Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 08.040 August 6, 1998 1) Moshe Rabeynu (Menakhem Karp, Tsirl-Ester Kuznitz) 2) Yidish-organizatsyes afn internet (Sholem Berger) 3) song (Mikhl Herzog) 4) Der goyrl fun der "Yidishe Gas" (Tsirl-Ester Kuznitz) 5) From zealous clarion (sylvia schildt) 6) Inventory of Teaching Materials (Lucas Bruyn) 7) Nokhem, Nakhem (Michael Shimshoni) 8) feygl (Marjorie Schonhaut Hirshan) 9) Yinglish (Chuck Schonhaut) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 18:50:19 -0400 (EDT) From: mdkarp Subject: Moshe Rabeynu In response to Yankel Kurtzman's request, I have the Yiddish primer "Dos Idishe Kind", which contains the poem that Yankel mentioned. I used the book in a Yiddish class at a Talmud Torah, which explains the religious themes in the stories and poems. The author is Pinkhas Rodoy and the book was published in 1929. This is the poem: A BEYS HAMEDRESHL Moyshe Rabeynu af yener velt Varf mir arop a zekele gelt! Tsu vos darfstu a zekele gelt? A ferd un vegele tsu koyfn! Tsu vos darfstu a ferd un vegele koyfn? Shteyndelekh tsu firn! Tsu vos darfstu steyndelekh firn? A beys-hamedreshl tsu boyen! Tsu vos darfstu a beys-hamedreshl boyen? Dem foter in himl loybn, On im tuen mir gloybn! Menakhem Karp [Moderator's note: The same text was submitted by Tsirl-Ester Kuznitz. -i.v.] 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1998 12:44:55 -0400 (EDT) From: "Sholem Berger" Subject: Yidish-organizatsyes afn internet Ot iz a reshime fun yidish-organizatsyes un -zhurnaln (tsvishn zey di khoshevste un di eltste) vos gefinen zikh nisht afn internet, af vifl ikh veys. (Der "Forverts" iz oykh tsvishn zey nor vet bald aroystretn mit an eygenem vebzaytl.) * Di Tsukunft un Tsiko * Di Pen (khotsh OIYS iz yo afn veb) * Di Yidish-lige un "Afn Shvel" * Der Veltrat far yidisher kultur (Yisroel) un "Yidish-buletin" * Di Yisroel-shtime un di Letste nayes * Yidishe Kultur * Tsaytshriftn fun di khsidishe kekhiles (Algemeyner Zhurnal, Der Yid, Mayles, u"a) * Mistome a sakh andere vos kh'hob fargesn Ikh veys az s'iz nishto genug tsayt oder koyekh (vi ale mol), un me vil nisht avekgebn umzist dem gantsn tekst fun a zhurnal, nor s'volt khotsh geven a gedank tsu hobn a inhalt afn internet un a bashraybung fun der organizatsye, abi tsu hobn reprezentirung. Nor a gedank. Eyns fun di fil zakhn vos darfn mekuyem vern. Sholem Berger Nyu-york 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 4 Aug 1998 21:49:20 -0400 (EDT) From: "Mikhl Herzog" Subject: song The rabbi whom the Kurtzmans queried (08.038) obviously didn't know the camp song we used. (Sorry I can't convey the melody): Ikh bin gevaldik tsufridn vos mayn mame hot mir gehat (x 3) Un nit keyn fremde yidene! Mikhl Herzog 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 5 Aug 1998 20:54:39 -0400 (EDT) From: Cecile Esther Kuznitz Subject: Der goyrl fun der "Yidishe Gas" ? Tsi ken emetser masber zayn di misterieze bamerkung in an artikl in "Forverts," az di kseroks-koporatsye (Xerox Corp.) hot "gazonlish farkhapt" dem moskver zshornal "Di Yidishe Gas" ? Tsi geyt der zshornal nokh alts aroys ? Tsirl-Ester Kuznitz Stanford 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 6 Aug 1998 02:06:26 -0400 (EDT) From: creativa@charm.net (sylvia schildt) Subject: From zealous clarion It's distressing to find myself in opposition to someone I respect as much as I do Lucas Bruyn, but I must explain certain things, both to him and any others who share his opinion. "Interference" from world Jewry helped create modern Zionism and the state of Israel, help her build the land, the hospitals, the Histadrut, reforest the dry places, build up the universities, defend her in times of danger, and so much more. The boundary between Israel and the Jews in the Diaspora is fuzzy at best. Non-Israeli Jews have long expressed their support and/or criticism of various aspects of the Israeli government and the Sokhnut. It's a grand old tradition, whether met with approval or not. If it were not so, why do members of the Israeli government and other entities need to come calling at all those $1000 a plate dinners? Correction - a Yiddish curriculum does exist, texts, testing and materials do exist, teachers are being prepared at places like Lewinsky (no relation to Monica?) College. Budget is for expansion of activities from 40 schools to a much greater number -- I believe there are around 200 to 300 schools in the land. I hope that clarifies this situation. If I seem zealous, it's because here is an opportunity being squashed to achieve something very important in the Israeli schools. Just as the so-called dead language of Hebrew was revived by fiat of clarion call Rock Ivrit Zealots, so must Yiddish be saved from destruction by making it available to Israeli kids, K through high school and beyond ,not to replace Hebrew, but as an important part of their Jewish Heritage. All the love and nostalgia in the world for Yiddish, and I agree, all the university programs, be there 50 or 100, will not be enough. It must be nurtured in the young. Yiddish is still in the mouths of Orthodox children -- but what about Yiddish in the mouths of kids from secular homes? sylvia schildt baltimore, maryland 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 6 Aug 1998 08:05:39 -0400 (EDT) From: "L.M. Bruyn" Subject: Inventory of Teaching Materials Now the Mendelists seem to be at the point of taking political action with the aim to have Yiddish taught in Israeli schools (The E-mail address of the Knesset is still a secret) I would like to make an inventory of teaching materials for Yiddish in existence. First of all I want to collect a list with biographic details: Writer, title, sub-title, publisher, place and year of publication, number of pages, ISBN/Library of Congress number; Because a title does not tell much I would also like the following information. Type of book, e.g. course book, reader, grammar with/without exercises. Language of instruction, group the book is intended for (very young children, primary school, college, university, self instruction, short intensive courses; level aimed at (beginners, intermediate, upper intermediate, advanced). If possible information about the method used should be added as well, e.g. grammar-translation method, integrated course. If the course is supported by other materials, such as audiovisual materials, computer programmes, this should be indicated. I also would like information from teachers who have taught courses using certain materials or combinations of materials. What works, for whom? What dictionary did you use? Are there any educational posters? Flashcards? Information from students who loved a certain course is also welcome. Information from teachers and students outside the United States/ Canada - Israel, Europe, CIS countries will be most welcome. If this information has already been collected, please let me know how to find it. Lucas Bruyn. 7)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 6 Aug 1998 05:06:24 -0400 (EDT) From: Michael Shimshoni Subject: Nokhem, Nakhem In 08.037 my friend Yosef Gilboa brings an explanation from his Rabbi about Nokhum and Nakhum, claiming that the latter should be used for prophets while Nokhum is appropriate for humans. I have a serious disagreement with that as in the Bible we have a book Nakhum after a prophet by that name, who in spite of being a prophet was still a *human* being. The whole matter reminds me of a story I heard or read many many years ago. In a town the name of their Rebbe was Nokhem and he held very strong views on most matters trying to impose them on his flock. One person who disagreed on something with Reb Nokhem quoted the khumesh Shmos(=Shmot=Exodus) 13,17 were it said "loy nokhem eloyhim", i.e. Nokhem is not God. Reb Nokhem replied quickly, quoting the next three words of that verse: "derekh erets plishtim!", i.e. something like show some respect you Philistine. The word Philistine here referring essentially to that unpleasant (for the Jews) nation of Delila and others, and not to its modern usage. To clarify matters, I have tried to use here the Ashkenazi (Yiddish) transliteration of Hebrew words and names, and hope that I have not made too many mistakes. Michael Shimshoni 8)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 6 Aug 1998 11:47:36 -0400 (EDT) From: SHirshan@aol.com Subject: feygl What's in a name? Sounds like a fair exchange - Shprintse the Bird-girl for Feygl the Blossom. Shayle for Mikhl: What is the English name for the flower from which the name Feygl is derived? My favorite niece, Feygele, has been calling herself Tsipora... Also my apology for my dyslexic reversals in transliterative 'ay' and 'ey'. I should have written 'peyde' and 'treyf' in Mendele 8.038. Marjorie Schonhaut Hirshan Jackson, New Hampshire 9)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 6 Aug 1998 15:28:43 -0400 (EDT) From: Chuneh@aol.com Subject: Yinglish Marjorie Schonhaut Hirshan has raised a valid point regarding English words in Yiddish. There were many words that Yiddish speaking immigrants used that were only in English. For example, in akosher butcher shop there would be a sign in Yiddish letters, chickens. I remember asking for the Yiddish word and few if any remembered a hun. It is true thet our lerers in shule wanted us to use the old country Yiddish. In part to preserve it, in part because many of them were poets and writers and they wanted to insure a future audience,in part because the classic Yiddish literature which they were teaching had no English and in mostly because people who teach language are usually resistant to change. This is true in France where the Academy is fighting against the constant growth of English words in everyday French. There is recognition among many of Spanish speaking New Yorkerds that there is a spoken language called Spanglish. Where Yiddish is an everyday language in the Hasidic community then there are English words. For example, nobody seems to use any word for ball as in varf dem ball. If as Yiddishists want and Yiddish is to be a living language the it has to include English derived words. Chuck Schonhaut ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 08.040 Address for the postings to Mendele: mendele@lists.yale.edu Address for the list commands: listproc@lists.yale.edu Mendele on the Web: http://www2.trincoll.edu/~mendele http://sunsite.unc.edu/yiddish/mendele.html