Mendele: Yiddish literature and language
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Contents of Vol. 17.019
April 3, 2008

1) Sigmund Mogulesko (Michael Rothschild)
2) farkratet (Yael Chaver)
3) farkratet/ shitn mit brokhes (Zulema Seligsohn)
4) farkratet/ shitn mit brokhes (Leyzer Gillig)
5) film about Jews in Lwow (Maurice Wolfthal)
6) stavnyes (Martin Jacobs)
7) zayn af kest (Thalia Gur Klein)
8) "Some Like It Hot" (Perele  Shifer)
9) "Shaylok un zayn tokhter" (Yael Chaver)

1)----------------------------------------------------
Date:  March 6, 2008
Subject: Sigmund Mogulesko

My name is Michael Rothschild, and I am working on a project with my cousin
Lester Rosen.  Our genealogical research has brought us to Sigmund
Mogulesko (the well known Yiddish performer), and Joseph Edelstein (a
manager of a theatre in New York in the early 20th century).

Lester's maternal grandmother, Ernestina Finkelstein, was a member of
Sigmund Mogulesko's Romanian troupe,  which emigrated in 1886 and performed
in New York during 1887-1888

She was a young actress who sang and played minor roles. The company
disbanded in 1888 and Ernestina retired from the stage at age 19 and
subsequently married Benjamin Harris.

To our knowledge, she had a sister in the troupe, Paulina (Finkelstein)
Edelstein (married to Joseph Edelstein).  We also are working under the
assumption that she had another sister named Amelia Finkelstein (married to
Sigmund Mogulesko.)

Additionally, the Moguleskos and their daughter Bessie are known from
Zilbercwaig's "Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre," and a US Passport
application shows Alexander Fichandler married to an Elizabeth (common
alternate name for Bessie) Mogulesko. Lester's mother Daisy Harris knew the
Fichandler family well and always referred to Elizabeth as her cousin.

Thus, the inference that Amalie was a sister to Ernestina and Pauline is
based upon her known maiden name Finkelstein and Lester's recollection of
hearing her referred to as his mom's cousin in the 1930's.

Genealogically speaking, however, we would like like additional evidence.
For example, Edelstein and especially Mogulesko were celebrities, and I
imagine that someone in the past 100 years may have known and described
them as brothers-in-law.

We also have another unrelated question: The New York Times obituary for
Sigmund Mogulesko in 1914 states that he was survived by his wife, a son
Julius, and two unnamed daughters. Only one daughter, Bessie, can be found
anywhere since that time.

Thanks for your help!

Best,
Michael Rothschild

2)----------------------------------------------------
Date: March 6, 2008
Subject: farkratet

This seems to be a variant of fargratet = barred/grated, which would be
consistent with the context.

Yael Chaver

[Moderator's note:  similar responses were received from Yankl Berger,
Barry Goldstein, Lillian Leavitt, Dina Levias, Elye Palevsky, Yekhiel
Reisner and Ruth Rischall.]

3)----------------------------------------------------
Date: March 6, 2008
Subject: farkratet/ shitn mit brokhes

Martin Jacobs asked about the meaning of "farkratet."  In a window, which
is the context, it simply means "barred," i.e., with bars on the window.
Krates are also any cross-barred pattern as in clothing, but in that case
the adjective applied to, say, a skirt, is "gekratet."

"Gebn a shit mit brokhes" I understand as spouting a bunch of brokhes to
distract someone from something, in the passage quoted.  This is a guess,
as the larger context is not apparent.

Zulema Seligsohn

4)----------------------------------------------------
Date:  March 7, 2008
Subject: farkratet/ shitn mit brokhes

A "farkratet fensterl" is a window with a grate (as in a jail).  "Krata" is
the Polish word for "grating" or "grille."

A "shit" mit "brokhes" means that these "brokhes" (sounds more like kloles
to me) would just come pouring out of the man's mouth in abundance.
("Shitn" means to "pour" and "shit" means "an outpouring").

I have heard the expression (and started to use it regarding my own
cuisine) that "My grandmother never used a cookbook. She always used the
'shit' method." ("M'shit arayn a bisl fun dem un dernokh shit men arayn a
bisl fun yenem."

Leyzer Gillig

5)----------------------------------------------------
Date: March 7, 2008
Subject: film about Jews in Lwow

Viola Hoell mentions a 1939 film about Jews in Lwow.  Which film is it, and
where can it be gotten?  Thanks!

Maurice Wolfthal

6)----------------------------------------------------
Date: March 10, 2008
Subject: stavnyes

The word "stavnyes" occurs in a story about a water-carrier whose horse has
died and who therefore can no longer deliver water to his customers.  When
the townspeople learn of the death of the horse, they grow worried that
their water supply will be cut off.  Can anyone tell me what the word
means?

"di balebostes hobn ongehoybn araynkukn in di stavnyes zen vi halt dos mitn
vaser."

Thanks in advance,
Martin Jacobs

7)----------------------------------------------------
Date:  March 23, 2008
Subject:  zayn af kest

For my research  I have the following question:  What is the Yiddish  term
that describes a marriage where it is the bridegroom who moves to his
bride's home, like the model described in Bashevis Singer's story Yentel,
where the yeshive-bokher (poor and unconnected) moves to his
father-in-law's. A similar case appears in Yoshe Kalb by I. J. Singer.  Are
there specific conditions attached?

great thanks in advance,
Thalia Gur Klein

8)----------------------------------------------------
Date:  March 27, 2008
Subject: "Some Like It Hot"

I just watched this movie from 1958, and I never "khapped" this line
before:  the theatrical agent is on the phone trying to find girl bass and
sax players.  He says, did you hear about so and so? She grew her hair long
and plays with Stokowski.  Zi shpilt zikh mit der filharmonik!"  The
agent's persona comes across as very "yidish."

zayt gezunt,
Perele Shifer

9)----------------------------------------------------
Date:  April 1, 2008
Subject:  "Shaylok un zayn tokhter"

I am seeking the original Yiddish script of Maurice Schwartz's 1947 play
"Shaylok un zayn tokhter," which was staged that year by the Yiddish Art
Theater in New York.  I've searched far and wide--colleagues, YIVO,
libraries etc.--and all anyone suggests is the English translation by
Abraham Regelson (which I have).  I hope someone on Mendele will be able to
point me in the right direction for the original Yiddish text.

a sheynem dank foroys,

Yael Chaver
______________________________________________________
End of Mendele Vol. 17.019


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