Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 11.014 September 2, 2001 1) New Book: "Yiddish: A Nation of Words" (Miriam Weinstein) 2) Gordin's plays (Adam Levitin) 3) Gordin's plays (Beth Kaplan) 4) Gordin's plays (Michael Steinlauf) 5) "deserters"? (Allan Nadler) 6) Symposium for Yiddish Studies (Simon Neuberg and Marion Aptroot) 7) Yiddish press in America between the World Wars (Christopher Harper) 8) Klezfest in Evpatoria (Yana Yanover) 9) Yankl Boyle (Itsik Goldenberg) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2001 10:23:52 -0400 (EDT) From: "Miriam Weinstein" Subject: New Book: "Yiddish: A Nation of Words" I want to announce the publication of my book, Yiddish: A Nation of Words. It tells the story of the language geared to an audience that has little or no knowledge of Yiddish. I have told the history in as colorful and accessible a way as possible, finding the human element, the telling anecdote, the appropriate proverb. Of course, I have always tried to be accurate. I am a journalist, not a scholar, and so I have approached my material trying to keep in mind what any interested, intelligent reader might want to know. I want to thank the Mendele community for answering many of my questions along the way, and for being an important part of my informal education. As for details: The official publication date of the book is October 1. However, the book will be part of a Jewish book promotion that will be in many, but not all, Barnes and Noble stores for the month of September. The book should be arriving in other stores during September. I will be speaking at the Barnes and Noble in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, on Thursday, Sept. 13 at 7:30. I will be travelling to various Jewish book fairs during the fall. The book is published by Steerforth Press in South Royalton, Vermont. It will be issued in paperback a year from this fall by Ballantine. It will also be translated into German, French and Dutch. For more information, get in touch with me, or with Stephanie Carter at Steerforth Press. (stephanie@steerforth.com) A sheynem dank, Miriam Weinstein Manchester, Massachusetts 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2001 09:33:24 -0400 (EDT) From: Adam J Levitin Subject: Gordin's plays The Yankev Gordin play, "Di Yesoyme," [11.012] can be found in the NYPublic Library's theater collection. It is from 1911. I do not know if the script is in manuscript, in type-setting, or even in Yiddish oysyes(a surprising number of yiddish play manuscripts were written in transliteration, although that seems to be rarer for earlier works). In any case, access to the play might not be currently possible, as the Performing Arts Library is moving back to Lincoln Center from the golus of 43rd and 11th Ave. mit varme grusn, Adam Levitin New York, NY 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2001 10:25:26 -0400 (EDT) From: "Beth K" Subject: Gordin's plays (Khasye di Yesoyme) Jacob Gordin's orphan was indeed Khasye, the star of the play Brad Nash's grandfather saw [11.012]. Almost immediately after their presentation in New York, Gordin's plays found their way to the touring Yiddish theatre troupes of Eastern Europe, where they were mounted in mangled versions that caused him much heartache (as well as denying him much needed royalties.) Khasye di Yesoyme, one of Gordin's most controversial plays, was written in 1903 for his favourite actress Keni Lipzin, and portrays the miserable treatment by a wealthy family of their poor next-of-kin. I am Jacob Gordin's great-granddaughter, working on a biography of his life and times. I'm interested in any stories about Gordin. all the best, Beth Kaplan 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2001 15:41:52 -0400 (EDT) From: "Michael Steinlauf" Subject: Gordin's plays "Khashe di yesoyme" was indeed the title of a very well known Gordin play, which was performed widely throughout Eastern Europe after 1905. YIVO should certainly have a copy. The other play, doubtless "Mekhires Yoysef" (The Selling of Joseph), also often known as "Yoysef mit di brider" was indeed a generic title for one popular purimshpil that would have been staged by local folks. On East European purimshpils a book (in Hebrew) is soon to appear by Ahuva Belkin. Mit di beste grusn, Michael Steinlauf Philadelphia 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2001 12:08:40 -0400 (EDT) From: Allan Nadler Subject: "deserters"? Now that the text of Shikl Fishman's unfortunate characterizations of Janet Hadda and Ruth Wisse as "deserters" has alas come onto the screen again on Mendele [11.012], it might be a good time to take a breath and consider just how inappropriate such language is, particularly when used against those who toil in the vineyard of Yiddish, regardless of their ideology and sense of where the future of Yiddish lies. Castigating anyone who devotes a significant part of their life to teaching and publishing about Yiddish literature and culture as a "deserter" is both childish and ugly. Worse, it evokes the worst aspects of the ideological battles of the pre-Khurbn period of Jewish life in eastern Europe, when it was virtually impossible simply to affirm a Jewish point of view without engaging in brutal attacks of those Jews who do not fully share it. One might have hoped that we have advanced beyond that culture of Jewish self-immolation. Finally, the unfortunate choice of the word "desetion" conjures -- quite unintentionally I am sure, given the source -- the image of Yiddish as a sinking ship, or a besieged and isolated army unit facing imminent extinction. "Hakhomim Hizaharu Be-Divraykhem" Allan Nadler Drew University 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 05:19:10 -0400 (EDT) From: aptroot@phil-fak.uni-duesseldorf.de (Marion Aptroot) Subject: Symposium for Yiddish Studies in Germany, September 2001 The Fourth Annual Symposium for Yiddish Studies in Germany, organised by the Yiddish programs in Trier and Duesseldorf will take place 10-12 September 2001. Location: University of Trier, Building A, Lecture Hall 9/10 Registration (no fees): jiddisch@uni-trier.de Tel.: +49-651-201 2325 Fax: +49-651-201 3909 The program and updated information can be found on: http://www.uni-trier.de/uni/fb2/germanistik/jidd_iv_symposium.html Simon Neuberg (Trier) and Marion Aptroot (Duesseldorf) 7)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2001 09:44:44 -0400 (EDT) From: Christopher Harper Subject: Yiddish press in America between the World Wars Hello, I am a communications professor at Ithaca College. I have found an excellent thesis on the Yiddish press in American before World War I. The thesis was by Joseph Rappaport in 1951. Is there anything in a similar vein between World War I and World War II? Thank you. Christopher Harper Ithaca, NY 8)---------------------------------------------------- From: "Center of Jewish education" Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2001 14:00:08 +0200 (UKR) Subject: Klezfest in Evpatoria KlezFest supported by Jewish Community Development Fund (NY), a project of American Jewish World Service, announced today that it would be able to enlarge this year's KlezFest to take place in Evpatoria, at the Planeta Hotel from August, 28 - September, 2 from 25 participants to 39 thanks to a grant from the International Renaissance Foundation. Yana Yanover, Director of the Center and organizer of the project along with her husband Boris Yanover said: "We were especially pleased because we had already received more than 100 extremely well qualified applicants, many of them from cities which did not send musicians or singers last year. And now we will be able o admits at least 39 of them. And our American sponsors will also be pleased since their director, Martin Horwitz, is always telling us: "Our donors like to see local partners. It means that people in your own city also value your project." Due the help of the above-mentioned sponsors, the organizers of Klezfest, 2001 were able to invite such well known musicians like the Director of Jewish theatre "Folksbineh" Zalmen Mlotek (USA), well known Yiddish songs singer Adrienne Cooper (USA), and Merlin Shepherd, Music Director for The Royal National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company and Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, London. 39 musicians and actors from Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Russia, Byelorussia, Latvia and Estonia will gather to develop their skills at master classes. The scenic skill will teach Eugenia Monarch (Kiev), the history of the Jewish theatre will teach Alina Ivah (Kazan). There are individual master classes, theoretical lectures and jam sessions in the program of Klezfest. All participants can show their skills in improvisation, which always was a highlight of klezmer music. It is necessary to tell, that, having perfected the skill at a last year's Klezfest, 2000, many participants became the winners of prestigious musical festivals. That is why new Klezfest, 2001 is expected with the great impatience not only by musicians. Jewish Organizations of Crimea showed the big interest to Klezfest, 2001. The final Gala concert will take place at Simferopol with kind support of "Hesed Shimon" For further information contact, please: USA Jewish Community development Fund in Russia and Ukraine, a project of American Jewish World Service jdcf@ajws.org , 212-273-1642 Yana Yanover 9)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 27 Aug 2001 21:03:47 -0400 (EDT) From: Goldenberg Subject: Yankl Boyle Leon Kobrin wrote a drama - YANKL BOYLE - (pronounced boy-le) which was produced at the David Kessler Theatre in New York in 1916-1917. I am sure that other Mendelyaners can draw upon their knowledge and scholarship and tell us much more about this drama and upon its author and its performances, and I hope they do! My question is: Is "Boyle" just a family name, or is it descriptive? Does it have any particular meaning? From what language is it derived? Itsik Goldenberg ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 11.014 Address for the postings to Mendele: mendele@lists.yale.edu Address for the list commands: listproc@lists.yale.edu Mendele on the Web: http://www.mendele.net http://ibiblio.org/yiddish/mendele.html