Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 6.292 April 28, 1997 1) A Yiddish transcription guide (Ruth F. Goodman) 2) Etl-betl (Mendy Fliegler) 3) Etl-betl (Miriam Isaacs) 4) More Yiddish in films (Harold L. Orbach) 5) Moyshe Rabeynu: a maynse (Jean Maslo) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 27 Apr 1997 17:36:15 -0400 (EDT) From: ruthfg@aol.com Subject: A Yiddish transcription guide To respond to Fraydl's inquiry [6.291], I would like to say that I have been trying to use the Yivo transliteration code. However, having taught Enlish language arts for forty years, I have found it frustrating and I sympathize with anyone who tries to use it. I think, if we cannot use the Hebrew letters (which I consider preferable) then it's time to construct a new code that will conform more closely with English phonetics Ruth F. Goodman Wilmington, Delaware 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 27 Apr 1997 21:55:15 EDT From: emenems@juno.com Subject: Etl-betl Dan & Rosanne Leeson [6.291] viln visn vegn 'Etl-betl'. Ikh gedenk nor a pur pozitzies ven men nemt ariber di shtriklakh fun mentsh tzu mentsh (kind tsu kind)---Un ikh shpil dus mit mayne eyniklakh(-tsviling meydalakh)..un zey shpiln dus tsuzamen. Es iz du: A vaserl, vus kukt oys vi a glaykh vaserl tsvishn di tsvey bregn...(parallel) A sherl, vus kukt oys take vi sherl, oder beser, a shtern, ober men rift dos a sherl ven men dreyt tsvey finger oyf beyde hendt.. Un di andere hob ikh shoyn fargesn... ( a bridge= a brik)... Men ken koyfn a bikhele fun shtrik shpileray, un dortn vayst men take alerley shpiln, un oykhet dem gantzn etl-betl oyf English. Nu darf men ibertaytshn. Mendy Fliegler 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 28 Apr 1997 13:23:27 -0400 (EDT) From: misaacs@wam.umd.edu Subject: Etl-betl Vos ikh gedenk fun etl-betl iz, avade a brikl un avade a betl, ober tsum sof iz a zeg, vayl men ken es tsiyen ahin un tsurik. the game began with a brigde and then a bed or cradle. What I remember most clearly was that the last form was called a zeg - or saw when my parents taught it to me. It was also a good way to learn the names of the fingers, der grober finger- the thumb, der kleyner, der mitl finger, etc. Miriam Isaacs 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 28 Apr 1997 04:34:28 -0500 (CDT) From: hlorbach@ksu.edu Subject: More Yiddish and Yiddishkayt in films About four-fifths through the classic 1921 Valentino _Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse_ the entry of the US into WW I in France is shown by columns of marching troops under the American flag. There then is a cut to a "The Salvation Army" sign over a door from which exits a woman in khaki giving out newspapers. A large newspaper is unfolded and the French soldier reading it exclaims "Americain!" The paper is large, clear and crisp on the screen and the masthead reads _The Jewish Daily Times_ in English above a much larger-sized masthead in Yiddish characters that reads _Die Tsaytt_ with a page full of Yiddish headlines that can be read if you stop the picture. A moment later, another French soldier is seen reading a magazine that clearly has large Yiddish type for the masthead, but you never get a crisp or clear shot that would allow you to read the name. There is also a large oval illustration on the cover-page under the masthead that seems to show someone in prayer before an altar or table with a large menorah in the center. Perhaps an expert on Yiddish magazines of the time could identify it. A moment later the woman comes out of the Salvation Army door again, this time carrying a large stick full of bagels -- the old fashioned way street vendors and bakeries used to keep them -- which are eagerly snapped up by the soldiers, now including Americans. And if you have any doubt about the reference, the music being played during the entire scene which also includes some happy dancing is "Shpil Balalaika." Anyone know how this got into the movie? I can't believe it was in the novel, Rex Ingram directed and June Mathis did the script adaptation. Harold L. Orbach Manhattan, Kansas 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 28 Apr 1997 07:13:35 -0400 From: jean_maslo@compuserve.com Subject: Moyshe Rabeynu: a maynse Es vert der zimer 5O yor vi der Arbeter-Ring in Paris, hot geshafn a kinder kolonie in Corvol l'Orgueilleux, arim 2OO km fun Paris, mit der hilf fun amerikaner Arbeter-Ring, far di kinder fun SKIF = sotsialistishe kinder yidisher farband. Ven es is geshafn gevorn di kolonie, zaynen di kinder alt geven tvishn 8 un 16 yor. Meynstn hot gefelt a tate, a mame, oder beyde. Deportirt. Dos yingvarik zeynen haynt gevorn bobes in zeydes. Keyner fun unds hot nisht fargesn Corvol, di tragishe situatsie vos is dents mol, in 1947, in Frankraykh, un avade nisht vos mir hobn iber gelebt zayt der krig. Fun 1947 biz haynt hobn a knape 4 dorim yidishe kinder in Corvol fabrengt. A sakh gevezene kinder hobn tsvishn zikh khasene gehat, oykh geshikt zeyre kinder, vos shikn oder veln shikn zeyre kinder zikh ontsapn mit yidishkayt. Corvol iz undser familie heym. Es vet a groyse farzamlung der 17tn, 18tn, 19tn may 97 zayn farn yubileum. Es veln kimen SKIFistn fun der gantse velt. Mayn yidishe mame iz geven a lererin fun yidish in Corvol un in di tsukup shuln fun Arbeter Ring in Paris. A sakh kinder hobn dank ir gelernt redn, shraybn un zingen oyf yidish. Di dozike, emese maynse, vos hot nisht kayn shaykhes mitn SKIF iz geshribn lekoved ir andenkung. Moyshe Rabaynu Oyb ir zent a mol geven in Roym, Italie, hot ir zikher gezen unter di arkadn vos ringlen arum St Peter's bazilike, di andenkungs farkoyfers. Ir hot zey nisht gekent oysmaydn. Zey farkoyfn kreyts, post cartn un figurinen, in frendish (frentsoysish + yidish) zogt men statuetkes, fun Moyshe Rabaynu. Di farkoyfers ringlen arum der Vatican mit di figurinen fun undser Moyshe Rabaynu. Moyshe, der shpin kolone fun yidishkayt, undser novi, der shtrenger gezets geber fun hebrayisher folk. In marbl geshnitn durkh Mikel Angelo : tsvey kleyne tsigl herner shtraln fun zeyn kop, zey vayzn oyf di kligshaft un der koyhekh. Er tronirt shtaf, di fis oysgebraytn. Er ringlt arum mit zeyn kraftike, shtarke hant di gezetsn platn, zayn linke hant halt fest zayn kleyd. Di roymishe Moyshes zaynen fiftsn centimeter oder finf un tsvantsik hoykh. Zey zenen vays vi shnay un kortshn a bisl. Zey zitsn in dike rayen oyf ale shoyb oyslegn. Zeyere berd sheynen oyf gekempt, zey vartn di turistn. Kh'bin geven a turist. Hob ikh finf a tsontsik centimeter gekoyft. A matone far mayn mame. Beser un shener vi a falsher Vuitton zac, a falsher Cartier zeyger, eyn kave kan oder peklekh kliskes vos a frantsoyz brengt geveyntlekh tsurik fun Italie. Zi iz geven zeyer tsufridn mayn mame. Zi hot far him haynt geshrikt a tishtekhl, az es zol him zayn bakvemer, un zi hot der gezets man geshtelt oyf di televizie. Der biblisher rizrdiker man, der kop oyf rekhts oysgedreyt, hot gekukt durkhn fenster. Di zun hot im bashtralt ale fri morgn. Er hot gekukt un midkeyt di shkheynim, gekukt di likhtn zikh ontsidn, zikh oysleshn, gekukt vi di hunten biln fun eyn balkon tsum tveyter, di kinder greser vern. Mit der tseyt hot Moyshe Rabeynu zayn shney vayskayt farloyrn. Di granulozitet fun shverer shteyn hot absorbirt der shtoyb. Mayn mame hot im geputst, geribn mit a reyne shmate, s'hot gornisht geholfn. A groyer Moyshe hob ikh deportirt bey unds in shtub ven mayn mame iz avek, Moyshe Rabeynu is nisht kayn zakh vos men ken avek gebn, avek varfn. Ikh hob mir ibergetsaykt im tsurik gebn zeyn origineln shnay vayskayt. Vos tut men az men iz nisht keyn khokhem, a bisl foyl un ikonolastish ? Men nemt mit libshaft, mit a reynem bevistshtayn der Moyshe un men get im a shtikl plats in gefes-vasher. A shou mit dray un tsontsik minit shpeter, geyt men arayn in der kikh Moyshe Rabeynu zukhn, un men gefint, in tifstn fun gefes-vasher, a shtikele plastik mit eyserne drapes. Vu iz Moyshe ? Farshvindn. Di italianer, oder di khineyzer, hobn undser novi fabritsirt mit gemolte shtiklekh shteyn un mit kleyb. Shtoyb bist di geven, shtoyb vest di tsurik zeyn. Dos mol iz Moyshe nisht geratevet gevorn fun vaser. Jean Maslo Paris ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 6.292