Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ____________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 16.025 April 5, 2007 1) af di yidishe slidn in kashubye (Anne Kuka) 2) information about Inzikh photo sought (Malke Bachman) 3) Book on I.B. Singer (Joel Hencken) 4) PBS program sought (Martin Jacobs) 5) "Dos familien kokhbukh" (Bracha Weingrod) 6) James Cagney in Yiddish (Al Grand) 7) English translation of Peretz' "Mayses" sought (Paul M Weichsel) 8) Sholem Schwartzbard (Jean Pauline) 9) akht un akhtsik (Eliezer Niborski) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: February 26, 2007 Subject: af di yidishe slidn in kashubye in shaykhes mit undzer historisher varshtat "leyendik di shteynerne shprakh. af di yidishe slidn in kashubye" ("Odczytujac mowe kamieni. Sladami zydowskimi po Kaszubach"/"Die Sprache der Steine lesen. Jdische Spuren in der Kaschubei") hob ikh tsugezogt oystsuforshn, tsi s'zaynen geven faran yidn in yene kantn, vos hobn geredt (a bisl oder a bisl mer) af yidish. tsi kent ir mir gebn informatsye vegn dem inyen? efsher hot ir shoyn amol gehert vegn alte yidishe zhurnaln oder tsaytungen geshribn af yidish fun di kehiles Chojnice, Czluchow, Gdynia, Kartuzy, Koscierzyna, Lebork, Puck, Slupsk, Sopot, Gdansk? tsi zent ir bakant mit emetsn, mit vemen ir shmuest af yidish un er shtamt fun dortn? vi azoy redt er? dos heyst, mit vosere dialektishe shtrikhn? oder veyst ir vegn publikatsyes? alts ken zayn meglekh! a groysn dank / mayn adres iz: anne.kuka@web.de Anne Kuka 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: March 7, 2007 Subject: information about Inzikh photo sought There are at least two versions of a group photo of Inzikh writers located in the YIVO archives (Groups 120, ca. 1923). One version of the photo appeared in the Harshavs' American Yiddish Poetry (University of California Press, 1986). Included in the picture are Glatshteyn, Leyeles, Minkov, Stoldoski, Alkvit, Dropkin, and Likht. Because I am intending to use a version of this photo in my forthcoming book (same people, different seating arrangement), I need to find out, if I can: who took the picture? Or: how would I contact the estates of the writers involved to get permission to use their image in my book? If anyone familiar with this picture has relevant information, I'd greatly appreciate receiving it. (I already have contacts for estates of Likht and Glatshteyn, but would need them for the other poets). Please send information to me at batshira@earthlink.net. Because of my high spam filter, you may get a message saying that you need to identify your purpose, but I *will* get your message, and please -- don't be offended! I want to hear from you, but I am filtering "spam." Mendeleyners have been very helpful in responding to my previous requests. I look forward to hearing from you about this photo. Many, many thanks. Sincerely, Malke Bachman 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: March 11, 2007 Subject: Book on I.B. Singer I came across an unusual title today, one which I can't find in any of the local library databases, nor can I find reviews of it by googling. So, I'm wondering if any of you are familiar with it or have any thoughts about whether it is worth pursuing. Here is the publisher's description: Qiao, Guo Qiang The Jewishness of Isaac Bashevis Singer Oxford, Bern, Berlin, Bruxelles, Frankfurt/M., New York, Wien, 2003. 272 pp. ISBN 978-3-906769-74-5 / US-ISBN 978-0-8204-5911-0 pb. Order online: www.peterlang.com US-$ 51.95 This book explores Jewishness in the writings of Isaac Bashevis Singer. The author makes a close examination of Singer's literary works, Judaism, Jewish history and related criticism to illustrate Singer's unique but ambiguous position in American Jewish literature. The book offers a discussion of Singer's modernity. Singer's Jewishness finds its major expression in challenging the notion of covenant and the concept of the coming modern consciousness of Spinoza's philosophy. The book also focuses on Singer's representation of Jewish assimilation in the past and present, both in Poland and in America, and on the de-Americanization of the Holocaust. After an examination of Singer's narrative strategies, the author also discusses the similarities and diversities of four major American Jewish writers, Singer, Bellow, Malamud and Roth, in terms of Jewish identity and Jewish historical consciousness. Contents: Isaac Bashevis Singer's Ambivalent Modernity Assimilation: An Ineffable Tribulation; De-Americanization of the Holocaust or Indelible Shadows on the Jews; Narrating Jewishness - Isaac B. Singer and His Jewish Contemporaries. The author, Guo Qiang Qiao, was born in Qingdao, China. He obtained his BA from Qufu Normal University, his M.A. from Shandong University and his Ph.D. from the University of Nottingham (UK). He is professor of American Literature at Shanghai University. A dank! Joel Hencken 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: March 12, 2007 Subject: PBS program sought I know this isn't much to go on, but can anyone tell me the name of a program that appeared many years ago on PBS television (channels 13 and 21 in New York) in which young people talked enthusiastically about Yiddish (in English) and sang songs in Yiddish and English? My memory is that the program was probably about 1/2 hour. The only line I remember from it is "in mayn hertsele", which, when the same song was sung in English, came out as "in my little heart". Any leads would be most appreciated. Martin Jacobs 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: March 12, 2007 Subject: "Dos familien kokhbukh" I am hoping to hear from anyone who has actually referred to, or used "Dos familien kokhbukh" by H. Braun (Hebrew Publishing Company N.Y. 1914, 1928)- a Yiddish Cookbook of 400 pages. More important, does anyone know of the author H.Braun, a competent nutritionist it seems? I find no information anywhere, and would be grateful for help. A shaynem dank, Bracha Weingrod 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: March 17, 2007 Subject: James Cagney in Yiddish I once posted a partial transcription of some Yiddish lines that James Cagney spoke in the 1940 movie "The Fighting 69th." I say "partial" because in re-watching the film I see that I missed some of his Yiddish words. It was in the scene where a group of World War 1 recruits are in formation for inspection and Cagney is standing next to a short Jewish soldier who just finished telling the sergeant that his name is Murphy. Sergeant: "Did you say your name is Murphy?" Jewish Soldier: "I did your worship; save in your presence." Sergeant: "What were you born?" Soldier: "I was born a boy!" The sergeant walks away in disgust to peals of laughter from the other soldiers. Cagney (turning to the soldier next to him): "Vos veys er! Er veyst fun gornisht!" Soldier: "Vos veyst er - er iz der balebos!" Cagney: "Nisht far mayn gelt!" On re-listening I now hear some rapid-fire Yiddish words that Cagney says just before he utters "Vos veys er! Er veyst fun gornisht!" But no matter how often I replay that segment I find that my 76 year old ears (and brain) aren't fast enough to process them. I'd be grateful to hear from anyone who was able to make out those lightning-quick words. Al Grand 7)---------------------------------------------------- Date: March 20, 2007 Subject: English translation of Peretz' "Mayses" I am looking for an English translation of the Y. L. Peretz story "Mayses." It is in volume 4 of the complete works published by Farlag Idish, New York. Can you help me? Paul M Weichsel 8)---------------------------------------------------- Date: March 20, 2007 Subject: Sholem Schwartzbard I'm researching Sholem Schwartzbard, the 1926 assassin of Simon Petliura of Ukraine pogrom infamy. I've found info in Dreamland, a bit in the Forward, a play by Kacyzne, and some from a South Africa Maknovist group. But I've heard of a poem or song called the Ballad of Sholem Schwartzbard and I understand he wrote a memoir. I hope someone can assist me in finding resources for my study which will result in a song about the hero. Thanks for your time and interest in this project. Jean Pauline 9)---------------------------------------------------- Date: March 21, 2007 Subject: akht un akhtsik in dem "Groysn Verterbukh fun der Yidisher Shprakh," baym vort "akhtsik" (band III, zayt 1351)zenen do etlekhe kurtse derklerungen vegn der tsol "akht un akhtsik": 1/ akht un akhtsik mol = zeyer a sakh mol, a guzme mol 2/ akht un akhtsik iz a yidishe brokhe (klole), a shprikhvort mit di bataytn: A - i a brokhe i a klole iz guzmedik B - a brokhe ibern vort "pakh" in thilem, 91, 3 (az er vet dikh matsl zayn fun foyglfangers nets) un a klole ibern vort "pakh" in mishley, 7, 23 (vi a foygl aylt tsu der nets, un veys nit az es iz um ir lebn) mit di beste grusn, Eliezer Niborski ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 16.025