Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 09.046 December 6, 1999 1) nayster numer bavebter yid (Sholem Berger, Refoyl Finkel) 2) Additions to Mendele's home page (Noyekh Miller) 3) Velt-Konferenz (Mordechai Yushkovsky) 4) Symposium for Yiddish Studies in Germany (Marion Aptroot) 5) Intensive Yiddish course for advanced students, March 2000 (Holger Nath) 6) Gender in Lodzher Yiddish (Mikhl Herzog) 7) Abraham Shulman's manuscripts (Troim Katz Handler) 8) Yosl Cotler (David Mazower) 9) Yosl Cotler (Roberta Newman) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 18 Nov 1999 08:47:34 -0500 (EST) From: raphael@cs.uky.edu (Raphael Finkel) Subject: nayster numer bavebter yid ayer khaneke-matone|le -- DER BAVEBTER YID 4:1 yidisher literarisher vebzhurnal http://www.cs.uky.edu/~raphael/bavebter In dem numer: A por naye lider fun BEYLE SHEKHTER-GOTESMAN. dos lebn fun a vaser-treger vert bashribn fun FISHL LIBERMAN. KHANE KLEYNE shikt undz a meldung fun der yidish-konferents in trir. GOMULKA -- der ershter teyl fun a historisher mayse. ... un nisht-farbetene meynungen fun REDAKTSYE. agev ir hot ibergekukt di ale alte numern? kumt tsu gast! Sholem Berger, sholemberger@hotmail.com, bergez01@med.nyu.edu literarisher redaktor Refoyl Finkel, raphael@cs.uky.edu tekhnisher redaktor 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 05 Dec 1999 20:09:50 -0500 From: Norman Miller Subject: Additions to Mendele's home page Not long ago readers were promised that the texts on The Mendele Review's web page would be speedily "restored" from their romanized form into alef-beys. While the conversion took longer than expected, almost all of them are now ready. For your convenience they're available for browsing at http://www2.trincoll.edu/~mendele/read.htm. (This page is still being built and I hope that readers will overlook its crude appearance.) Most of the PDF files are "first generation" and they're huge. Matt Fisher, a man of many talents, taught me how to achieve both a neater appearance and much smaller file-size. Some of these second generation files have replaced the older ones. See for instance Rokhl Korn's "fun yenem zayt lid" or Alter Kacyzne's "der shidekh in partsev". More recently, Yannis Haralambous, a friend of Mendele and a professional typesetter, has volunteered to convert our Yiddish texts using book-quality fonts. Some of these, (Mendele Moykher Sforim's "der baybak"; Sholem Aleykhem's "dos porfolk" and two chapters from Motl-Peyse) are already available. In time we hope all of Mendele's Yiddish texts will be of that quality. [Technical note: you're likely to get the best results after installing a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0.] The original transcriptions were done by Leonard Prager, Leah Krikun, Lucas Bruyn, Craig Abernethy and Itsik Goldenberg. Without their hard work there would be nothing. We're especially lucky that someone like Leonard Prager, with his encyclopedic knowledge of Yiddish literature, headed up the project. The texts he found are not only gems but forgotten gems. Refoyl Finkel's magic device, the yidishe shraybmashinke, was the second indispensable ingredient; it would otherwise have been necessary to key in the Yiddish texts. But since most Hebrew words get pronounced quite differently once they've become naturalized, the Niborski/Neuberg _verterbuch fun loshn-koydersh-shtamike verter in yidish_ was used often; tattered and reglued it remains a great pleasure to read and use. *** What's ahead? One project involves annotating the TMR Yiddish texts to make reading easier for those Mendelists who are serious about Yiddish but could use a little help. A major project, Project Onkelos, is still in the planning phase but will be announced soon. Needless to say, more hands will get the job done a lot faster. If you would like to help, please get in touch with me at mailto:nmiller@trincoll.edu. Stay tuned. Things are looking up for the Yiddish word! Noyekh Miller 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 23 Nov 1999 15:28:34 -0500 (EST) From: Winer Subject: Velt-Konferenz Der Veltrat far Yiddisher Kultur iz getzvungen moidia tzu zein, az dee geplante Velt-Konfrenz far Yiddish vos hot ghedarft forkoomn onhaib Yanuar 2000 vert opgelaigt oif an umbashtimter tzeit. Di Natzionale Instanz far Yiddish -- dos haist -- di regirungs kerpershaft vos iz ufgeshtelt gevorn loitn Knesset gezetz un vos hot gekrogn a badaitenen budget far dem tsvek, hot zich lechatchile farflichtet tzu deken di hoitzoes foon der konferenz vos volten dergrecht korev tzu $30,000. Der doziger tzuzog vi oich andere tzuzogen tzum Veltrat zeinen leider nit areingeshtelt gevorn in budget vos di instants hot lestzens bashtimt. Tzu dem zeinen oich oisgebrochen inerleche konfliktn in der Natzionaler Instants far Yiddish vos dermeglechn ir nit vi geherig tzu functzioneern un hobn afile goirem geven men zol anulirn iber 50 programn foon breit- reklamirten Yiddish Choidesh Festival. Der troieriger matzev foon Yiddish-vezn darf men farglaichen mit der fartsveigter tetikeit l'toives Ladino, voo der paraleler Natzionaler Instants far Ladino hot durchgefirt a farnemleche velt konfrents dem chodesh un hot finansiert kursen far Ladino lehrer b'meshech dem yor. Dee yerleche zitsung foon der internatzionaler ekzeutive foon veltrat goofe vert yo forkumen in der bashtimter date, dem 5tn Yanuar 2000 in Tel Aviv, ober on shum hischaivus metzad dem Veltrat to subsidirn dee hoitzoes foon dee delegatn. Davke als poel yoitze foon dee antviklungen iz es noch vichtiger optzuhaltn dee yerliche baratung kedei tzu bashtimn undzer veiterdikn derech. Mordechai Yushkovsky 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 5 Dec 1999 09:05:56 -0500 (EST) From: aptroot@phil-fak.uni-duesseldorf.de (Marion Aptroot) Subject: Symposium for Yiddish Studies in Germany The third Annual Symposium for Yiddish Studies in Germany -- organized by the Chairs of Yiddish at the universities of Trier and Duesseldorf -- will be held August 28-30, 2000 and not in September as previously announced. A call for papers will be sent out in Spring. Further information is posted on the internet (http://www.phil-fak.uni-duesseldorf.de/jiddisch/) or can be sent by mail or e-mail (jiddisch@phil-fak.uni-duesseldorf.de). Marion Aptroot 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 6 Dec 1999 08:04:12 -0500 (EST) From: "Holger.Nath" Subject: Intensive Yiddish course for advanced students, March 27-31, 2000 An intensive Yiddish course for advanced students will be offered at the University of Duesseldorf from March 27-31, 2000. This course will deal with the following topics: 1) From haskole to folkstimlekhkayt: the novel "Fishke der krumer" and its place in Jewish cultural history 2) Yiddish stylistics 3) History of Yiddish language research Further information is posted on the internet (http://www.phil-fak.uni-duesseldorf.de/jiddisch/) or can be sent by mail or e-mail (jiddisch@phil-fak.uni-duesseldorf.de). Holger Nath Duesseldorf, Germany 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 15 Nov 1999 03:26:30 -0500 (EST) From: "Mikhl Herzog" Subject: Gender in Lodzher Yiddish Feygl Glezer was quite right to point out my error. _puter_ is, indeed, a feminine not a neuter noun. I was simply hypercorrecting: since substance names and mass nouns (e.g. _broyt_, _vaser_ ) are usually neuter in Standard Yiddish. Still, Feygl is wrong to write what she calls "DE" (= di) and "DE" (= der, where "r" is dropped) as equivalents. For a native of the Lodzh area, and others who bother to listen, the two unstressed vowels in question are quite distinct, and should be represented differently, say as "de=der" and "d@=di". Furthermore, no native Lodzher would say _mit de(r) piter arup_ (again, except in Standard Yiddish). In Lodzher Yiddish, there is no case distinction in the feminine article: it is nominative/accusative _d@ pite_ and dative _mit d@ pite arup. And note that the final unstressed vowels of "d@" and "pite" are quite different. Af dem darf zikh afile a Lodzher efsher oykh geyn lernen. Mikhl Herzog P.S. A TRUE Litvak would, of course, be expected to say _di puter_ BUT _mitn puter arop_, NOT _mit di puter arop_ or _mit der puter arop_. Similarly, almost all inanimate nouns which have nominative _di_; e.g. _di hant/mitn hant_, _di fus/mitn fus_. Since Litvish Yiddish has NO neuter gender, most traditionally neuter nouns also fall into this category which has been designated the "intermediate gender". Thus, _di bet_ BUT _untern bet_. For more on this subject, see: Meyer Wolf: "Yiddish case & gender variation," in The Field of Yiddish III, 102-215. Mouton & Co. 1969. Uriel Weinreich. The seven genders of yiddish." Read before the LSA, Chicago, 1961. Marvin Herzog. The Yiddish Language in Northern Poland: Its Geography & History. Bloomington, 1965. Mikhl Herzog P.P.S. Actually, the _di_ nouns in Litvish Yiddish fall into 3 (perhaps subregionally varying) gender categories: True Feminine: Nom/Accus: di mame/di bobe; Dative: tsu der mame(n)/bobe(n) Mass: Nom/Accus/Dative: di vaser Intermediate: Nom/Accus: di hant/di vant/di tir; Dative (post prepositional): i) with prepositional contraction: mitn hant/afn vant/tsum tir; ii) without prepositional contraction: mit der hant/af der vant/tsu der tir. Note: Prepositions with True Feminine and Mass nouns do not permit contraction. Intermediate Nouns are, historically, inanimate feminine or neuter nouns. No more, I promise. Mikhl Herzog 7)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 16 Nov 1999 12:35:12 -0500 (EST) From: Troim@webtv.net (Frank Handler) Subject: Abraham Shulman manuscripts Three years ago I was doing research on the Singer family (Esther, I.J., and Bashevis)' and Dr. Dovid Katz told me that Abraham Shulman had written an English book about the family. I wrote to Shulman, and he said his manuscript was as yet unpublished. The text of his handwritten note to me of June 11, 1996, follows: "Khoshover Fraynd Katz-Handler, Ikh dank aykh far ayer brivl, vos kh"hob derhaltn durkhn FORVERTS. Layder kon ikh aykh nit shikn vos ir hot gevolt. Kh"hob farshidene manuskriptn vegn der familie Zinger -- ober layder zaynen zey nisht geven gedrukt. Efsher amol in der tsukunft. Beste grusn un vuntshn, Avrom Shulman". Troim Katz Handler 8)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 16 Nov 1999 13:13:29 -0500 (EST) From: David Mazower Subject: Yosl Cotler Marti Krow-Lucal asks for information about the life of the artist and puppeteer Yosl Cotler [Kotler]. According to J Hoberman's book on Yiddish film, "Bridge of Light" (New York, 1991, pp 351-3), Kotler was born in a shtetl in Volhynia in 1896, emigrated to the USA aged fifteen and began selling shoelaces from a pushcart in Hester Street. After some time earning his living as a sign painter, he began working as a cartoonist for the Morgn Frayhayt newspaper. In the mid 1920s, he joined forces with fellow artist Zuni Maud (another intriguing figure and a prolific illustrator of American Yiddish books) and the painter Jack Tworkov to present Yiddish puppet plays in a loft on the East Side. He died in a car crash in 1935, while heading for California to raise money for a Yiddish puppet film based on Ansky's play "The Dybbuk". According to Hoberman, his funeral was attended by some 10,000 people. For more information on Kotler's work in the Yiddish theatre, see David Lifson's book, "The Yiddish Theatre in America", (New York, 1965). Lifson quotes the eminent theatre designer Boris Aronson recalling that Kotler's puppet company was the finest Yiddish theatre he had ever seen - nisht kayn kleynikeyt! There is also an entry for Kotler's MADJAKOT theatre in Zylbertsvayg's Leksikon (fun yidisn teater), vol 2, p 1210. This lists a number of reviews of the company in the Yiddish press. I agree completely with Marti Krow-Lucal's assessment: Kotler was a brilliantly gifted artist and political cartoonist (as well as a writer, poet, puppeteer and designer). Both he and fellow-bohemian Zuni Maud did some of their best work as illustrators for American Yiddish books. In Kotler's case, I am aware of the following Yiddish books illustrated by him: 1. Moshe Leib Halpern, "Di goldene pave", Cleveland, 1924 2. Noyekh Steinberg, "Kritik", New York, 1926 3. Herman Gold, "Mayselekh", New York, 1928 4. A.M.Katz, "Dos telerl fun himl", New York, 1934 5. Yosl Kotler, "Muntergang", New York, 1934 Yosl Kotler's work surely deserves to be better-known (and if anyone knows of a decent biography of him, I too would love to hear of it). But his neglect is not an isolated case - the whole area of 20th-century American Yiddish graphic work and book illustration seems to me to have received remarkably little attention from scholars - with the possible exception of William Gropper. Apart from anything else, a comprehensive illustrated guide to the subject would make a stunning glossy volume for an enterprising publisher. David Mazower 9)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 15:49:20 -0500 (EST) From: Roberta Newman Subject: Yosl Cotler The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research has artwork by Yosl Cotler (referred to in YIVO materials as Cutler) in its art collection (RG 101). They may also have other material related to the artist in other collections, particularly those to do with the Morgn Frayhayt, the newspaper for which Cotler did cartoons. See also the Appendix in J. Hoberman's Bridge of Light: Yiddish Film Between Two Worlds for an account of Kutlers Marionetn, a 1935 Yiddish short featuring Cotler's puppets. Page 351 has some biographical info about the artist.. Roberta Newman ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 09.046 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