Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 08.135 March 18, 1999 1) Stempenju in French (Gerben Zaagsma) 2) indefinite article (Mikhoyel Basherives) 3) Israel Zangwill (Linda Conti) 4) Norman Salsitz's "Against All Odds" (Norma Brewer) 5) raising children before 19th century (Norman Simms) 6) poem for Bar Mitzva (Bobbie Silverman) 7) Yiddish poetry on the radio (Heynekh Sapoznik) 8) A frage (Aridoso Parshandoso) 9) Mrs. Harrison's problems have only just begun (Dovid Braun) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 28 Feb 1999 17:12:08 -0500 (EST) From: gerbn@wxs.nl (Gerben Zaagsma) Subject: Stempenju Dear Mendelyaner, a short question for a French friend who has no email: does anyone know of a French translation of Aleichem's novel Stempenju? Thanks, Gerben Zaagsma Groningen 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 28 Feb 1999 18:23:39 -0500 (EST) From: Mikhoyel Basherives Subject: indefinite article My family is from about 15 miles SE of Bobruysk, Belarus (formerly in Minsker gubernye, now I understand within the Mogilev area). The indefinite articles "a" & "an" were used in their Yiddish but they sometimes in certain cases would also say "ayn" like the German word 'ein' (I am not talking about the verbal particle "ayn" as in the verbs "aynpakn", "aynshparn zikh", etc.). My uncle wrote me in a letter "Du host dokh AYN altn feter" & this is not just 'shraybloshn' because I remember him speaking this way. My great grandmother is on tape singing "... mir shikn im ale AYN geris" ("ayn geris" instead of "a grus"). Does anyone else know of this & know when "ayn" would be used instead of "an"? Is this a local dialecticalism or is it typical of Raysish or more broadly Litvish Jews? aykh alemen a dank, Mikhoyel Basherives 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 1 Mar 1999 10:33:11 -0500 (EST) From: ceg7330@madrona-a.iperbole.bologna.it (Ferdinando Conti) Subject: Israel Zangwill My name is Linda Conti: I am an italian student and as the day of my degree is getting nearer, I decided to look for the subject of my thesis. The main subject should be british literature, but my interests have recently shifted to yiddish and hebrew, so my aim is to try and put the three things together. Unfortunately, I'm not able to find british authors who have been writing in both languages. The only name I could find is Israel Zangwill (London, 1864 - Midhurst, 1927). I am looking, therefor, for his books in english, what seems to be a really difficult search (at list here in italy): is there anyone who can give me advices on how to find informations and books about I. Zangwill, or any other british-born yiddish writer? I am looking forward to any advice Thanks in advance Linda Conti 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 3 Mar 1999 11:09:59 -0500 (EST) From: Norma Brewer Subject: Norman Salsitz's "Against All Odds" Tayere mendelyaner I was fascinated to read about the film made in Poland in 1929 - How possible is it that this film could be made available for showing in England? Who is the publisher of Norman Salsitz's book, how much is it, and is it available in England? Is Norman Salsitz coming to England, in fact, to launch his book? Norma Brewer 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 3 Mar 1999 16:07:03 -0500 (EST) From: Norman Simms Subject: raising children before 19th century I am looking for information about the way in which Jewish children were raised in the premodern (before 19th century) period. In particular, I would both like to know about contemporary documents (in Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino, or one of the many goyish languages), and about modern studies or reports on some of the following points: 1. Birthing methods. 2. Use of midwives. 3. Breast feeding by mothers or wet nurses. 4. Where babies slept-in the same room or bed with parents? 5. Time of weaning. 6. Swaddling methods. 7. Hygiene routines. 8. Gender difference in feeding, clothing, and care up to 3 or 4 years old. 9. Post-brit care. 10.Toilet training. 11.Punishment and discipline of toddlers. 12.Feeding habits. Thanks for your help. Norman Simms Hamilton, New Zealand 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 4 Mar 1999 21:16:04 -0500 (EST) From: LSilver737@aol.com Subject: poem for a Bar Mitzva Can you help me? I'm looking for a Yiddish poem to read at my son's Bar Mitzvah? The topic could be prayer, study, God, faith, holiness, Shabbat, community, nature, childen, family, peace, Israel, exodus, life cycle, Torah. Any ideas? Maybe a Yiddish song. If you can send me some things, great. If not, just some direction. Thanks. Bobbie Silverman 7)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 6 Mar 1999 12:17:41 -0500 (EST) From: Sapoznik@aol.com Subject: Yiddish poetry on the radio Tayere Mendelyaner, I have some truly odd radio broadcasts from 1940 of modern Yiddish poetry read by Victor Packer. The titles are "Banen", "Subway" and a translation of Rudyard Kipling's "Boots" ("Shikh"). Does anyone know who might have translated these and where, if anywhere, they might have been published? Heynekh Sapoznik 8)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 13:23:39 -0500 (EST) From: Aridoso Parshandoso Subject: A frage Ich bin a nayer mitglid af der liste, ooon ich will wisssen eppess wuss is mir wijchtique: vu zenen mane briln? a dank forujs Aridoso Parshandoso 9)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 2 Mar 1999 16:02:34 -0500 (EST) From: David S Braun Subject: Mrs. Harrison's problems have only just begun Iosif Vaisman comments (08.131): "A trip to the library or a note to Mendele could have saved years and years of agony." Being called _batamt_ by her father and now understanding the word may yet cause Mrs. Harrison many many years of agony. Dovid Braun, celebrating Purim yet again (this time *on* Purim) Cambridge, MA ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 08.135 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://metalab.unc.edu/yiddish/mendele.html