Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 09.063 February 20, 2000 1) Special issue of POLIN (Michael Steinlauf) 2) Recollections about Yiddish teachers (Gella Schweid Fishman) 3) Kotik's memoirs (Abraham Joshua Heschel) 4) Victor Packer (Henik Sapozhnik) 5) a mentsh fun buenos-ayres (Harvey Spiro) 6) A Mentsh fun Buenos Aires (Aviva E. Astrinsky) 7) oser (Mikhl Herzog) 8) oser (itsik shteyn) 9) Derivation of 'Choizek' (Elozor Oisher) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 1 Feb 2000 22:59:56 -0500 (EST) From: "Michael Steinlauf" Subject: Special issue of POLIN POLIN, an annual devoted to the history and culture of Polish Jews, announces a special issue on Jewish popular culture in Poland, under the editorship of Michael Steinlauf of Gratz College. Scholarship on Eastern Ashkenaz has tended to focus on elite culture and canonical literature. Even modern Yiddish culture has generally been approached from the perspective of "great works." The special issue on Jewish popular culture will focus on relatively less explored but historically vital cultural phenomena, primarily secular but also traditional, often considered "low" or "marginal." Submissions are welcomed on a broad range of topics including theater, cabaret, film, press, music, literature and the visual arts. Papers making use of new approaches to the study of popular culture are encouraged. While it is expected that most of the volume will concern Yiddish-language phenomena prior to the Holocaust, studies of related issues, e.g., the "Jew" in Polish popular culture before and after the war, are also welcomed. Submissions may be sent to the editor, Michael Steinlauf, Department of History, Gratz College, 7605 Old York Road, Melrose Park, PA 19027. The deadline for abstracts is September 1, 2000; papers will be accepted until January 1, 2001. Queries may be addressed to the editor at . Michael Steinlauf 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2000 12:21:13 -0500 (EST) From: FofSYSA@aol.com Subject: Recollections about Yiddish teachers/ Zikhroynes vegn yidishe lerers The Secular Yiddish Schools in America Collection, which is housed at Stanford University Libraries, Department of Special Collections, in Stanford CA, is pleased to announce that it has added a new category to its classification system for processing donated materials to the Collection. We are now documenting RECOLLECTIONS ABOUT MY YIDDISH TEACHER/S, and encourage everyone who attended any type of Yiddish school, at any time and any where in the United States and Canada to write their RECOLLECTIONS regarding one or more of their teachers. From a historical and pedagogical perspective, these descriptive memories shed additional light on "The Golden Age of Yiddish Education in America" and help preserve the names of those pioneering personalities who were at the forefront of this type of creative bilingual and heritage-language education. RECOLLECTIONS may be written in Yiddish and/or English, or may be recorded on cassettes. For further information, contact Gella Schweid Fishman, Special Consultant to the Secular Yiddish Schools in America Collection, at the following Email address: FofSYSA@aol.com and send all RECOLLECTIONS (AND DOCUMENTED PHOTOGRAPHS) to Friends of the Secular Yiddish Schools in America Collection P.O. BOX 19295, Stanford, CA 94309-9295 ZIKHROYNES VEGN MAYN/E YIDISHN/YIDISHE LERER/S "Di yidish-veltlekhe shuln in amerike-zamlung", vos gefint zikh in "stenford-universitet-bibliyotekn, opteyl fun spetsyele zamlungen", in stenford, kaliforniye, iz tsufridn moydiye tsu zayn az mir hobn tsugegebn a naye kategoriye tsu undzer klasifikatsiye-reshime baym katologirn baygeshtayerte materyaln far der zamlung. mir klaybn itst tsunoyf ZIKHROYNES VEGN MAYN/E YIDISHN/YIDISHE LERER/S un mutikn ale di vos hobn bazukht a yidishe shul, alts eyns fun velkhn min, alts eyns ven un vu in di fareynikte shtatn un kanade, zey zoln aropshraybn zeyere ZIKHROYNES vegn eynem oder merer fun zeyere lerers. fun a historishn un pedagogishn perspektiv, kenen di bashribene zikhroynes balaykhtn "di goldene tkufe fun yidisher dertsiyung af yidish in amerike" un helfn fareybikn di nemen fun yene khalutsIm-perzenlekhkaytn vos hobn ufgeshtelt aza sheferish-nayem derekh fun yidisher dertsiyung. ZIKHROYNES ken men onshraybn say af yidish, say af english, oder me ken zey oykh rekordirn af tashmes. Af tsu bakumen nokh informatsiye, shtelt zikh in farbindung mit Gele Shveyd Fishman, spetsyeler konsultant tsu der "yidish-veltlekhe shuln in amerike-zamlung" afn vayterdikn blitspost adres: FofSYSA@aol.com un shikt ale ZIKHROYNES (UN DOKUMENTIRTE FOTOGRAFIYES) TSU: Friends of the Secular Yiddish Schools in America Collection P.O. BOX 19295, Stanford, CA 94309-9295 Gella Schweid Fishman 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2000 23:05:42 -0500 (EST) From: Abraham J Heschel Subject: Kotik's memoirs As one raised in a Chassidic home, and having spent more than a decade researching Chassidic groups and their history - I was appalled by the quotation by Yechezkal Kotik (TMR 04.001). It is of course impossible to claim that in a movement that numbered hundred of thousands, there weren't a handful about whom it possibly could be stated "hasidim would meet in their prayer hall for a jovial evening, little concerned, it seemed, for hungry wives and children left sitting in their cold homes" To somehow indicate that this was the norm is ludicrous and it is unfair historical fiction. Though I obviously did not live among the chassidim Khotik claimed to know, I have merited to meet and interview scores of men and women that truly represent the Chassidm of yesteryear. (Some of these interviews - in Yiddish - are part of a zamler project that eventually will be housed at the YIVO Archives.) The true story even of the "poor" Chassidim is a totally different one. It is true that sometimes the men were able to elevate themselves spiritually and rise above their materialistic concerns by joining their friends in the Shtibel, in many instances it was the wives that accomplished just that - with their simple and powerful recital of psalms. It is unfortunate that Khotik chose to perceive only half a situation, in a biased and unfair matter. Chassidic lore is filled with legends of the spiritually inclined woman that "warmed" her cold home, and made her family feel "rich" by her spiritualism. Instead of concentrating on those who seemed to neglect their family, let us ponder for a moment on the power of a Chossid - to elevate himself above his physical needs - and find happiness even in times of need. Men and women alike fullfilled the Yiddish saying, "Mir hobin gornisht gehat - ober es hut inz gornisht gefelt" - we had nothing, but we weren't missing anything either - i.e. - we found happiness in our portion. In addition, I was very disappointed that the editor chose to translate the few negative words rather than the entire piece. Once again, I invite all readers and editors to come for a Shabbos to Boro Park, Brooklyn - and see and hear for yourselves - a living Yiddish culture - and a warm and close family life. Looking forward to hosting you, Abraham Joshua Heschel Boro Park, Brooklyn 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2000 00:23:09 EST From: Sapoznik@aol.com Subject: Victor Packer Tayere Mendelyaner, Does anyone have any information about New York actor/poet/radio personality Victor Packer (1897-1958) other than what appears in Zyberzweig's Leksikon? I am especially interested in anything which would shed light on Packer's Dadaist/avant garde poems and the place poems like them have among other Yiddish poets of the time (A. Lutsky, perhaps.) A groysn dank, Henik Sapozhnik 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2000 01:09:01 -0500 (EST) From: Harvey Spiro Subject: a mentsh fun buenos-ayres Frank Handler asked about Sholem Aleykhem's story, "A man from Buenos Aires." (09.059). It is one of the "ayzenban geshikhtes," or railroad stories, found in most of the standard "ale verk" collections. For example, in the 1927 Folksfond edition, the ayzenban geshikhtes are contained in book 26, and the story is the fifth in the book. A good English translation can be found in Hillel Halkin's excellent 1987 volume, "Tevye the Dairyman and The Railroad Stories," published by Schocken. Harvey Spiro 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2000 11:25:54 -0500 (EST) From: Aviva Astrinsky Subject: A Mentsh fun Buenos Aires In reply to Frank Handler's query (09.059): Sholom Aliechem's A Mentsh fun Buenos Aires was included in his Aizenban Geshikhtes. It was written in 1909. Aviva E. Astrinsky 7)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2000 09:25:27 -0500 (EST) From: "mikhl herzog" Subject: oser I'm not quite sure how Geoff Nathan (09.053) arrived at his proposed meaning of for Yiddish _o'ser_ ("Yeah, sure"). In the context he cites, Velvl Golman's (9.060) ("entirely/altogether") is, instinctively, better. In fact, however, the Yiddish noun simply means 'a prohibition' (cf. Israeli Hebrew _ze asu'r_ 'This is forbidden'). As an interjection in the song that Golman cites, it's meaning is probably closest to the citations in the Harkavi and Weinreich dictionaries _oser mir_/_oser zol mir zayn_, glossed as 'God forbid'. (See, also, Weinreich _oser oyb ikh veys_ 'darned if I know'.) Mikhl Herzog 8)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2000 10:36:47 -0500 (EST) From: shteyn@juno.com Subject: oser velvl golman freygt zikh nokh oyf dem badayt fun vort"oser"in mendele 09.060. mir dukht zikh az dos is fun hebreishn"asur" loyt der sfardisher oysshprakh, "user", loyt der ashkenazisher, un vos iz a min shvue, ojf tsu bakreftign eynems reyd, vi kholile, khlebn u.a. der taytsh passt zikh arayn in kontext, un harkavi's yiddish-englisher-hebreisher verterbukh, ojflage 1928 sayt 69 fartajtsht es ojkh azoj. zayt gesund, itsik shteyn 9)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 3 Feb 2000 11:26:33 -0500 (EST) From: "Leslie Reich" Subject: Derivation of 'Choizek' Can anybody explain the origin of the Yiddish word 'Choizek', meaning fun or ridiclule? Is there any connection with same Hebrew word meaning strength ? Elozor Oisher ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 09.063 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