andrew Cassel) 9) Pushkin in Yiddish (Iosif Vaisman) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 2 Jun 1999 00:26:49 -0400 (EDT) From: "A. Nowersztern" Subject: Manger-premye Di Manger-premye vet farteylt vern af a fayerlekhn ovnt DONERSHTIK DEM 10TN YUNI, 18:30, in "Bet Sholem Aleykhem", I.D. Berkowitz 4, Tel Aviv (lebn Tel Aviver muzey). Di laureatn fun der premye dos yor zenen: Di zingerin Khave Albershteyn, di shrayberin Yente Mash, der forsher fun der yidisher literatur Prof. Dan Miron un der forsher fun yidish un yidisher sotsyo-lingvistik Prof. Shikl Fishman. In der kinstlerisher program vet zikh bateylikn Khave Albershteyn. Dos iz di seks un tsvantikste farteylung fun der Manger-premye, di prestizhfulste premye af yidish, vos iz geshafn gevorn in 1968. Der oylem vert hartsik farbetn zikh tsu bateylikn afn ovnt. Der arayngang iz fray. Avraham Nowersztern 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 6 Jun 1999 13:01:47 -0400 (EDT) From: Iosif Vaisman Subject: Manger premye laureatn - bibliografie Mendele congratulates the winners of the 1999 Manger Prize and posts a brief biblio- and discography of their works in and about Yiddish. Chava Alberstein Yiddish folk songs Columbia, 1967. CS 9509 Hobn mir a nigundl CBS Records, 1967. CBS 62929 Yiddish folk songs (with Mike Burstein) CBS Records, 1970. CBS 62960 Dos gezang fun Vilner Geto (with other performers) CBS Records, 1972. CBS 63345 Lomir ale zingen : Greatest Yiddish hits, no. 1 (with other performers) CBS Records, 1973. CBS 64842 Goldene lider : Greatest Yiddish hits, no. 2 (with other performers) CBS Records, 1973. CBS 64880 Margaritkelekh : Yiddish folk songs CBS Records, 1975. CBS 63603 NMC Music, 1994. NMC 20126-3 Khava zingt yidish CBS Records, 1979. CBS 83347 NMC Music, 1989. NMC 465115-2 The well (with Klezmatics) Xenophile, 1998. XENO 4052 Joshua Fishman ha-Sotsyologyah shel Yidish be-'Artsot : avar, hoveh ve-atid. Yerushalayim : ha-Makhon le-Yahadut zemanenu, 1973 Never say die! : a thousand years of Yiddish in Jewish life and letters The Hague ; New York : Mouton, 1981. 763 p. Ideology, society & language : the odyssey of Nathan Birnbaum Ann Arbor : Karoma Publishers, 1987. 284 p. Yiddish : turning to life Amsterdam ; Phildelphia : J. Benjamins, 1991. 522 p. Yente Mash Tif in der Tayge : dertseylungen Tel Aviv : Yisroel-bukh, 1990. 215 p. Meshaneh mokem : dertseylungen Tel-Aviv : Farlag Y.L. Perets, 1993. 262 p. Besaraber motivn : dertseylungen un dermonungen Tel-Aviv : Farlag Y.L. Perets, 1998. 269 p. Dan Miron A traveler disguised : the rise of modern Yiddish fiction in the nineteenth century New York, Schocken Books, 1973. 347 p. Syracuse, N.Y. : Syracuse University Press, 1996. 347 p. Ben hazon le-emet Yerushalayim : Mosad Bialik, 1979. 424 p. Der imazsh fun shtetl : dray literarishe shtudyes Tel-Aviv : Farlag Y.L. Perets, 1981. 286 p. Iosif Vaisman 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 27 May 1999 18:27:16 -0400 (EDT) From: Robert Freedman Subject: Modern Jewry and the Arts - Fellowships CENTER FOR ADVANCED JUDAIC STUDIES University of Pennsylvania Post Doctoral Fellowships 2000-2001 Application Deadline November 30, 1999 MODERN JEWRY AND THE ARTS Jewish involvement in the arts in the modern era has been remarkable, and an examination of this phenomenon is likely to yield rich and fascinating insights into many aspects of Jewish history and culture. The CAJS will devote its annual seminar to this theme. Among the questions it will consider are the following: What is the connection between Jewish identity and Jewish artistic creativity in modern times? How did the Jewish influx into the arts affect the evolution of modern Jewish culture, its aesthetic and spiritual concerns, and the relations between Jews and non-Jews? How are we to understand the evolution of such terms as "Jewish art" and "Jewish music"? How have Jews represented themselves in art, music, architecture, theater and film, and how have Jews been represented in these media by non-Jews? How have Jewish political, cultural, and religious organizations employed the arts in order to advance their own agendas? What has been the role of the arts in Jewish efforts to forge a collective memory and a "usable past"? How has the rediscovery by modern scholars of ancient and medieval Jewish art and musical traditions affected the development of modern Jewish art and culture? What is the significance of the role of Jews as patrons, critics, and scholars of the arts, and as consumers of "high" and "popular" culture? And what has been the place of theater and museums in disseminating Jewish culture and art? The seminar will concentrate on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries although subjects related to the early modern period may also be considered. It will focus on developments in Europe, the American continent, Palestine/Eretz Yisrael, and the State of Israel. Scholars of modern Jewish history and culture, as well as those outside the field who combine an interest in Jewish life with expertise in the fields of art, architecture, music, theater and film are invited to apply. Professional artists and musicians with scholarly interests and with a relevant scholarly project are also encouraged to apply. Outstanding graduate students in the final stages of writing their dissertations may also apply. Stipend amounts are based on a Fellow's academic standing and financial need with a maximum of $30,000 for the academic year. A contribution may also be made towards travel expenses. Application deadline is November 30, 1999. Awards will be announced on February 1, 2000. For application material and further information, write to: Secretary, Fellowship Program Center for Advanced Judaic Studies 420 Walnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19106 Telephone: 215-238-1290 * Fax: 215-238-1540 Email: allenshe@sas.upenn.edu Robert Freedman 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 28 May 1999 02:14:00 +0100 From: "Dov-Ber Kerler" Subject: YIDDISH LANGUAGE LECTORSHIP AT OXFORD OXFORD CENTRE FOR HEBREW AND JEWISH STUDIES LECTOR IN YIDDISH Applications are invited for the post of Lector in Yiddish. The primary responsibility of the Lector will be to teach Yiddish language for the one-year graduate course taught by the Centre for students registered for the Diploma in Jewish studies awarded by the University of Oxford. Teaching will be required at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. Applicants should be fully qualified in the spoken and written language. The salary will be #14,275. The appointment will take effect from 1 October 1999 and will be for nine months (one academic year). closing date for receipt of applications is 15 June 1999 F u r t h e r p a r t i c u l a r s LECTOR IN YIDDISH The Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies is the largest advanced teaching and research institute of Judaic studies in Europe. It is an independent institution associated with the University of Oxford. The Centre has an academic staff of thirteen Fellows who teach in various fields of Jewish studies for the University and for the one-year course taught by the Centre for students registered for the Diploma in Jewish Studies awarded by Oxford University. The Lector will teach Yiddish to students registered for the Diploma in Jewish Studies. He or she will be required to teach up to sixteen and a half hours a week to students with varying levels of prior knowledge of the language, as well as up to three hours a week in the University of Oxford. Applicants should be qualified in written and spoken Yiddish with native or near-native fluency. The appointment is full-time and the salary is #14,275. The appointment will be for nine months from 1 October 1999. The Centre's main buildings are at Yamton Manor, where much of its work and teaching takes place. It also has premises in Oxford. The Lector will be expected to reside in or near Oxford. All teaching which the post holder undertakes for the Centre=92s one-year course is conducted at Yamton Manor. Applications including a curriculum vitae and a brief sample of the candidate's written Yiddish should be sent directly to the Student Registrar by 15 June 1999. Applicants should also arrange for two academic referees to write directly to the Student Registrar by the same date. Interviews will be held during the week of 21 June 1999. The Student Registrar Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies Yarnton Manor Yarnton Oxford OX5 1PY United Kingdom Tel: +44-(0)1865-377946 ext. 109 Fax: +44-(0)1865-375079 e-mail: url:http://asocinst.ox.ac.uk/ochjs Dov-Ber Kerler 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 28 May 1999 06:26:29 -0400 (EDT) From: Nechama & Gershon Winer Subject: summer Yiddish institute The World Coundil on Yiddish Culture announces the tenth annual summer Institute on Yiddish and Yiddishkeit a three week program of intensified Jewish studies utilizing Yiddish as the medium of instruction and communication. Dates: July 20 to August 12, 1999. Place: Kiev, Ukraine--with classes, residence and dining facilities for all students and faculty on one campus. Faculty: Prof Dov Noy, Prof Gershon Winer, author Abraham Karpinovitz, Dr Naomi Fogelman, Dr Sarah Lapitzkia, Dr. Mordechai Yushkovsky -- from Israel; Rabbi Sidney Solomon, Ms Roth Kossover Solomon, Dr Sara Feinstein -- from U.S; Prof Martin Feller, Dr M. Derbaremdiker, musicologist Sergei Bengelsdorf -- from Eastern Europe Curriculum and Program: Yiddish language, Yiddish literature (including courses on Soviet Yiddish authors and course on the Israel Theme in Yiddish Literature) Jewish tradition and folkways, selections from Bible, Pirkei Avot, folklore, Yiddish folksongs and art songs; drama studio; field trips, Sabbath services and cultural events. All courses conducted in Yiddish. Cost: $850, which covers tuition, room and board (kosher), textbooks, and tours. Airfare extra. Admission requirements: below age 40, reading and speaking knowledge of Yiddish. Enrollment limited to 75 Registration: $100 fee applied toward tuition, payable by June 30, 1999. World Council for Yiddish Culture 30 Dov Hoz Street. P.O.B. 11676 Tel Aviv, 61116, Israel Further information: inquire by fax 972-3-523-0520 or email Winer@euronet.co.il Gershon Winer 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 21 May 1999 11:08:05 -0400 (EDT) From: BLeiser77@aol.com Subject: Anivus [Fun der Bobover Luakh:] Altz bokher hot kvod kdosho moron moreinu horav rav shloimeh zikhroi yogen oleinu gehot a getreyen khaver mit vemen er hot tzusamen gelernt b'khevrusoh fille yorn. Ober shpeter is der rebbe oysgevaksen tzu zein einer fun di gedoley un tzadikey hador mit a velt khasidim, un yener, khotsh er iz geven a groyser gaon un an oysgerufener rov, iz er ober kein rebbe bay khasidim nisht geven. Herendik di groyskeit fun zein yugnt-khaver velkher shpilt aza rizige role in der khsidisher velt, hot yener mekane geven der rebbe. Amol, ven er hot zikh tzuzamengetrofn mit der rebbe, hot yener gefregt, "Mir hobn dokh tzuzamen gelernt, mir zenen tzusamen oyfgetzoygn gevorn, un ver nokh vi ir veyst az ikh bin punkt vi aykh a talmid khokhm, a y'rey shomayim, an oyved hashem, un a yakhsn. Nu, farvos kumen tzu eikh a velt mit khasidim, un ikh bin nisht mer vi a shtetldiger rov on kein ein khosid?" Zogt oif dem der rebbe, "Es iz emes, ir zent a talmid khokhm un a y'rey shomayim nokh mer fun mir, un es vundert mir takeh farvos mentshn loyfn mir nokh un eikh nisht. Nor yetzt falt mir ein a shtikl teirutz, az efsher iz take dos gufo der taam, veil ikh shtey un vunder zikh hayitokhen ir zent nisht kein groyser rebbe un ir hot nisht kein khasidim un ikh hob yo, ir vider klert shtendig arein hayitokhen ikh hob yo khasidim un ikh bin a rebbe un ir nisht. Ot dos aleyn iz der teyrutz. Es vendet zikh vos der mentsch halt of zikh." Un heint, dermonen di khasidim, shteyt in der heilige toirah, "V'ho-ish Moishe onov m'od mikol ho-odom." As a boy, the holy Reb Shloime, may his memory protect us, had a close friend with whom he studied for many years. Later, however, the Rebbe grew to be one of the great and righteous men of his generation, with a world of hasidim. The other, despite the fact that he was a great scholar and a famous teacher, had no hasidim who considered him to be their rebbe. Upon hearing of the greatness of the friend of his youth, who was now playing such a central role in the hasidic world, he became exceedingly jealous. Once, when he met the rebbe, he asked, "We studied together, we grew up together, and who knows more than you that I am just as accomplished a scholar as you, just as pious, that I am a true servant of the Lord, and that I have a pedigree as well? So, why does the entire Hasidic world come to you while I am no more than a town rabbi without a single follower?" The rebbe responded, "It's true, you are indeed a great scholar and a pious man, far more than I. And I wonder why people run to me and not to you. But I have just thought of a bit of an answer to the question. Perhaps this itself is the reason: I stand in amazement and ask, 'Isn't it odd that you are not a great rebbe and have no hasidim, while I have?' While you are constantly wondering why you have no hasidim while I am a rebbe and have followers. This is indeed the answer: It all depends upon what a person thinks of himself." To which today's Hasidim add that the Torah teaches us that our greatest leader, Moishe Rabbenu, was the humblest of men. Burton (Berel) Leiser 7)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 29 May 1999 23:04:28 -0400 (EDT) From: "Tsuguya Sasaki" Subject: Fusion language Max Weinreich characterizes Yiddish as a fusion language in his _History of the Yiddish Language_. Modern Hebrew is also characterized as such by some researchers. Can anyone refer me to theoretical works dealing with this concept including its definition(s) and typology? Tsuguya Sasaki 8)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 1 Jun 1999 21:56:32 -0400 (EDT) From: "A.Cassel" Subject: "Eugene Onegin" lyrics My uncle reports that recently, while attending a performance of the Tchaikovsky opera "Eugene Onegin" in Detroit, he suddenly found himself flashing back to a memory of 60 years, hearing the voice of his father, my zeyde, singing to a tune found early in the opera's second act: zog mir nor lenski farvos geyt du nisht tantsn shteyst in a vinkl shmuest mitn vantsn He wonders if there ever was a Yiddish version of the libretto, or if we should conclude that der zeyde was doing his own off-the-cuff translation... Anyone have a clue? Andrew Cassel 9)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 6 Jun 1999 14:05:02 -0400 (EDT) From: Iosif Vaisman Subject: Pushkin in Yiddish di nakht iz broyn vi pushkins ponim... leyzer volf Andrew Cassel asked about the Yiddish translation of "Eugene Onegin". Incidentally, today is the 200th birthday of Onegin's author. Mendele joins the celebration with a selected bibliography of Yiddish translations of Pushkin's works. Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin (1799-1837) directly and indirectly influenced several generations of Yiddish poets, among them many translators of his poetry (see the bibliography). There are many Yiddish poems dedicated to Pushkin. This year marks another anniversary: the first full translation of "Eugene Onegin" by Aron Itskhok Grodzensky was published 80 years ago. The imprint of the first edition reads: "Katerinaslav: Farlag Visnshaft, 1919". In 1919 Katerinaslav (Russ. Ekaterinoslav, since 1926 - Dnepropetrovsk) was home to more than 70,000 Jews in the midst of the bloody Russian Civil War. Paper was an extremely scarce and strategic commodity, allocated exclusively for the handrolled cigarettes and leaflets of numerous fighting armies and militias of different colors: Red, White, Green (no, not the environmental movement), Yellow-and-Blue... Most of them did not display any signs of philosemitism. For the Jews, escaping the pogroms and finding bread for the children would seem to be the priority agenda items. Yet, somebody decides to publish the Yiddish translation of "Eugene Onegin", apparently knowing that there was a market for this book [1]. Where are you today, unknown to me publishers from the "Visnshaft"? Grodzensky's translation of "Yevgeni Onegin : roman in ferzn" was reprinted in Vilna by B. A. Kletskin in 1923. Yiddish translations of some other works are listed below: Dos goldene fishele Varshe : Aroysgegeben fun M. Birnboym un komp., 1914. 29 p. A mayse vegen a fisher un a fishele Nyu York : Farlag Yidish, 1919. 22 p. Tr. Nokhum Yerusalemchick A mayse mit a bas malke un zibn giboyrim Varshe : Kultur lige, 1922. 30 p. Tr. Leyb Neidus Poltave Vilna : farlag fun B. A. Kletskin, 1923. 71 p. Tr. Aaron Isaac Grodzenski Rusishe dikhtung Varshe : Farlag H. Bzshoza, 1926. 375 p. Tr. Leyb Neidus Mayselekh Kiyev : Melukhe-farlag far di natsyonale minderhaytn in usrr, 1936. 89 p. Tr. Ezra Fininberg Lider Buenos Ayres : G. Kaplanski, 1937. 47 p. Tr. Moises Konstantinovsky Geklibene shriftn Riga : Bilike bikher, 1937. 31 p. Fun Pushkins lirik Varshe : Shriftn, 1937. 46 p. Tr. Kalman Lis A maysele vegn dem fisher un dem goldenem fishele Varshe : Kinder fraynd, 1937. 16 p. Tr. Kalman Lis Belkins dertseylungen Varshe : Literarishe bleter, 1937. 86 p. Tr. David Hofstein and David Roichel A mayse vegn dem Tsar Soltan Moskve : Emes, 1937. 50 p. Tr. M. Fishman Der kuperner rayter Moskve : Emes, 1937. 49 p. Tr. Moyshe Khashchevatskii A maysehle vegn zibn giboyrim un a toyter bas malke Varshe : Farlag kinderfraynd, 1938. 16 p. Der moltsayt : in tsayt fun pest Moskve : Emes, 1939. 14 p. Der shtaynerner gast Moskve : Emes, 1939. 55 p. Mayses Moskve : Emes, 1940. 74 p. Tr. Ezra Fininberg Biographies and critics in Yiddish: V. Ya. Kirpotin, Aleksandr Sergeevitsh Pushkin Moskve : Emes, 1937. 158 p. Hayim Kleiman, Aleksandr Pushkin : Komentarn Bukarest : Farlag Yidish, 1937. 79 p. V. V. Veresaev, Pushkins lebn Kiyev : Melukhe-farlag far di natsyonale minderhaytn in usrr, 1938. 171 p. [1] In 1919 Farlag Visnshaft published at least three other books: Peretz Markish "Pust un pas", Hayim Eliezer Tshemerinski "Mesholim", and M. Bogdanov "Ot azoy lebt men oyf der vayser velt : a dertseylung fun an alte moyz". There was not much of other publishing activity in any language in Ekaterinoslav at that time. Iosif Vaisman ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 09.011 Address for the postings to Mendele: mendele@lists.yale.edu Address for the list commands: listproc@lists.yale.edu Mendele on the Web: http://mendele.commons.yale.edu http://metalab.unc.edu/yiddish/mendele.html