Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 4.064 July 20, 1994 1) Toronto Conference Update (Fishl Kutner) 2) Final letters in roshe-teyves (Arnie Kuzmack) 3) Zawel Kwartin (Evelyn Quartin Feins) 4) Sliakhchitz (Andrew Cassel) 5) Oyber-Unterland/Shalet (Rick Gildemeister) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 19 Jul 1994 17:29:42 -0700 From: fishl@well.sf.ca.us Subject: Toronto Conference Update Toronto: Second International Yiddish Club Conference Update Erev Shabes starts with a unique Friday night Yiddish Service and kosher dinner. Aron Fainer, V.P. of The Committee For Yiddish of The Jewish Federation of Greater Toronto will speak on "Why A Conference of Yiddish Clubs", followed by a Yiddish sing-a-long Sat. A.M's Yiddish study session will be led by Prof. Eugene Orenstein, Chairman of Yiddish Studies at McGill Univ., Montreal. There will also be services. Chava Rosenfarb will give The Harry V. Lerner Memorial Lecture, entitled "J. I. Segal: His Life and Works". Chava's latest book "Tree of Life" has been translated into English and Hebrew. She is a dynamic Yiddish lecturer. Saturday night's gala concert feature's The Flying Bulgars Klezmer Band. Guest star is Claire Klien Osipov of Vancouver--interpreter of Yiddish folksongs. Also there will be Di Yidish Shpiler, with Michael Lebovic and Allen Farkas doing a comic skit. Finally, we'll hear the beautiful voice of Gloria Valentine. Sunday A.M. we begin the dozen workshops. Sunday afternoon has a bus tour with a visit to Beth Tzedec Synagogue Museum and a Yiddish exhibit. Next is a trip to Koffler Gallery at the JCC North with an exhibit "100 Years of Yiddish Toronto". Then a reception hosted by the Federation. Entertainment stars The Shpeeler Klezmer Band under the leadership of Gurian Hyman. Sunday evening Liba Augenfeld speaks on the poetry of Peretz Miransky. Liba was a close friend of Miransky. He was 1 of the 2 last of the "Yung Vilna". Sutskiver in Israel is the last living survivor. Many of Miransky's poems were put to music. Then Beth Tikvah Choir performs in a concert led by Saul Glick, director and composer, doing several of Miransky's works. The evening finishes with singing by Cantor Louis Danto. Monday morning continues with key workshops. Monday afternoon's activity has the wrap-up and evaluation. There will be a meeting of the Conference Committee to start plans for the Third International Yiddish Club Conference. For a list of workshops call Bess Shockett, the Coordinator (416) 787-0526, or send a SASE to Fishl Kutner, 1128 Tanglewood Way, San Mateo, CA, 94403. Fishl Kutner 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 19 Jul 1994 21:28:28 -0500 (EDT) From: kuzmack@umbc.edu Subject: Final letters in roshe-teyves According to my Hebrew teacher, in modern Hebrew, final letters are used in roshe-teyves when it is pronounced like a word. The example that comes to mind is aleph-vav-mem-sofit, pronounced [u:m], which stands for umot meukhadot, "United Nations". On the other hand, mem-vav-mem (not mem-sofit) stands for masa umatan, "negotiation", which is never pronounced [mum] as written. BTW, what does lamed-tsadi-sofit stand for? It's not in Alcalay. Arnie Kuzmack 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 20 Jul 94 02:28:00 UTC From: e.feins@genie.geis.com Subject: Zawel Kwartin To: Bernard Greenberg My original note re: this topic was sent about a week ago, and tonight I received one other reply from Zackary Baker, re: Zawel writing an autobiography. I have only one of his records, which my father gave me a long time ago. Can you give my any further information about him? To: Dovid Braun Thank you for your advising me on Zavel having written a book. I assume this was in Yiddish, or Hebrew, since he emigrated to Israel in his later years. Would you have any idea as to how I might find out where to locate this book. Evelyn Quartin Feins 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 19 Jul 94 23:05 edt From: acassel@philly.cerf.fred.org Subject: Sliakhchitz Thanks to all who helped define der szlachcic Stavitzki ... and perhaps give life to the old saw "drunk as a lord." (shiker vi a szlachcic?) Iz do an andere, oykh fun zeyde's zikhroines: "M'hot mit kuntzen oyfgebrokhen dem shlos fun Reuvn Madeksher's hoyf, velkher hot gehondelt mit jegekhts, un m'hot aroysgekaykelt a dray-fir laydige jegekhts tunen. Di madekshekhe hot zikh afile gepruft nit derlozn tzu nemen di tunen ...." Is "madekshekhe" a variant of the proper name, or does it have its own meaning? (apologizing for my own poorly romanized and phrased Yiddish, the product of two 8-week night courses thus far....) Andrew Cassel 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 20 Jul 94 08:18:39 EDT From: EEGLC%CUNYVM.bitnet@YaleVM.YCC.Yale.Edu Subject: Oyber-Unterland/Shalet To: Meyshe Alpert -- Thanks for filling in the gaps. Unfortunately for me I only know what I put in my posting, and it's wonderful that you've filled in the gaps. Over the years I've gleaned a lot of esoterica; when you've spanned these interesting subjects over time, you remember only the most striking details. My main point was to bring out that there is such an area, which is delight- ful in itself to read about. After all, how did Western Yiddish make it to the Carpathians? I don't know all the geographical areas you mentioned, just that I read about it in a short article somewhere (where, I wish I remembered). Also, there had been some discussion on the list of "tsholent", and I couldn't resist hypothesizing that "solent" sounds like a sabesdiker-Mayrevdiker compromise. I first got interested in the area because a close friend of mine's grand- parents were from there (and very obviously Unterland -- pass the "piter" please). They were from Munkacs/Mukacevo/Minkatshov (the latter an early Yiddish name. Rick Gildemeister ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 4.064 A Table of Contents is now available via anonymous ftp, along with weekly updates. Anonymous ftp archives available on: ftp.mendele.trincoll.edu in the directory pub/mendele/files Archives available via gopher on: gopher.cic.net Mendele has 2 rules: 1. Provide a meaningful Subject: line. 2. Sign your article. Send articles to: mendele@yalevm.ycc.yale.edu Other business: nmiller@mail.trincoll.edu