Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 09.025 August 30, 1999 1) Introduction (Octavian Mocanu) 2) Introduction (Harald Krause) 3) English translations in Mendele (Fred Sherman) 4) Yiddish courses (Saul Klarer) 5) Yiddish in Prague (Deirdre Bourke) 6) Maylos contact information (Hershl Goodman) 7) Summer Yiddish Scholars (Jim Feldman) 8) Pinkhes Minc (Aleksander) of Lodz (Robert Moses Shapiro) 9) Der rikhtiker zakh (Mel Poretz) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 15 Aug 1999 13:54:07 -0400 (EDT) From: "Adriana Mocanu" Subject: short autobiographical note Hello everyone, I am a Ph.D. graduate student at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, while performing my research in the neuroscience field. Although the area itself as well the thesis topic are extremely attractive, a reason to swallow up a great part of my time, I have directed my attention to the yiddish culture. And since your discussion group is concerned with the literature and language aspects, it seems to me the appropriate place to get in contact with. Some exciting subjects as to distinguish in which terms the confluence among the other lending cultures, e.g., hebrew, germanic, slavic or romanic ones had given birth to what at a certain moment of time was the non-unitary, but flourishing yiddish life, are worth to be mentioned here. Though it is far from being extinguished, methinks a certain marginalisation (and academicising) peril may heavily endanger the ongoing of the yiddish spirituality. Another reason I have joined the group is that I am still confident that by means of such news/discussion exchanges one can keep alive at least dos mame-loschn. Faithfully yours, Octavian Mocanu 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 11:11:00 -0400 (EDT) From: "Krause" Subject: New at Mendele Mazel tov, my name is Harald Krause - I want to introduce myself. My profession is to programme software and internet sites. But before I've studied in Tuebingen and in Prague theology and judaistics. In Tuebingen I had a very good and fascinating language course in yiddish. Now I want to learn more about yiddish literature and culture - and want to communicate with other yiddish-enthusiastic people. Harald Krause 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 14:10:38 -0400 (EDT) From: Fred Sherman Subject: English translations in Mendele I'd like to echo Lori Cahan-Simon's gratitude (09.023) to those who supply an English translation along with their Yiddish writings. You are of immense help to those of us who are at the level of perpetual struggle. I realize the time and effort it takes to perform this service. I am not requesting more of you to do the same, nor set any kind of expectation. Simply thanks so much to those "translators" out there. nokh a hartzikn dank, Fred Sherman 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 8 Aug 1999 11:43:29 -0400 (EDT) From: "Saul Klarer" Subject: Yiddish Many years ago as a child I went to a chedder where yiddish reading and writing was taught. While I can still converse in Yiddish have lost my knowledge of r&w Yiddish. Where can I obtain Yiddish primers or take courses to refresh the language. I need it for my genealogy searches as well general purposes? I live in the Montreal area. Saul Klarer 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 12:02:42 -0400 (EDT) From: Deirdre Bourke Subject: Yiddish in Prague I know very little about Yiddish, but can understand some of it through German, and am more and more interested in it. I have two questions: what does mishpokhe (if that's spelt right) mean? I'm living in Prague, does anyone know of any Yiddish publications/ anywhere here where I can get more information on Yiddish? Thank you! Deirdre Bourke 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 9 Aug 1999 02:21:25 -0400 (EDT) From: harold goodman Subject: Maylos contact information I am responding to Sylvia Schildt's request for the posting of contact information for Maylos. The address of the Hasidic Idish monthly Maylos is: 18 Suzanne Drive, Monsey, New York 10952. Telephone 914.425.3780. Subscriptions: $48 a year post paid. I have no other association with this journal other than being an avid reader. I highly recommend it for anyone interested in living, Hasidic Idish. The average issue runs about 50 pages including ads (which are also quite interesting for me). Hershl Goodman Burtonsville, Maryland 7)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 13 Aug 1999 00:36:36 -0400 (EDT) From: "James Feldman" Subject: Summer Yiddish Scholars On behalf of Yiddish of Greater Washington, I would like to inform Mendelyaners about the summer scholarship program we have begun in Washington, D.C., and to congratulate the recipients of this year's scholarships. The scholarships, in the amount of $1,000 each, were offered by Yiddish of Greater Washington on a competitive basis to any student who had taken a college-level Yiddish course in a college or university in Washington, D.C., and the surrounding area during the 1998-1999 school year and who wanted to continue Yiddish studies over the summer. The purpose of the summer scholarship program was to encourage local students, especially those who had just begun studying Yiddish, to take advantage of the many opportunities to deepen and enrich their Yiddish studies over the summer. The recipients of the scholarships were Ethan Kraus and Lisa Singer, both of the University of Maryland. Mr. Kraus used the scholarship to attend the Oxford Summer program in Yiddish, and Ms. Singer used it to pursue an independent study program in Yiddish, supervised by Prof. Miriam Isaacs of the University of Maryland. Jim Feldman 8)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 15 Aug 1999 21:53:41 -0400 (EDT) From: Robert Shapiro Subject: Pinkhes Minc (Aleksander) of Lodz I have translated the Yiddish memoir, _Lodzh in mayn zikorn_ (Buenos Aires, 1958), by Pinkhes Minc (Aleksander; 1895-1962). Can anyone help me in locating any heirs? Minc (Mints) was from a Gerer family in Lodz (related to the manufacturer Jakub Wojdyslawski) and was a clerk with the Jewish community board there during the years before World War I. Minc eventually became a Bundist, a founder of the Kombund, a Communist who rejected Stalinism in the early 1930s, and returned to the Bund. A political prisoner in Poland, he emigrated to Paris where he edited and wrote for Bundist Yiddish newspapers before, during and after the German occupation. In the early 1950s, he emigrated to Buenos Aires to continue his career as a Bundist journalist and editor. Minc died in March 1962, as he prepared to emigrate to Israel, where his only son was a kibbutznik. I have heard that the son died without immediate heirs in the 1970s. Anyone with suggestions or information is requested to contact me directly at rmshapiro@juno.com. Thanks in advance. Robert Moses Shapiro New York, NY 9)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 17 Aug 1999 10:48:25 -0400 (EDT) From: EMPE@aol.com Subject: Der rikhtiker zakh I am midway through a project of collecting usable recordings of Yiddish songs that were sung by our own mothers and aunts, etc. I will include them in a CD that is scheduled for release next Spring. Some of my friends were fortunate enough (as I was) to have recorded our mothers, mostly acappella, though in some cases with piano or guitar accompaniment, singing songs that are charming or that tug at your heartstrings, or both. If your mother or aunt, etc., left behind a reasonably clear recording on any recording medium, please consider sending it to me for evaluation. If I can't use it, I will return it promptly with thanks. If I can, I will submit a brief contract outlining royalty terms and further details about the project. Write my e-mail address if your might be interested and I'll reply with my mailing address. I want this to be an authentic and inspiring album of Yiddish songs, not one done by professional opportunists, that will be rendered by the people who were near and dear to us. Mel Poretz ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 09.025 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