Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 4.358 March 9, 1995 1) Introduction (Avrum Ber Hoffman) 2) Why study Yiddish (Marjorie Schonhaut Hirshan) 3) The Yivo Find in Lithuania (Marjorie Schonhaut Hirshan) 4) Third International Yiddish Club Conference (Fishl Kutner) 5) Bi-lingual coincidence? (Varda Ullman Novick) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: 08 Mar 95 23:11:59 EST From: 74031.67@compuserve.com Subject: Introduction Mayn nomen iz Avi Hoffman un ikh voyn in 'Nev York', un ikh bin a naye mitglid fun 'cybervelt'.... I am an actor/director in NY and have spent many years doing shows on Jewish/Yiddish themes. I have been involved in many Yiddish productions, most notably the Joseph Papp production of 'Songs of Paradise - Lider fun Gan Eydn' at the NY Shakespeare Festival. I grew up in the Bronx in the 60's, part of the Yiddishist group of families that congregated at the Sholem Aleichem Folkshul #21 on Bainbridge Ave. I lived in Israel for several years, but have been back in the US since '77. I am currently starring in a 'one-mensch' musical Off-Broadway at the Houseman Theater on 42nd st. entitled - "Avi Hoffman's Too Jewish ?" - all about my life in the Bronx, my experiences with the Yiddish theatre/vaudeville and what it's like growing up as a Yiddish speaking Jew who is proud of his culture and heritage. The show has been very well received, wonderful reviews, sold out houses - It's been running for four months already and my producer just asked me if we could extend through September !!! Anyway, I'm excited too have found this Yiddishe E-Mail Vinkl (or is it OY-Mail) , I hope to hear from you with some information on how I can become a part of your BBS's... Avi (Avrum Ber) Hoffman 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 8 Mar 1995 18:55:10 -0500 From: shirshan@aol.com Subject: Why Study Yiddish? Ver volt zikh forgeshtelt az men ken benkn nokh vayse papirn mit shvartzinke oisyelekh, E-Mail fun Mendeleniks. Azoi iz geven di letzte por vokhn far mir in Chicago. Eyder ikh bin avek, hob ikh ongefirt a program in undzer Yiddish club, "Yiddish in the Air - On Mendele and PBS" tzulib Matt Dailey's oisergevenlekher posting, "Why Study Yiddish?" First, I edited down the PBS program, "Shlemiel, Shlimazl and Dopess" for a half-hour viewing, and discussion; then I explained Mendele and read Matt's poetic, hartzike posting (dividing it for presentation by four dramatic readers, leaving the last paragraph for me to savor as I emoted). As I looked up at the audience, several bubbes with tears streaming down their cheeks, everyone else intense and farkisheft, I too shed some proud tears and then completed the paragraph. Better than the applause were the many requests for copies of the reading - to savor again its hopefulness, to send to their children, etc. Thank you, Mendele, (and Matt), for a night to remember. Marjorie Schonhaut Hirshan Boynton Beach, Florida 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 8 Mar 1995 18:55:10 -0500 From: shirshan@aol.com Subject: The Yivo Find in Lithuania Dan Leeson asks for verification of the CNN broasdcast about Yivo. Mashe Leon in the Forward of March 3, quotes Allan Nadler, the director of research, about the new material shipped to New York, "When I first saw this material in 1993, it was a mess. The pages were in horrible condition with leaves and dirt and mud. The Lithuanians cleaned it up a bit, then stamped every page with their stamp and numbered every page - so they can get everything back. That's the deal I signed with them. That we just weant to borrow it, to microfilm it, preserve it and put it in order...then we will send it back. We have a schedule." It appears CNN was more than vaguely correct. Marjorie Schonhaut Hirshan Boynton Beach, Florida 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 7 Mar 1995 16:38:59 -0800 From: fishl@well.sf.ca.us Subject: Third International Yiddish Club Conference Preliminary arrangements have been made for the next Intl. Yiddish Club Conference to be held in Southeast Florida. The Greater Miami Area won out among five areas considered by The International Yiddish Club Conference Committee. Friday afternoon March 1, 1996 the conference will start, and go through a noon buffet on Monday March the 4th. Sponsoring host for the Conference is The Circle of Yiddish Clubs. Ruth Barlas and Sunny Landsman are the Chairperson and Vice-chairs respectively. David Barlas is Co-ordinator and Will Stern Honorary Chairperson. Official information will come from the hosts and be released by the four Yiddish club newsletters; Der Bay (San Francisco), Dos Bletl (Toronto), Undzer Shtime (S.E. Florida), Yiddish of Greater Washington, (Wash. DC area) and Mendele online. Readers of these news sources represent a key segment of the Yiddish community teachers, "club leaders", and Klezmer band leaders. Philip "Fishl" Kutner 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 8 Mar 1995 20:44:16 -0800 (PST) From: vunovick@netcom.com Subject: Bi-lingual coincidence? Morrie Feller writes: The Spanish sentence is: Aqui esta una mesa? Which means: Where is a table? The Yiddish sentence is: A key est un a meser. A cow eats without a knife. The Spanish phrase isn't quite correct, nor is its translation. The verb usually comes first in a questioon, so it would be: Esta aqui una mesa? The correct meaning is: Is there a table here? The Yiddish sentence is correct. :-) Varda Ullman Novick ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 4.358 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 subscribe: sub mendele first_name last_name d. To unsubscribe kholile: unsub mendele Other business: nmiller@mail.trincoll.edu