Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 11.016 October 1, 2001 1) Mani Leyb's _Yidish_ (Marjorie/Mirl Schonhaut Hirshan) 2) song about Yiddish (Libe Gritz) 3) song "Yidish" (Pessl Beckler-Semel-Stern) 4) Warshavsky's "Peysakh" (Lorele Cahan-Simon) 5) mitlelter-riter terminen (Shloyme-Khayim Cohen) 6) laptop (Wolf Krakowski) 7) jitney (George Feldan) 8) Yidishe Oysyes mit ayer Kompyuter (Shoshke-Rayzl Yuni) 9) Der BlitsBrivnShteler (Shoshke-Rayzl Yuni) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 2 Sep 2001 11:37:45 -0400 (EDT) From: Marjorie Hirshan Subject: Mani Leyb's _Yidish_ For Bertha Berman's request in Mendele Vol 11.013 : The song she seeks is _Yidish_ by Mani Leyb, with music by H. Volovitsh who was my beloved music teacher in East Flatbush Shul 1 in Brooklyn in the late 30s and early 40s. Volovitch instilled a love of Yiddish and music and peoplehood in all who received the treasure of learning from him, or knowing him. His body, misshapen like that of Moses Mendelson, housed a mind and soul that were strong and even gigantic. He could make our old, donated, broken-down piano whisper or shout to us. The song (poem): di velt iz ful mit reydn, es redt dokh yede zakh. un yeder oyf zayn shteyger un yeder oyf zayn shprakh. yidn redn yidish in ale, ale ekn velt. in afrike in heyser un in sibirer kelt. yidn redn yidish, vayl yidish iz dokh sheyn, men ken a tsveytn yidn farshteyn vi zikh aleyn. yidn redn yidish in ale, ale ekn velt. in afrike in heyser un in sibirer kelt. Marjorie/Mirl Schonhaut Hirshan Boynton Beach, Florida 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 4 Sep 2001 22:52:08 -0400 (EDT) From: Katz Gritz Mishpokhe Subject: song about Yiddish Bertha A. Berman asked for a song about Yiddish that she learned in the Workmen's Circle shule in the 1940's. We still sang it in the 1960's in Workmen's Circle Shule 3 in the Bronx, where we had the good fortune to have Khane Mlotek as our music teacher. I couldn't remember all the words, but I found them in a small songbook called Mir Zingen, published by the Workmen's Circle in 1951. Yiddish Mani Leyb, H. Volovitz Di velt iz ful mit redn Es redt dokh yede zakh Un yeder oyf zayn shteyger Un yeder oyf zayn shprakh (repeat last two lines) Chorus: Yidn redn yidish In ale ale ekn velt In afrike in heyser Un in siberer kelt Yidn redn yidish Vayl yidish iz dokh sheyn Men ken a tsveytn yidn Farshteyn vi zikh aleyn (repeat last two lines) Chorus (as above) Zingt gezunterheyt! Libe Gritz Somerville, MA 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 8 Sep 2001 16:01:25 -0400 (EDT) From: pessl@juno.com Subject: song "Yidish" I can't be the only Mendelyaner to answer regarding the song "Yidish" as taught in the Arbeter-Ring shuln in the 1930s-1940s. The song was written by Volovitsh (first name escapes me) and the words are as follows: Di velt iz ful mit redn, Es redt dokh yeder zakh. Un yeder af zayn shteyger Un yeder af zayn shprakh. CHORUS: Un yidn redn yidish af ale-ale ekn velt. In afrike in heyer un in sibirer kelt. Un yidn redn yidish, Vayl yidish iz dokh sheyn s'iz gring a'yedn yidn Farshteyn vi zikh aleyn CHORUS: I learned the song when, at aged 3, my older brother/baby-sitter, Shimen, dragged me along to gezang (singing-class) with Lerer Matlin, at the AR Shul in Bensonhurst. When my father, Volf Beckler, z'l, had "slack" (temporary unemployment) he was the disciplinarian, who kept order, so the lerer could lern. It was one of the first songs I learned. Pessl Beckler-Semel-Stern Lake Worth, FL 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 4 Sep 2001 00:20:40 -0400 (EDT) From: Lori Cahan-Simon Subject: Warshavsky's "Peysakh" Does anyone have the music for Warshavsky's song "Peysakh", which begins: --Ikh vel aykh dertseyln do, kinder, a mayse, Vos s'hot zikh getrofen, oy hert oys do mikh! Vos s'hot zikh getrofen, Vos s'hot zikh farlofen -- --"Oy vey, zeydenyu, oy, vey zeydenyu, mir heren dikh!" I have a copy of his book Yidishe folks-lider (mit tsvey forredes fun sholem-aleykhem) from 1918, and it indicates that most of the songs included have notation somewhere. Does anyone have the music for these poems? a dank in foroys, Lorele Cahan-Simon 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 4 Sep 2001 09:21:32 -0400 (EDT) From: Steve Cohen Subject: mitlelter-riter terminen Tayere mendelyaner: Mayn 5-yoriker farinteresirt zikh mit riters un pantser. Ikh zukh terminen vegn di teyln fun riters-pantser (af english, lemoshl: "helmet", "visor", "pike", "chain mail", "gauntlet", u"azv). "helmet" iz "di kaske", ober di andere...? Mayn shvester hot undz gegebn a gang tsunoyftsuboyen a papirene kaske, ober s'iz in Shvedn gemakht, mit a reshime verter--af shvedish!--fun pantser-teyln. Ikh ken nit im zogn di rikhtike yidishe verter! A sheynem dank in foroys, Shloyme-Khayim Cohen 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2001 11:17:19 -0400 (EDT) From: Kamea Media Subject: lap-top Sholem Aleykhem: Can Mendelyaners provide some Yiddish suggestions for "lap-top" (computer)? A dank. Wolf Krakowski 7)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 4 Sep 2001 16:04:09 -0400 (EDT) From: geofeld@juno.com Subject: jitney I'm looking for the etymology of the word "jitney." The dictionaries I have consulted say the ultimate origin is unknown or obscure, but the meaning does derive from a slang use of the word meaning a nickel, a 5 cent piece, the original cost of the ride. One dictionary suggested a connection to the French "jeton," meaning a token. However, _A Dictionary of Americanisms on Historical Principles_ cites an intriguing quotation from the Nation Magazine of 1915: "The word 'jitney' . . . is the Jewish (sic) slang term for a nickel." Can anyone elaborate on a Yiddish or Jewish connection? George Feldan 8)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2001 10:54:08 -0400 (EDT) From: "Susannah R. Juni" Subject: Yidishe Oysyes mit ayer Kompyuter (English below.) Pruvt epes nays inem nayem yor. Shraybt yidish! Yidisher blitspost! Bekhinem! Plutsling iz di velt fun blitspost un kompyuteray ofn far yidish. Itst kenen merste shraybn un leyenen blitspost mit yidishe oysyes. Oykhet kenen merste shafn dokumentn (lemoshl briv, artiklen, lern-genitungen, bikher, prospektn) mit yidishe oysyes vos kimat yeder eyner ken zey leyenen elektronish. Me darf gornisht nisht koyfn. Alts iz bekhinem. Greyt nor tsu ayer kompyuter un ir vet in gantsn antplekn di velt fun yidish-kompyuteray! Far di neytike protim, tut a knak af: http://www.shoshke.net/uyip/blitspost.htm Dos iz nisht keyn komertsyele badinung; s'iz poshet a nay mitl. Alts vos me darf farn YIVO-oysleyg gefint zikh dortn. Lomir shraybn yidish tsuzamen! A gut, zis, gezunt yor fun sholem un freyd, Shoshke-Rayzl Yuni Try something new in the new year. Write Yiddish! Yiddish email! Free! Suddenly the world of email and computers is open for Yiddish. Now, most people can write and read email in Yiddish letters. Also, most people can create documents (e.g., letters, articles, study exercises, books, pamphlets) in Yiddish letters which others can read electronically. You don't need to buy anything. Everything is free. Just make the adjustments on your computer and you will completely open up the world of Yiddish computing! For the necessary details, click on: http://www.shoshke.net/uyip/blitspost.htm This is not a commercial service; it's simply a new method. All components which are needed for standard YIVO spelling are there. Let's write Yiddish together! A good, sweet year of peace and happiness, Susannah R. Juni NYC 9)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2001 07:58:56 -0400 (EDT) From: "Susannah R. Juni" Subject: Der BlitsBrivnShteler (English below) Dos iz an anons vegn der ershter post-reshime af der gantser velt mit bloyz yidishe oysyes - Der BlitsBrivnShteler! Ale vern farbetn tsu bateylikn zikh. Geyt tsum: http://www.shoshke.net/uyip/bbsh.htm un abonirt! Shoshke-Rayzl Yuni This is an announcement of the first email list in the entire world with only Yiddish letters - Der BlitsBrivnShteler! Everyone is invited to participate. Go to: http://www.shoshke.net/uyip/bbsh.htm and subscribe! Shoshke-Rayzl Yuni Susannah R. Juni NYC ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 11.016 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