Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 4.408 May 4, 1995 1) Introduction (Rudi Roth) 2) Introduction (Van Wallach) 3) Introduction (Malkah Bachman) 4) Yidish oyf cd-rom (Yude Rozof) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: 3 May 95 20:52 GMT From: rothr@infomail.infonet.com Subject: Introduction I am a very recent member of Mendele, connecting from Belgium, Brussels Area. My name is Rudi Roth, mathematician and working today in data-commmunications. I started Yiddish a good year ago at a 2-week summer course (a Pintele of Yiddish) in the University of Brussels and continued since. Got this tuesday my Yiddish exam and cross my fingers. I managed since some days to type in correctly yiddish under Word6 and would like to see how we could exchange yiddish typed texts over the Net. In Europe, we use X.400 as mail system and you can just attach any file with your mail. Over the Net it is somewhat more complicated today. Any candidates? I have also two suggestions for Mendele: 1. Calender of Yiddish activities. As I have seen in Mendele, there are several events taking place regarding yiddish activities, why not make a kind of rolling-over calender issued once a week or a fortnight and containing those such as Mamelosh '95, Ashkenaz, Yiddish convention in Miami, a yiddish summer programme in Polen and Galicie,...? It could consist of activities of a certain duration that are worth the trip, the detour or that someone travelling in the area could attend. I know of some other activities in Europe that are worth mentionning and I just list here what I have and know. If Mendele wants to make a calender, this could be a start and why not already somewhat structured (I just add a suggestion hereafter, feel free to adapt): Dates,Location,Activity,Organizer,tel,fax,contact name,price 18 JUNE,25JUNE,Krakau(PL),Yiddish song festival (no more info available) 3 JULY,14 JULY,Brussels(BE),A Pintele of Yiddish (course and activities),Martin Buber Institute of the free University of Brussels,+32 2 650 33 48,+32 2 650 33 47,Mr W. BOK 17 JULY,11 AUGUST 95,Oxford(UK),Yiddish Summer Course,Oxford Institute for Yiddish Studies,+44 1865 798989,+44 1865 798987,Marie Wright,450-975USD 2. Yiddish and etymology. My other suggestion concerns etymology and it could become a part of the now "well-known" yiddish on cd-rom. Several languages have imported words from yiddish and accepted them as part of the "official" language. A lot of the words came from hebrew, but were derived from the yiddish form. Why not search for those in several languages. I have some in french and dutch and I am sure that there are "tons" in english, but also in other languages. That's it for now. A gut yor. Rudi Roth 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 20:12:44 -0400 From: tazio57@aol.com Subject: Introduction The notice about introductions finally has goaded me in to action. My name is Van Wallach, I'm 37, and I have been getting Mendele since last fall and have found it very useful. I am a magazine writer in Westport, Connecticut, a zamler for the National Yiddish Book Center and a contributor to der bay on Jewish film and music subjects, although I have not written anything lately. I also write a column for a local newspaper, The Minuteman, called Ongepatshket, about the experience of being a new father. I have a long interest in Yiddish. Besides the historical and cultural meaning, I just love the sound of Yiddish. I like writing about Yiddish culture (in English) and am constantly looking for outlets. I also want to introduce it to my son, and already play "On Wings of Song," Tex Klez, the Klezmer Conservatory Band and other tapes to him so the sounds and moods will be familiar to him. If anybody else is giving their children a Yiddish introduction, I would like to hear about it. Van Wallach 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 23:55:25 -0400 From: batshira@aol.com Subject: Introduction I didn't mean to "lurk"! I too joined the list over the past month or two and didn't get around to saying hello 'til now. I really identify with Joann Z. Green's recent introduction, where she speaks of being "a newcomer to Yiddish, stricken with all the symptoms of new romance" -- amen! Mine is the usual story: grandparents from the Old Country who spoke Yiddish, parents who used it as stumbling secret code - and my brother and me, with our handful of funny-sounding words... I started studying Yiddish (via a community class in Berkeley) a few months ago, led to it by a growing desire to understand the culture and "neshuma" of my family's recent and erased history... also with a desire to be able to read among the incredible treasure-trove of poets (I myself am a writer-- ). I have found Mendele to be a *very* heymish place to come, read, think & reflect on what's written here.... It's a wonderful resource, I am so happy to have discovered it (and all of you!). Meanwhile -- why wait? -- I have two questions: 1. I was surprised & excited to read that one subscriber, Alan Shuchat, has a bobe from Soroki -- my mother's mother came from that town & I know so little about it -- (she left in 1913 for the States; died in 1956) -- any information/ resources/ anecdotes people have to share about that town would be gratefully appreciated! 2. I am moving to Albany, NY in a few months to enter a doctoral program at the State University there -- alas, they do not offer Yiddish -- can anyone recommend someone to study Yiddish with or someplace to study there? Merle (Malkah) Bachman 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 18:40:34 -0400 (EDT) From: jrosof@sas.upenn.edu Subject: Yidish oyf cd-rom Yasher-koyekh Leybl! Halevay nokh azoyne psures vegn kompyutervarg oysgedrukt af aza laytishn shteyger vi ban aykh. Yude Rozof ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 4.408 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. 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