Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 10.041 December 24, 2000 1) Fela Mendelsohn (Faith Jones) 2) Yiddish Parsifal (Faith Jones) 3) Itzik Manger: "Inscription on a Matzeva" (Ada Holtzman) 4) 'Ishkabibble' -- alleged Yiddish roots? (Bernard S. Greenberg) 5) "Di Dame Mitn Hintl" (Alva Dworkin) 6) ha-Yoetz (Bucharest) and Yiddish translation (Yossi Galron) 7) Rafoyel Un Sheyndele (Jenny Levison) 8) Yidisher Kinder Zhurnal (Aaron Taub) 9) "Nomen fun Yiddishe Kinder" (Joe Berland) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 17 Nov 2000 15:50:12 -0500 (EST) From: fjones@nypl.org (fjones) Subject: Fela Mendelsohn A patron is looking for information on a family member who may have written poetry in the Forverts in the 1930s and 40s. Her name was Fela Mendelsohn. That is as much information as we have. She is not listed in the Leksikon, Yidishe Dikhterins, or various articles on Yiddish women poets that we have turned up. We have begun the tedious process of checking microfilm reels, but would appreciate hearing from anyone who has heard of this poet before. Faith Jones New York 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 25 Nov 2000 17:29:06 -0500 (EST) From: fjones@nypl.org (fjones) Subject: Yiddish Parsifal Many years ago in an interview, Boris Thomashefsky's grandson, the conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, mentioned that his grandfather produced a Yiddish version of Wagner's "Parsifal." A researcher would like us to verify that such a production took place, and the venue and dates. I have not found any mention of it in the usual sources (Lifson, Sandrow, _Leksikon fun der nayer Yidisher literatur_, and other books about the Second Avenue theater) or among our large collection of Yiddish playscripts, either published or unpublished. I have not read Thomashefsky's autobiography--400 pages, unindexed--but if someone has and could direct me to a page I would appreciate it. A definitive "no" would also be acceptable. Faith Jones 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 23 Nov 2000 22:57:09 -0500 (EST) From: Ada Holtzman Subject: Itzik Manger: "Inscription on a Matzeva" Shalom Aleichem... I need the original poem in Yiddish and the translation to English of Itzik Manger's poem: "Epitaph", see my web page: http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/4017/zadik/zadik.htm I have posted the translation from the book:"Itzik Manger: Lid un Ballade, translated by Benjamin Tene,Tel Aviv 1969. Thank you all very much in advance, shalom, Ada Holtzman 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 26 Nov 2000 21:05:39 -0500 (EST) From: "Bernard S. Greenberg" Subject: 'Ishkabibble' -- alleged Yiddish roots? This much seems clear: Merwyn Bogue (?-1994), a cornettist sideman in 'Kay' (James Kern) Kyser's (1905-1985) "Kollege of Musical Knowledge", a popular "big band" of the 1930's and 1940's, was featured with them in a 'novelty number' entitled 'Ishkabibble', which brought him such renown that this term, and its contraction, 'Ish', became his nickname, as well as the title of his 1989 autobiography (http://lsumvs.sncc.lsu.edu/lsupress/catalog/Author_Listing/authors_b.htm, published by the Louisiana State University Press; I have not acquired or read it). Bogue was also known for his onstage role as an -agent-provocateur-, apparently regularly harrassing leader Kyser with comic antics. (See http://www.kaykyser.net for background). The Bogue/Kyser references available to me gloss "Ishkabibble" (or "Ish Kabibble" or "Ish Gabibble", etc.), as a "Yiddish term meaning, loosely, 'I should worry?'", some citing a "Yiddish song" of that name, but I cannot it parse as Yiddish, let alone as the Neuman epigram. Nor have I ever encountered this phrase or alleged earlier song in any independent context. Especially given the talismanic use to which the term has since shifted, Hebrew roots are seductive (cf., "shibboleth"), in particular, a hypothetical regional/dialectical ablaut -qua- pointing variant of "*Ish ka bovel", "(a) man who is like unto Babylon" (i.e., a dissolute paragon of decadence and debauch, which is within semantic earshot of Bogue's aforementioned chaoturge persona), but this hypothetical phrase lacks any attestation. I would appreciate any insight or knowledge anyone might be willing to share on the putative Yiddish roots of 'Ishkabibble', or any citation and/or gloss predating Bogue. Thanks, Bernard S. Greenberg Boston 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 28 Nov 2000 16:14:59 -0500 (EST) From: "Alva dworkin" Subject: Searching for words to a poem It would be wonderful if someone could provide me with the words to the poem "Di Dame Mitn Hintl" originally written in Russian by Samuil Marshak and later translated into Yiddish by Kadye Maladovsky. I don't need it transliterated, the original Yiddish would be best, but I'll be glad to get the poem in any shape, manner or form Alva Dworkin [Moderator's note: see Mendele vol 04.366] 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 29 Nov 2000 01:37:58 -0500 (EST) From: Yossi Galron Subject: ha-Yoetz (Bucharest) and Yiddish translation of a French novelle Dear Mendelikes, I am trying to find bibliographic information on a Yiddish translation of Ponson du Terrail's (1829-1871) book "Les drames de Paris". The Yiddish translation was published in parts in Bucharest under the title: <"Di drame fon Pariz" : ayn velts roman zehr shehn illustrirt.> It was published by Tipographia Hajoetz, Bucurest, Calea Vacaresti, Nr. 57. On the title page, as well in the book it self, there is no hint for a date when it was published as well no name of a translator or editor. I looked up Natan Mark's books "Yidish-literatur in Rumenye" (1971) and "Sifrut Yidish be-Romanyah" (1973) as well as Yitshak Korn's book "Yidish in Rumenye" (1989) and only found that "Ha-Yoets" le-vet Yisrael be-Romanyah began in 1874 and was published for almost 40 years. Ha-Yoets was edited by Yehiel-Mikhl Uziel. Another periodical that was published in Bucharest in 1885 (according to Korn) or 1895 (according to Mark) Der vahre ha-yoets, that was edited by Yosef Azilescu (spelling?), the son of Yehiel-Mikhl. Could some help me and find who translated Ponson du Terrail's book into Yiddish, and when was the Yiddish translation published. Thank you very much, Joseph (Yossi) Galron-Goldschlager Columbus, OH 7)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 2 Dec 2000 00:32:48 EST From: jenny@tangomeydl.com Subject: Rafoyel Un Sheyndele Hello -- does anyone know the real title of the play Rafoyel Un Sheyndele? It might be Rafuel, it might be Rafael, it might be R AND S instead of R UN S. Thanks in advance. Jenny Levison Portland, OR 8)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 12 Dec 2000 15:31:34 -0500 (EST) From: Aaron Taub Subject: Question regarding Yidisher Kinder Zhurnal Dear Colleagues, I have a patron who is searching for a Yiddish children's periodical entitled Yidisher Kinder Zhurnal. Yidisher Kinder Zhurnal, apparently started in 1914, was edited by Joel Entin. In the entry on Joel Entin in the Leksikon fun der nayer yidisher literatur, Yidisher Kinder Zhurnal is cited as the oldest Yiddish children's journal in the U.S. Please note that Yidisher Kinder Zhurnal is not the same as the Kinder Zhurnal which began in 1920. We have already looked for this journal in the YIVO library, the Dorot Jewish Division of the New York Public Library, and the Klau Library, Hebrew Union College/Cinn. If anyone has any leads on this periodical, please let me know. Many thanks, Aaron Taub New York, NY 9)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2000 05:09:38 -0500 (EST) From: Joe Berland Subject: Trying to find Yiddish poem Hello, I once had but sadly misplaced a Yiddish poem with a title something like "Nomen fun Yiddishe Kinder" ("Names of Jewish Children"). I would be very grateful if you can be of any help in finding it. Thank you. Joe Berland ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 10.041 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://ibiblio.org/yiddish/mendele.html