Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 4.205 November 30, 1994 1) Introduction (Judith Binder) 2) Thoughts on a Mendele convention (Louis Fridhandler) 3) "Oyssheygetsn" (Shleyme Axelrod) 4) Lodz ghetto (Binyomin Weiner) 5) More Shostakovich (Soreh Benor) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 29 Nov 1994 17:25:43 -0500 (EST) From: jbinder@wellesley.edu Subject: Introduction I'm at Wellesley college. I am translating a story by Y.L. Peretz, and I can not find some words. Could someone help me? If anyone could tell me about a book that would help me that would be wonderful. I would like to apologize in advance... I do not Know how to transliterate, so this is the best I can do. The story is "A Yingele" 1.Tzipyorek 2.A roite Mogn-Doved fun a lamter - Could anyone tell me what a latern like this was ? or what it was used for? 3.Elef Hashishi - Where does this term come from? 4.Lange Einfar-Hoise 5.Mieshtshonske - in the context of "Di Shmole pasen fun di mieshtshanske felder" Judith Binder 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: 29 Nov 94 13:43:31 EST From: 74064.1661@compuserve.com Subject: Thoughts on a Mendele convention The more I imagine what a Mendele convention would be like, the more attractive the prospect. All would enjoy the face to face meetings with fellow Mendelyanerim (is that a neologism?!). But what do you say after you say hello? The first and most obvious answer is: Some of what is now being debated on Mendele. 1. E.g., the necessity of an inclusionary policy whose logical consequence is a liberal acceptance of non-standard Yiddish in non-standard romanization. (Part of a larger panel discussion?) 2. That being said, there is certainly room for those who would argue that high, consistent standards facilitate communication and that such standards support Yiddish continuity. Future generations of Yiddishists (halevay) deserve to work on the firm base that high standards provide. (Another panel discussion?) 3. Has anyone on Mendele been writing original Yiddish stories or articles or memoirs? If so, a session devoted to that would be exciting. 4. Mendele is newsworthy in my opinion, and Yiddish needs better press and public relations. IMHO that ought to be an overt goal of a Mendele convention, or at least a subtext of a Mendele convention. Among other results, it may have an impact on one minor but gnawing annoyance. In my personal experience, those who know the least about Yiddish are the most certain they know what Yiddish is or is not: e.g., Yiddish is not a language, Yiddish has no grammar, Yiddish is bad German, etc., etc. The dogged certainty of the ignoramus in all fields is legendary. The field of Yiddish is no exception. Does anyone agree that this is a problem at all, or worthy of discussion? 5. Ashkenazic Jewish history is a vast field yet still closed to most Jews and non-Jews. Therein is the dramatic saga of the vicissitudes of Yiddish culture and its miraculous survival. I believe an exploration is worth the effort. I have no idea whether this is currently a serious part of academic research. If so, should Mendele take a little bite of that vast subject? Can we start a discussion on line in preparation? Are there any academic specialists in that field on line? 6. The linguistics professors will note that I have essentially ignored their passionate interest. That's only because of my ignorance. I really would like to learn, but I can't frame a sensible question. 7. A Mendele convention would surely overlap, in subject matter, a Yiddish Club convention. However, I suspect it would turn out to be rather different, as it should be. In a guter sho, a Mendele tsunoyfkum vet undz shafn groys fargenign. Dervayl lomir zikh freyen mit vos mir hobn in Mendele. Louis Fridhandler 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 29 Nov 1994 22:26:45 -0500 (EST) From: ptyaxel@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu Subject: "oyssheygetsn" In the Yiddish Forverts of Nov. 25, 1994, in the column "Azoy shraybn 'zey'!", the writer K. (kuf) comments on an advertisement placed somewhere by a group of rightists who identify themselves as American supporters of Likud. The ad takes to task Binayamin Netanyahu, David Levy, and Aruk Sharon for joining with the Rabin government in betrayal of Israeli national interests. "Inem oyfruf vern 'oysgesheygetst' [quotation marks in original] di dray frier-dermonte perzonen ... ." "Oyssheygetsn" apparently means something like "to exclude from the Jewish fold." Is this expression familiar to anyone here on Mendele? The quotation marks suggest that it might have originated with K. (Understand, my question is not whether "sheygets" is in bad taste when applied to non-Jews; Weinreich labels it "contemptuous", and that's good enough for me [although I seem to recall it being a non-evaluative term in my youth.] Also irrelevant here is Israeli politics.) Shleyme Axelrod 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 29 Nov 1994 22:54:17 -0500 (EST) From: bmw6@columbia.edu Subject: Lodz ghetto I am doing research for an upcoming interview, and I was wondering if anyone had any stories or information about the Lodz ghetto that they would be willing to share. I'm looking for the kind of images that "you can't find in books," in order to give me a better background. Anything can be sent to me directly, or posted; whichever is preferred. A dank. Binyomin Weiner 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 30 Nov 1994 00:38:06 -0500 (EST) From: seb28@columbia.edu Subject: More Shostakovich Ruben Frankenstein had perfect timing with his question about Shostakovich's work "From Jewish Folk Poetry," Op. 79. Today I spent some time at YIVO researching this subject. With the help of YIVO archivist Chana Mlotek, I found several articles in Yiddish and English about Shostakovich's relation to the Jews. I must tell you about one in particular. In a May 2, 1956, article in the Morgn Freiheit, Ber Green wrote a *glowing* review of the American premiere of "From Jewish Folk Poetry." Here are some excerpts in approximate translation (Chana Mlotek helped with the translation as well): "From the rich multi-colored treasury of our Yiddish folk music, Shostakovich selected and wove together a rarely beautiful wreath of flowers, eleven folk songs in his own interpretation and concept. . . . He put wings on the "Oy" of the needy tune of suffering folk masses. . . . The music seeps with sadness but also the strength of hope. . . . How deeply the composer could control the Jewish themes." So far I'm finding that Shostakovich's Jewish work was well received by the Jewish community. According to Joachim Braun's essay ("Shostakovich's Jewish Songs," World Council for Yiddish and Jewish Culture, 1989), these are the Yiddish titles for all the songs: I. Plach ob umershem mladenste - Lament for a dead infant - Zun mit a regn/Di kale gelegn II. Zabotlivyie mama i tyotya - Fussy Mummy and Auntie - Shlof, shlof, shlof!/Der tate foren vet in dorf III. Kalybelnaya - Lullaby - Shlof mein kind, mein kind, mein sheiner IV. Pered dolgoy razlukoy - Before a long separation - Oy, Avram, ikh ken on dir nit zayn V. Predasterezhenye - A warning - Her zhe, Khasia! men darf nit geyn VI. Broshennyi atets - The deserted father - Elie der shenker zitst in khalat/Di tokhter zayne, zi hot zikh geshmadt VII. Pesnya o nuzhde - A song of poverty - Af dem boydem shloft der dakh VIII. Zima - Winter Es ligt in bet Sheyndl, mayn Sheyndl IX. Kharoshaya zhizn - The good life Vegn rokhves fun felder, Oy brider getraye X. Pesnya devushki - A girl`s song Af a lonke ba dem veldl/Vos shteyt shtendik vi fartrakht XI. Schastye - Happiness Ich hob mayn man genumen untern hant > Who has the source Shostakovich used, namely Y. Dobrushin & A. > Yuditsky: Yidishe folkslider, Moscow 1940? I think that Shostakovich used the Russian translation of that work, which was published in Moscow in 1947. (The piece was composed in 1948 and published in 1955.) YIVO has this version. Soreh Benor ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 4.205 Mendele has 2 rules: 1. Provide a meaningful Subject: line 2. Sign your article (full name please) 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 Send articles to: mendele@yalevm.ycc.yale.edu Send change-of-status messages to: listserv@yalevm.ycc.yale.edu a. For a temporary stop: set mendele nomail b. To resume delivery: set mendele mail c. To unsubscribe kholile: unsub mendele Other business: nmiller@mail.trincoll.edu