Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ____________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 19.022 April 9, 2010 1) Finfer-turem, Finfer-shlos (Alan Shuchat) 2) Finfer-turem, Finfer-shlos (Pearl Hoberman) 3) Letnik (Elvira Groezinger) 4) Website Yiddish Sources relaunched (Gerben Zaagsma) 5) Peysakhke Burstein (Itsik Goldenberg) 6) Dvoyre Foygls "Fun der benkshaft" (Yael Chaver) 7) "The Shiker Song" (Kalman Felsher) 8) Verter tsu Sutkevers a lid (Sheva Tsuker) 9) "gram shtram" (Maurice Wolfthal) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: March 14, 2010 Subject: Finfer-turem, Finfer-shlos Lena Watson asks, "In Leivick's "Di geule-komedie," I have come across a Finfer-turem as the location of the Golem's and Messiah ben David's final confrontation with the Maharal. A couple of pages later, there's a mention of Finfer- shlos. To the best of my knowledge, the drama unfolded in the Old New Synagogue in Prague, but I have been unable to find any reference to Finfer, be it a tower or a caste. Is it an actual name or just a reference to the tower's shape, i.e. pentagonal?" In Joachim Neugroschel's translation of "The Golem," he writes, "On top of the mansion there were five large towers with ancient figures, which were obviously from the days when men worshiped the sun." Later, he refers to the Fifth Tower. That sounds like finfer-turem, finfer-shlos. Alan Shuchat 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: March 15, 2010 Subject: Finfer-turem, Finfer-shlos Lena Watson asks about the Finfer Turem or Finfer Shlos at the Alt Neu Shul in Prague. I believe the reference may be to the dome shaped ceiling in the Alt Neu Shul, which is supported or braced by five arch-shaped supports. In other buildings of that time, such ceilings were braced by four such supports but that creates a cross shape and they braced the Shul roof with five arches to avoid the Christian symbol. Pearl Hoberman 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: March 14, 2010 Subject: Letnik There was a query about the word "letnik" by Leonard Fox ("gram shtram") in Mendele, March 14, 2010. In Polish this word means not a summer garment but a vacationer and a summer lodging guest! Best, Elvira Groezinger 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: March 22, 2010 Subject: website Yiddish Sources relaunched Dear friends and colleagues, I am pleased to announce the launch of the new version of Yiddish Sources today. You can visit the website here: http://yiddish-sources.com Yiddish Sources aims to be a comprehensive source of information for those who are interested in using Yiddish materials in their research. The information is arranged in three main sections: reference, research and events. A new addition is the Yiddish Studies Bibliography, an online bibliography which lists relevant scholarly literature in the field of Yiddish Studies. Yiddish Sources and the Yiddish Studies Bibliography will be continuously updated. It is easy to stay updated on new content by subscribing to RSS feeds or follow Yiddish Sources on Twitter and Facebook. Registered users can bookmark entries and also leave comments. Feedback and suggestions are very much appreciated and can be sent to info at yiddish-sources.com Please forward this announcement to anyone you think might be interested. A sheynem dank and with best wishes, Gerben Zaagsma 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: March 15, 2010 Subject: Pesakhke Burstein Re: Perele Shifer's question about Pesakhke Burstein, his son is Mike Burstyn. Perhaps his address (in Israel) is available from New Yorker Video, which produced the DVD "Komediant" about the Burstein Family. Itsik Goldenberg 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: March 13, 2010 Subject: Dvoyre Foygls "Fun der benkshaft" In response to Mio Sybille Hamann's query in Mendele 19.021: The poem titled "Fun der Benkshaft," is on p. 39 of her collection "Tog-Figurn" (Farlag Tsushtayer, Lemberg 1930). The garbled lines should read: in stanza 4: fun azoy un azoy fil geng, in stanza 6: nor ikh hob farshtanen dem vaserikn tam I could e-mail a scan of the poem to the writer. Yael Chaver 7)---------------------------------------------------- Date: March 23, 2010 Subject: "The Shiker Song" I am looking for the lyrics to "The Shiker Song" which was sung by Molly Picon in "Yidl Mitn Fidl." I think the lyrics were composed by Itsik Manger. Thank you. Kalman Felsher 8) ---------------------------------------------------- Date: March 17, 2010 Subject: Verter tsu Sutkevers a lid Ken emetser mir zogn di yidishe verter tsu der iberzetsung fun Sutzkevers a lid? Di shures kumen fun "Lider fun a togbukh." You say: There is no God. No world creator. If so, my friend, it seems, the miracle is greater: He isn't and created all that isn't, all that is, Light and shade, rainbows of madness, all are his: from "Poems from My Diary (1974-1985)," Tr. Harshav A dank, Sheva Tsuker 9)---------------------------------------------------- Date: March 29, 2010 Subject: "gram shtram" It is possible that the first two words of the Yiddish "gram shtram, makh mir a letnik" are related to an old Germanic elimination chant (like the English "eenie, meenie, mynie mo"), "am stram gram," which also survives in modern French (as in a song recorded by Yves Montand in the 1950s). 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