Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 09.019 July 16, 1999 1) brief introduction (Silvia Paveggio) 2) New Israeli Education Minister (Sylvia Schildt) 3) Bof'l (Zalman Itzik (Sheldon I.) Clare) 4) The phrase "trowing a hate" (Richard Blumenthal) 5) A shprakh-shayle af Rashi (sholem berger) 6) The name Stambler (Rick Gildemeister) 7) Yiddish printing type (Hershl Goodman) 8) Agadaic literature (David Herskovic) 9) Di Toyte Hasidim (Perets Mett) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 5 Jul 1999 05:20:11 EDT Sender: sot3032@iperbole.bologna.it Subject: brief introduction First off all I have to inform you that I am not a scholar. 10 years ago I took a University Degree in English Literature and Language but, at the moment and in the future too, my job has nothing to do with literature. I am a subscriber with very passive intentions. I mean that I will hardly have anything interesting to write to the mail list. My interest in Yiddish culture started when, much more than 10 years ago, I attended a course about Bernard Malamud's works, held by Prof Guido Fink, then teaching Anglo-American Literature at Bologna University (Italy). Until few years ago, I had few occasions to know more about Jewish communities in east Europe - I red works by Joseph Roth, Isaak Singer, Elie Wiesel, Sholem An-Ski, Salomon Maimon. Later I attended many Klezmer music concerts and I have "fallen in love" with it. I also loved the Yiddish theatre performances I could attend until now (i.e. "Yiddish dream" by the Israeli Yiddish Theatre, and plays by Moni Ovadia - a Bulgarian-Italian author/script-writer/singer/actor/musician). Best regards, Silvia Paveggio Bologna - Italy 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 3 Jul 1999 16:54:41 -0400 (EDT) From: Sylvia Schildt Subject: New Israeli Education Minister Der nayer minister fun hinukh in yisroyl is yossi sarid, forzitz fun meretz partey. The new minister of education in Israel is Yossi Sarid, Chairman of the Meretz Party. Er iz a Khaver HaKnesset aykh itz. He is currently a member of Knesset as well. Me ken im oysforshn un dergreykhn afn internetz. He can be researched and reached on the internet (cf sarid@knesset.gov.il. ) Efsher iz kiday az mir mendelyaner zoln im shraybn un makhn eyfmerkzam afn greys umyoysher vos yidish hot sheyn durkhgemakht un vos er ken ton. Parhaps it would be worthwhile for us mendelyaner to make him aware of the great injustice that yiddish has already endured and what he can do. Ikh hob im sheyn geshribn un bet az andere zoln tzuleygn a hant in dem inyen. I have already written him and ask that others should roll up their sleeves in this matter. sylvia schildt 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 25 Jun 1999 09:14:23 -0400 (EDT) From: Sheldon Clare Subject: Bof'l When my mother (aleva sholem) used to go to the fish market, she would often purchase "bof'l". I believe it is a generic term for any edible fish. Am I correct in my assumption and what is its origin? A shaynem dank un a zissn Shabbes. Zalman Itzik (Sheldon I.) Clare 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 13 Jul 1999 16:16:15 -0400 (EDT) From: rlb4@columbia.edu Subject: The phrase "trowing a hate" My mother, who came to the United States at the age of three, and grew up in a Yiddish speaking household on the lower east side at the turn of the century, was fluent in Yiddish, although she considered English her first language, used the phrase "Throwing a hate" on someone, to indicate an irrational dislike of someone that was usually irreversible. I have always thought that it is a loose translation of a Yiddish idiom. Does any one have thoughts about this? Richard Blumenthal 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 11:12:47 -0400 (EDT) From: Sholem Berger Subject: A shprakh-shayle af Rashi Rashi makht af seyfer dvorim, perek gimel, posek teys ("...vehoemoyri yikru-loy snir"): "snir hu sheleg beloshn ashkenaz uveloshn kenan." taytsh "snir iz shney af loshn ashkenaz un loshn kenan." a por frages: far vos taytsht er "snir" vi "shney" ven "snir" iz mit a sin un shney mit a shin? shoyn zhe iz Rashi geven a litvak? far vos brengt er di lazishe leshoynes? faran andere erter in Rashi vu er brengt zey? vos hot Rashi gemeynt dermit, "ashkenaz" un "kenan"? tsi nitst er di verter loyt Vaynraykhs definitsyes (oyb nitstn an anakhronizm)? sholem berger 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 15 Jul 1999 23:55:22 -0400 (EDT) From: Riquili@aol.com Subject: The name Stambler Recently I met a man with a rather unusual Jewish name, and I wonder whether that name, Stambler, means "person from Istambul". I know that the name Rimlander means "person from Rumelia"; is this name Stambler also a Yiddish name of Balkano-Turkic origin? Any help on this would be much appreciated. Rick Gildemeister 7)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 13 Jul 1999 19:52:33 -0400 (EDT) From: harold goodman Subject: Yiddish printing type I am searching for printing type in Yiddish or Hebrew. This type will be used to print in these languages on a letterpress. I am arranging to have wooden type created in these languages and, eventually, hope to have a Yiddish letterpress shop available for doing quality letterpress printing. Hershl Goodman 8)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 16 Jul 1999 06:56:42 -0400 (EDT) From: David Herskovic Subject: Agadaic literature The National Yiddish Book Centre has two collections of Agadaic literature: one by Bialik and Rawnitzki and one by Zevin. Could someone familiar with both please advise me which one is better written and which is more suitable for younger children. Also did Bialik write his collection in Yiddish or is it a translation of his famous Hebrew work? a shaynem dank, David Herskovic 9)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 16 Jul 1999 07:59:17 -0400 (EDT) From: Percy Mett Subject: Di Toyte Hasidim David Assaf asked about the term "Di Toyte Hasidim", "which was definitely used by the opponents of Braslav as a term of disgrace and as a curse". I can't answer David Assaf's query about the first occurrence of the phrase di toyte khsidem But I have never understood it as a curse! khas vesholem. The phrase refers of course to the fact that there were only two Braslaver Rebbes (Reb Nakhmen and Reb Nosen) after which time the khsidem had to make do with a toytn rebn - hence toyte khsidim. Perets Mett ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 09.019 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