Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 4.125 October 6, 1994 1) Klezmer Concert (Gerald Wallick) 2) Davka yiddish software (Ellen Prince) 3) A Yiddish miracle! (Dan Leeson) 4) Interpretation of words (Evelyn Quartin Feins) 5) Red vs. fresh oranges (Dan Leeson)) 6) Grine Kuzine (Sheldon Benjamin) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 03 Oct 94 15:29:47 EDT From: WallickG@aol.com Subject: Klezmer Concert The 'New York Klezmer Ensemble' will be giving a concert at Beth-El Synagogue- New Rochelle, NY Sunday Dec. 4th 2 p.m. All profits from the concert will be used to improve handicapped accessibility and service at Beth-El. Profits from previous events have allowed the Synagogue to continue an outreach program to all Jews. In addition to the simplest things (ramps and large print books) we have special ed Hebrew School classes, a handicapped washroom, IR listening devices, a signer for the hearing impaired at Shabat services, visits from local group homes, and made modifications within the sanctuary to make it accessible to all. Call (914) 235-2700 for further information about the concert or about special services for someone you may know. Gerald Wallick 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 03 Oct 1994 16:30:17 EDT From: ellen@central.cis.upenn.edu Subject: Davka yiddish software i should warn all interested mendelnik(e)s that, when i inquired a few years ago, the price davka was charging was phenomenal. i'd be interested to know if that has changed. a dank. ellen prince 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 03 Oct 1994 14:36:22 EDT From: leeson@aspen.fhda.edu Subject: A Yiddish miracle! The following quotation is taken from "Dateline - World Jewry, September, 1994 as published by the World Jewish Congress." It reads: "TOKYO KLEZMER A new Japanese Yiddish-style Klezmer band is playing to packed audiences in Tokyo. The 16 Japanese performers in the group play Chasidic music and sing Yiddish lyrics which, for the most part, they do not understand." I wonder if they have groupies that say, "Ryoko-san -- kanst du mir spielen 'A freyliche nacht in Gan Eden'?" Dan Leeson 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 3 Oct 94 22:04:00 UTC From: m.feins@genie.geis.com Subject: Interpretation of words One of the many reasons I enjoy Mendele so much, is that some of the letters make old phrases that my father used many years ago, resurface for me. Since I was a young child, at the time, I devised my own interpretations of what he meant, and now maybe someone can tell me if I was correct. 1. Oranges - Pomegranates - How would you say orange marmalade in yiddish? I remember my Father telling me a little story (which also shows how we use tact and delicacy in the Jewish language.) His family in the little shtetl in B'Polia, Russia, were very poor. When company came, they served "alain g'macht marantz" (home made orange marmalade?). One day when some relatives (also poor people) came to visit, my grandmother served this delicacy and said "Fehyr suhch az ve en der hame." (Act as you would at home) I've also figured out that " en der hame" was three words even though I heard it as "endrame." 2. I asked this question a few weeks ago, when I wrote thanking Zellig Bach, for his excellent letter on correct Jewish writing. He mentioned that at times the letter H was used unnecessarily at the end of a word, and thus it was a "puste" or empty letter. That made me think of an expression my father would use about someone he thought was shallow, or not a serious thinker. He would say, disdainfully, "ehr iz en puste bocher" Any other interpretation of this? 3. Again, one of my father's remarks. When he saw someone he thought was outlandish, he would say, "zay nor dus bashefinish!" I know nefesh is soul. But, has anyone heard this expression, and how was it used? Excuse the poor Yiddish spelling, as I find a big gap in how I remember hearing it spoken, and the way Zellig, and others, suggest writing it. But the friendly atmosphere on Mendele makes me brave enough to try to participate. Thanks. Evelyn Quartin Feins 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 03 Oct 1994 16:23:38 EDT From: leeson@aspen.fhda.edu Subject: Red vs. fresh oranges Bob Wilson was kind enough to send me the complete verse of the greenhorn song, but in my neighborhood the reference was to "red oranges" and not "fresh oranges." I do not mean to dispute Bob, but the use of "red" was one of the very reasons why I always thought "Pomerantzen" meant pomegranates. And another thing, the accusation that the cousin had cheeks like "fresh oranges" is not a descriptive simile. What about cheeks looking like fresh oranges would make them attractive? Am I incorrect in my memory of the words of this single line of the song? Dan Leeson 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 03 Oct 94 22:10:38 EDT From: sbenj@mit.edu Subject: Grine kuzine While Di Grine Kuzine can be found in most Yiddish song books (c.f. E G Mlotek's Mir Trogn a Gezang), I have not seen many references to the folkloricization of this particular song. The original text is attributed by Chana Mlotek to J. Leiserowitz with music by Abe Schwartz with the 1922 copyright held by Prizant and Schwartz. However, my bubbe used to add a few extra verses. One that I once wrote down was: A "boy" hot ir oyse gefunen Un hot ba ir di beyde tsugenumen Af yedn "street" flegt er zi vatchen Yeder nakht flegt er zi patchen. I was particularly impressed since these added lyrics are quite in keeping with the style of the song that is replete with the likes of "next-dorke" "millinery-storke," "dzhab," "Paydays," etc. For those of you who don't know this tune, listen to it sometime. It's positively habit forming. Sheldon Benjamin PS: I count myself among those who find the grammatical, and syntactic discussions (diatribes?) the least interesting of what appears on Mendele. If we were to strip away the jokes, songs, cultural tidbits, and mayses and put them on some other list, what would remain would perhaps be some sort of pure linguistic culture but it wouldn't be Yiddish! The tone of some recent discussion on Mendele makes me feel like a proste Yid whose country ways are embarrasing to the big city Yidn. Derfishe Yidn Unite! ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 4.125 Mendele has 2 rules: 1. Provide a meaningful Subject: line 2. 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