Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 08.057 September 14, 1998 90 yoriker yoyvl fun der ershter yidisher shprakh-konferents in Tshernovits Part VIII 1) zhitlovski un tshernovits (shikl fishman) 2) Two roads to Yiddishism (Louis Fridhandler) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1998 09:48:09 -0700 (PDT) From: Joshua Fishman Subject: zhitlovski un tshernovits [Fragments from the article, that will be published in "Afn Shvel"] khaim zhitlovski (1865-1942) iz geven eyner fun di lekhatkhilhadike farrufers fun der tshernovitser konferents fun 1908. der ruf iz aroys dafke fun der bronks, beys nosn birnboyms ershtn vizit keyn amerike demolt. hot nosn birnboim (zikh gefilt vi a gekrivdeter in tsveyen un a shtark baevlter: ershtns, veyl hertsl hot bey im, in meshekh fun di mitele 90er yorn, gehat "tsugegnvet" di tsionistishe bavegung, un, tsveytns, vayl di estrayhish-ungerishe monarhie hot bay im tsugegnvet di parlement-valn fun 1906, ven birnboym hot kandidirt tsum parlement vi der farshteyer fun der betshutsher gegnt. dokh iz er geven greyt ayntsushteln, az nisht zhitlovski un nisht pinski veln im fun der vayter amerike "bagonvenen". un zayn hashoreh hot zikh aroysgevizn tsu zayn a barebtikte. tsurik geshmuest, hobn di tsvey oybn dermante "amerikaner" (geven oykh a driter, fun der teater-velt - a velt mit velkher birnboym hot a gants lebn angehaltn farbindungen, i nokh far zayn yidishizm i nokh dem), pinski un zhitlovski, gor shtark bavirkt dem ongegebenem seyder-hayom fun der planirter asife. zey hobn beyde zeyer gevolt zikh bavorenen az di konferents zol nit vern stam a "teoretisher shlabtfeld" un zol zikh opgebn der iker mit "praktishe inyenim" letoyves yidish. nu, der mentsh trakht un got lakht. di konferents hot zikh koym, koym geaynikt - nokh a gantser vokh debatirn - oyf der rezolutsie, az "yidish iz a natsionale shprakh fun yidishn folk" un mit ot dem "oyftn" iz zi arayn in der geshikhte. tsvantsik yor shpeter keyn tsentn yobiley fun der "konferents" hot men nit opgemerkt, mistome vayl oygust 1918 iz nokh di ershte velt-milkhome geven in fuln bren. nor in 1928 hobn zikh shoyn yo bavizn etlebe opshatsungen. di barimtste zenen efsher geven di negative meynungen fun bundishe un krub-tsu-bundishe tuers (lemoshl, n. mayzel, n.prilutski, g.pludermaher, kh.sh.kazdan un m.a.zilberfarb), a negativer gang vos hot mamshikh geven un fartift di negativkeyt fun ester frumkinen nokh beys un bald nokh der konferents. oykh zhitlovski hot demolt (1928) in der niu-yorker _tsukunft_ zikh oysgedrikt vegn der konferents, nor zayn meynung iz shoyn geven i a mer balansirte, i a mer komplitsirte. in di farlofene tsvantsik yor hot zikh a sakh gehot gebitn. di estraykh-ungerishe monarkhie iz zikh tsefaln un oyf ir ort zenen oyfgekumen di naye melukhelekh fun tsentral- un dorem-mizrah- eyrope. dos tsarishe rusland iz oykh zikh tsefaln un akhuts dem komunistishn rezhim zenen oyfn amolikn tsaristishn shtakh oyfgekumen di naye baltishe melukhelekh. ot di beyde imperies un oykh dos tseshlogene daytshland hobn oyfgegebn di poylishe shtokhim vos zey hobn gehat farnumen in meshekh fun yorhunderter un dos naye poyln hot bald tsugehabt fun dem nokh opgeshvakhtn rusland eynike vaysrusishe un ukraynishe shtohim. far yidn iz oykh geven vikhtik vos di otomanish-terkishe imperie iz nit nor bimet vi in gantsn aroysgeshtoysn gevorn fun eyrope, nor vos in miteln-mizrakh zenen ire nit- anatolishe pravintsn (erets-yisroel besoykhem) gevorn oder frantsoyzishe oder britishe "mandatn". di yidishe realitet hot zikh radikal gebitn, legabe der fun mit tsvontsik yor frier. zi iz gevorn a mer tseshpoltene un a mer ophengike in nit-stabile, nit iberik yidn- frayndlehe (shoyn opgeredt vegn di ofn fashistishe un komunistishe) rezhimen. (agav, punkt dos hot nokh het far der milkhome foroysgezogt nosn birnboym, der tomed gloybiker in der "on-kumendiker demokratizatsie" fun estraykh-ungern un fun rusland.) ot di gebitene realitet hot zhitlovski geven gedarft nemen in batrakht ven er hot in 1928 opgeshatst di oyftuen un di durhfalen fun "tshernovits". zol der hayntiker leyener aleyn mishpetn tsi er hot dos take epes an ofn geton. pozitive oyftuen loyt zhitlovskin iz der grester nitsokhn fun "tshernovits" geven "di neshome zayne, di shtoltse, gerekhte, di durkhgeglite, mit an emeser libe un tifn derekh-erets tsu folk un shprakh". zhitlovski shraybt afilu tsu "alts vos mir hobn far di tsvontsik yor oyfgeton, in dem oyfboy fun undzer moderner veltlekher kultur ... oyf di felder fun dertsiung, literatur, prese, un teater" tsu der "neshome fun tshernovits." ven zhitlovski probirt in kurtsn definirn vos er meynt eygntlekh mit ot dem gefligletn oysdruk, "di neshome fun tshernovits", farruft er zikh oyfn tsurikshlaydern di anti-yidish-meynungen un shtelungen funem hebraistishn tsionism, fun der asimilatsie un fun der ortodoksie. farshteyt zikh, az fun aza modernem denker vi zhitlovski voltn mir gemegt hofn oyf konkretere bagrifn vi stam di romanitishe "neshome" ("di shprakh iz di neshome fun folk" a'a azelkhe farshpreyte mistishe formulirungen). azoy tsi azoy, hot zhitlovski ober gezen in yidish (un in "tshernovits" vi dos ort vu men hot aroysgevizn koved far yidish) a "kegnshtrom vos vet farnemen punkt aza khoshevn plats in dem geshikhtlebn gang fun der mentshheyt vi ale andere progresive felker". yidish iz loyt zhitlovskin (un nisht nor bay zhitlovskin), leheypekh tsum reaktsionern hebreish, geven der derekh-hamelekh tsu a progresiver tsukunft far yidn, in di mekhtike reyen fun ale andere progresive felker. yidish un yidishizm zenen bay zhitlovskin geven vikhtike elementn un koykhes in shaykhes i mit veltlekhkeyt, i mit progresivkeyt, in kamf kegn di tseshtererishe koykhes tsvishn yidn vos zenen geshtanen faraynikt kegn yidish. tsu ot der progresivkeyt hot mashmoes gefirt un mitgevirkt di "neshome" fun tshernovits. negative aspektn fun tshernovits zhitlovski hot zikh oykh mode geven, az "tshernovits" iz in eynike vikhtike aspektn geven a troyeriker durkhfal. "mitsad di hofenungen vos men hot farbundn mit der [kultur-]organizatsie [vos di konferents hot gezolt grindn vi ir hemshekhdike farkerperung], iz tsernovits geven a klorer, umbashtriner durkhfal, [vayl] shoyn tsu fil farshidnartik zenen geven yene elementn vos hobn tsunoyfgeshtelt di konferents". ot der negativer sakhakl iz nit keyn eynmoliker aroyszog bay zhitlovskin. mit etlekhe paragrafn vayter shraybt er, az "inem prat fun direkter aynvir - kung oyfn lebn mitsad der organizatsie vos iz bashafn gevorn oyf der konferents, iz tsernovits geven a tsradiker durkhfal... dos nay geboyrene kind hot gelebt nor a por teg... di rezolutsie fun "a" natsionaler shprakh, onshtot "der" natsionaler shprakh, hot glaykh fun onhayb on tseshpoltn im dem moyekh un farmshpet im oyf a nit lang ongehaltener ksise". di organizatsie vegn velkher zhitlovski redt do iz der kimat fargesener "oysfir-biuro far kultur-arbet" vos birnboym hot zikh gehat farendikt. nor azoy vi er iz geven a kaptsn in zibn poles un keyn prute gelt hot men fun ergets nit tsugeshikt kedey zikh un zayn meshpokhe oystsuhaltn un mitn biuro ontsufirn. hot er, nokhn varfn zikh aher (zukhndik kheyune fun zayne tsvey tshernovitser oysgabes: dokter birnboyms vokhnblat - oyf yidish - das Volk - oyf daytshish) un varfn zikh ahin (onfirndik mit a bikherkram, mit der hilf fun rutener tsu vemens natsionale aspiratsies er iz shoykh lange yorn gehat geven zeyer frayndlekh), oyfgegebn zayn voynort in tshernovits un zikh avek-gelozt oyf an andern derekh, oyfn derekh vos hot gefirt fun yidishizm tsu agudistisher frumkeyt. shikl fishman [Romanized by Ester Vaisman] 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 17:22:32 EDT From: Lfridhan@aol.com Subject: Two roads to Yiddishism (Nathan Birnbaum and Sholem Aleichem) The lives and careers of Nathan Birnbaum and Sholem Aleichem meet in the arena of Yiddishism. Each arrived there by contrasting routes. Nathan Birnbaum (1864-1937) coined the terms "Yiddishism and Yiddishist." Born in Vienna, he was reared among people immersed in the German culture so highly regarded then among all people, including Jews. Yiddish was scorned in his milieu. However, he came to be a defender and exponent of Yiddish through his own deep philosophical reflections coupled with devotion to defending the survival of the Jewish spirit despite the hostile environments in which Jews lived. Sholem Aleichem came to Yiddishism by another route entirely. Sholem Aleichem (1859-1916) was enveloped by Yiddish in childhood. Hebrew, however, was more highly regarded. His first publications were in Hebrew. The Russian language was essential for making a living and dealing in the Ukraine of his birth. He learned Russian by age 14 or thereabouts, read many Russian literary masterpieces, and dreamed of becoming a Russian writer. He eventually did write works in Russian. According to his own account, his inspiration to write in Yiddish was his discovery in the early 1880s of Mendele's (Abramovitch's) Yiddish pieces beginning in the 1860s. In his 20s then, he found that Yiddish (the forceful, expressive, homey language of kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, street, school, work, play, love and hate) was fit for artistic creation. The language was a gift he already owned, and he exploited it brilliantly, most engagingly. That is how Sholem Aleichem came to Yiddishism. Nathan Birnbaum was one of the main, driving forces and organizers of the Czernowitz language conference beginning August 30, 1908. Sholem Aleichem was not able to attend because of illness. He had collapsed with acute hemorrhagic tuberculosis in Baranovitch on July 28, 1908. For two months, he remained in Baranovitch, hovering between life and death. Going to Czernowitz was out of the question. This next comment of mine is based on nothing but my general impression of Sholem Aleichem's world view. I suggest, not insist on the following. I believe Sholem Aleichem would have felt that the debate between Yiddishists and Hebraists could never be resolved, was futile, and did not matter in the long run. Sholem Aleichem was driven by what could be done today. I believe he felt that if you found something useful or inspiring or interesting to do today, the future would be taken care of. He was well aware of the debates about great issues that might shape the Jewish future, but doing is what counted most in his general perspective. He admired, did not disparage, discussions among ideologues like Nathan Birnbaum, but did not join them in their passions. There are, however, occasional vignettes that suggest something else. He was, for example, passionately devoted to protecting Yiddish language and literature from damage by shund writers like Shomer as illustrated by the humorless diatribe, _Shomers Mishpet_ (1888). However, Sholem Aleichem's ironic, gently amused air about most things fits the general picture I drew. Here is an example: Sholem Aleichem caricatured the aftermath of the Czernowitz language conference in 1915 in a satiric piece, part of _Kasrilevker Progres_ (Ale Verk Fun Sholem- Aleykhem, Folksfond Oysgabe, Vol. I, see pp. 68-71). Neither Hebraists nor Yiddishists in Kasrilevke were happy with the results of the famous conference. At a meeting of a Kasrilevke society, the Hebraists would not let Yiddish be spoken, and the Yiddishists would not permit a Hebrew speaker to continue. Finally, when someone yelled out "Czernowitz," it was as though a bomb had been thrown. All restraint was abandoned. Fighting broke out. Now we turn our attention to poor Noyekh. Noyekh was a selfless Kasrilevke citizen, a generous soul always ready to serve others without seeking or expecting any reward. He had organized the society. When fighting broke out, Noyekh was rewarded with the worst punishment. Sholem Aleichem observes: "If a person runs from honor and dignity, honor and dignity chase him down." As noted above, Sholem Aleichem was ill in Baranovitch during the Czernowitz conference. As soon as he could take pen in hand he began to write, undertaking a Yiddish translation of Koheles (Ecclesiastes). For example, _vanity, all is vanity_ was translated by him: blote sheb-blote, s'iz altsding blote, a nekhtiker tog. In his introduction to _Koheles af mame-loshn_ he wrote: I lie in my sick-bed ... in Baranovitch and was lately not in Baranovitch but in Czernowitz. I mean to say, my sinning flesh lay around here, but my soul was there at the first Jewish Language Conference. For the whole week of the conference I was most deeply irritated. My temperature rose day by day, my cough worsened, my appetite weakened. My doctor was beside himself! My good friend Dr. Birnbaum gave his opening speech in our mame- loshn, and because of such a mame-loshn, my temperature jumped six-tenths of a degree (Celsius)! The heated debates over which should be named our national language made my temperature rise almost to 40. My doctor was actually frightened. (See I.D. Berkowitz, Undzere Rishoynim, Tel Aviv: Hamenora, 1966, Vol. 3, pp. 150-151.) In 1908, Nathan Birnbaum was still a struggling student of Yiddish. His style and usage must have seemed awkward to an east European native Yiddishist like Sholem Aleichem. However, Birnbaum kept working at it, and as evidence of his devotion to the cause, he eventually became a fluent orator and effective writer of Yiddish. He also translated a number of Sholem Aleichem pieces into German. Louis Fridhandler ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 08.057 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