Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 09.030 October 4, 1999 1) 1999-2000 YIVO Fellowships (Edward Portnoy) 2) a frisher numer Lebns-Fragn (Itzhak Luden) 3) Gezukht: material tsum zhurnal Der Bavebter Yid (Sholem Berger) 4) "Akht Teg Pesach" (Ruth Rischall) 5) quote by Sholom Aleichem (Robert Waife) 6) duln a spodek (Lucas Bruyn) 7) khaiku vegn Floyd, der hurigan (Marjorie/Mirl Schonhaut Hirshan) 8) "kitkeh" as used by south african litvaks (mendel katz) 9) A Sukele? (Jonathan Bellman) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 30 Sep 1999 09:57:47 -0400 (EDT) From: noy@panix.com Subject: 1999-2000 YIVO Fellowships YIVO Institute for Jewish Research 1999-2000 FELLOWSHIPS Prof. Bernard Choseed Memorial Fellowship This fellowship helps support original research in the field of East European Jewish Studies. The fellowship, which carries a stipend of $5,000, is for a period of one to three months during the Spring semester of 2000 to conduct research at YIVO's Library and Archives. The recipient is expected to lead a minimum of two YIVO faculty seminars. Rose and Isidore Drench Memorial Fellowship This fellowship is dedicated to American Jewish History. Special consideration will be given to scholars working on some aspect of the Jewish Labor Movement. The fellowship is for a period of one to three months during 2000, and carries a stipend of $2,000. Aleksander and Alicja Hertz Memorial Fellowship This fellowship helps support research on Polish-Jewish history in the modern period, particularly Jewish-Polish relations and Jewish contributions to Polish literature and culture. The fellowship, which carries a stipend of $1,500, is for a period of one three months during 2000. Vivian Lefsky Hort Memorial Fellowship This fellowship helps support original research in the field of Yiddish Literature. The fellowship, which carries a stipend of $1,500, is for a period of one to three months during 2000 to conduct research at YIVO's Library and Archives. Abraham and Rachela Melezin Fellowship This fellowship helps support research on Jewish educational networks in pre-war Vilna and the Vilna region. The fellowship, which carries a stipend of $1,500, is for a period of one to three months during 2000 to conduct research at YIVO's library and archives. Natalie and Mendel Racolin Memorial Fellowship This fellowship helps support original research in the field of East European Jewish History. The fellowship, which carries a stipend of $1,500, is for a period of one to three months during the Spring semester of 2000 to conduct research at YIVO's Library and Archives. Maria Salit-Gitelson Tell Memorial Fellowship This fellowship helps support original research in the field of Lithuanian Jewish History, the city of Vilnius in particular. The fellowship, which carries a stipend of $1,500, is for a period of one to three months during the Spring semester of 2000 to conduct research at YIVO's Library and Archives. Irving D. Klein Memorial Fellowship This fellowship is designated to support research in the history of Yiddish education in America. The fellowship carries a stipend of $1,500 to conduct research at YIVO's Library and Archives for a period of one to three months during 2000. RECIPIENTS OF THESE FELLOWSHIPS are expected to deliver a public lecture based on their research and submit a paper for possible YIVO publication. Applicants should send (or fax) a resume, two letters of support, and a research proposal of no more that three pages to: Dr. Lisa Epstein, Director of Research YIVO Institute for Jewish Research 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011 TEL: (212) 246-6080 FAX: (212) 292-1892 Postmark deadline: December 1, 1999 N.B. - Applicants should apply for ONLY one fellowship. Preference will be given to projects requiring the use of YIVO's Library and Archives. Edward Portnoy 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 01:55:32 -0400 (EDT) From: "luden" Subject: a frisher numer Lebns-Fragn A nayer numer "lebns-Fragn" far september-oktober 1999 is norvos aroys fun druk. Dos is a fargreserter numer (28 zaytn) mit a raykhn un interesantn inhalt, lemoshl: "der onhoyb fun dem sof?"; "tashas - dos yor fun shas"; vos andere shraybn; Di andere zayt fun der matbeye; 2ter opshnit fun prof' Artur Lermers serie vegn der globaler ekonomie; a vizit in Shvedn; retzenzyes fun bikher; lider fun Sholem Berger, Sasha Top un Dobke Apelovitch; nayes fun der yidisher kultur-velt etc. tsu bashteln un abonirn: "Lebns-Fragn" 48 Kalisher St. Tel-Aviv 65165, ISRAEL tel. 03-517 6764; fax: 3-571 4010. Itzhak Luden 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 4 Oct 1999 10:36:37 -0400 (EDT) From: Sholem Berger Subject: Gezukht: material tsum zhurnal Der Bavebter Yid Der kumediker numer fun vebzhurnal "Der bavebter yid" darf aroys biz sof oktober/onheyb november. Di redaktsye zukht derfar kolerley zakhn -- poezye, beletristik, eseyen, zikhroynes, vi oykh redes, droshes, forshungen, ophandlungen, retsenzyes, u"a -- abi me hot zey in ergets nokh nisht gedrukt. Manuskriptn darf men shikn afn adres (blits- tsi shleppost) do untn. Mir kukn aroys af yeder zakh! Redaktsye, Der Bavebter Yid http://www.cs.uky.edu/~raphael/bavebter Sholem Berger, literarisher redaktor/ Refoyl Finkel, tekhnisher redaktor Sholem Berger New York NY 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1999 15:21:57 -0400 (EDT) From: Rrischall@aol.com Subject: "Akht Teg Pesach" The article about Isaac Bashevis Singer was very interesting. A number of years ago Singer came to the Twin Cities to give a lecture. I had the opportunity to speak to him. I told him that although I enjoyed his books in English, I longed to read him in Yiddish. He suggested that I subscribe to the Forverts. And I did. I read some serialized novels. The last story was called "Akht Teg Pesach" (Eight Days of Passover) The setting was historical and the hero was a young rabbi, in trouble with his congregation. On the night of the first seder somebody leaves a dead child on his doorstep and the rabbi is charged with the murder. He is arrested and tortured. Then the story breaks off. The newspaper announces that the story will be finished later. A year or two later the author died. So I wonder, did he finish the story? Your article suggests that We will never know. Ruth Rischall 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 17 Sep 1999 15:56:30 -0400 (EDT) From: "Robert Waife" Subject: quote by Sholom Aleichem Allan Dershowitz in his book "Vanishing American Jew" has a quote by Sholom Aleichem. The line (in Dershowitz's book) goes "If one is unemployed, he is free to knock his head against the wall", and apparently comes out of a larger piece called "Free". Does anyone know the origin of this? Robert Waife 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 18 Sep 1999 16:16:37 -0400 (EDT) From: Marion Troia/Lucas Bruyn Subject: duln a spodek in Mendele Vol. 09.027 Jason Payne asks about the origin of "dulen a spodek" [sic] The dictionary gives: spodek/spodik der - high fur cap [Pol. saucer] a ... dreyen: bother, annoy In Sh. A's "Motl" I found: "duln a spodek un dreyen a moyekh" One would expect: "dreyen a spodek un duln a moyekh", which is, wherever and whenever it originated, quite graphic. I imagine it means something like: he stood their fumbling his hat and drove me nuts. The changing place of the two verbs would be for comic effect. My guess. Lucas Bruyn. 7)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 20 Sep 1999 14:20:51 -0400 (EDT) From: Marjorie Hirshan Subject: khaiku vegn Floyd, der hurigan beyze vintn, vild dos vaser, funm reboynesheloylem a pogrom Marjorie/Mirl Schonhaut Hirshan Boynton Beach, oy, Florida 8)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 26 Sep 1999 20:05:17 -0400 (EDT) From: "rabbi mendal & sherill" Subject: "kitkeh" as used by south african litvaks although i have spoken with yiddish speakers in the U.S.A. ,CANADA ,ISRAEL i have not heard the usage of the word "kitkeh" inplace of "challa" for shabberav mendelsdikeh bread.i include litvakkes. neither was iable to get an explanation of origin. is there any reader of mendele with information about this? if it is RUSSIAN in origin why was it only carried to and used in south africa by litvishe yidden? dos iz myne fraggeh, un ich volt zayer gefrayt eib ich volt gekent kriggen an entfer oyf dem. mendel katz 9)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 29 Sep 1999 22:55:35 -0400 (EDT) From: character Subject: A Sukele? Tayre Mendelyaner, A friend forwards this description, by Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, of the song "A Sukele": "One of my favorite Yiddish songs, which I sing during every sukah meal, is called A Sukele. It tells the story of a young girl who warns her father that the winds are heavy and the sukele is about to collapse. 'Don't be foolish and don't be upset,' the father responds. 'There have been almost 2,000 years of ominous winds, and our sukele has managed to prevail.'" I know nothing of this song, nor how to find it. Can any Mendelyaner help? A dank in faroys. Jonathan Bellman Greeley, Colorado ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 09.030 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