Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 5.244 February 6, 1996 1) Introduction (Atilla Soltanuly) 2) Gevald (Shoshana Balaban-Wolowicz) 3) Jewish last names (Serge Rogosin) 4) Bris-itse (Yankev Lewis) 5) Yugntuf vebsblat (Ruvn Millman) 6) Badkhonim (Ariela Krasney) 7) Oxford Institute problems of last year (Rudi Roth) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 6 Feb 1996 14:05:29 MET-1 From: dobo@btk.jpte.hu Subject: Introduction We are writing from a small university from south Hungary, Pecs. I have been a lurker on this list for a long time and, since a collegue and I have been teaching jiddis for several years now might I ask you to send me personal messages if you have ideas or suggested interesting material for the beginner and intermediate jiddis course? (we deal also with literature, for example a short study on Jichak Katzenelson occured last semester). Of course, i send my ideas in return, I just thought "fresh blood" is always does some good things.... thank you in advance, Atilla Soltanuly 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 5 Feb 1996 15:56:28 -0800 From: shoti@eworld.com Subject: Gevald/gvald oyb gvald geshrign meynt "scream for help", vi zogt men "for heaven's sake!"? oder gor in folkslyd: Sha shtil, makht nit kayn gerider der rebe geyt shoyn tantsn vider. Sha, shtil makht nit kayn _gevald_ der rebe geyt shoyn tantsn bald... ................................. Meynt rateven? emergency? azoy shlekht hot der Rebe getanst? Shoshana Balaban-Wolowicz 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 5 Feb 1996 18:56:18 -0500 From: srogosin@aol.com Subject: Jewish last names There was a highly respected balalaika soloist in Paris by the name of Ter Abramov. Is "Ter" a common affix in Jewish last names? Serge Rogosin 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 5 Feb 1996 09:19:45 -0500 From: justin_lewis@stubbs.woodsworth.utoronto.ca Subject: What is a bris-itse? Here (a week or so from our "due date") is another baby-related question from Yankele and Yoyne-Brayne in Toronto -- this time cultural, not linguistic. Weinreich's English-Yiddish dictionary lists the Yiddish word "bris-itse" (beyz reysh yud sof yud tsadek ayen -- i.e. a feminine form of "bris".) The definition is "celebration connected with girl's birth (a regional folk custom)". In our circles, how to celebrate a girl's birth in a Jewish way with due honour is a hot topic. People are generally under the impression that any feminine equivalent of a bris is something innovative. Here in this dry little definition, however, is evidence that our foreparents already had something of this nature. But I've never been able to find out any more about it than those few words in the dictionary. Does anyone know anything about bris-itses and what such a "regional folk celebration" would be like? Oyb mir veln hobn a meydele, viln mir pravn a brisitse -- oyb emetser ken undz derklern, vos dos iz! A sheynem dank, Yankev Lewis 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 6 Feb 1996 01:16:31 -0500 From: ruvn@aol.com Subject: Yugntuf vebsblat Hot emetser di tsayt, koyekh un kentenish fun vi me git zikh an eytse mit tsunoyfshteln a vebsblat tsu helfn makhn aza vebsblat far Yugntruf in Iosif Vaismans "Virtual Shtetl?" Oyb yo, zayt azoy gut un zayt in farbindung mit mir, Ruvn. A sheynem dank! Ruvn Millman 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 6 Feb 1996 08:49:21 +0200 From: keli@techunix.technion.ac.il Subject: Badkhonim In response to: Sara Benor (5.234), David Goldberg (5.235), Bernard Katz (5.237) and Zachay Baker (5.238) I should like to offer some more information and his art: The badkhn is a two-faced character. He is a well known charachter in Jewish society since the ancient days and shaped the image of Judaism until the late nineteenth century. The badkhn-clown adapted himself to changes but never changed his identity. In the nineteenth century he evolved into his final form as the two-faced character - badkhn and clown: one half being serious, sermonizing, learned; the other half being amusing, lively and entertaining. The one amusing half - the clown - appears many times in Jewish sources, in the bible, in the Talmud and later in musar books, and was very much apposed by the rabbinical institutes because of the nature of his art: The laughter of the leiz like his character, was carnivalesque, wild and chaotic, rooted in the Dionysian cult and aiming to undermine the social order and its rules. This lets is called in many other names: jester, clown and is known also as marshelik. In the 17th century, when musar books appeared and influenced very much the Jewish society, especially in east Europe, the lets adapted himself to the new conditions and developed a new face in his character and art - this was the serious side, the badkhn side, which was more a musar-zoger, a darshen or magid, and also his laughter is a constructive tool, in line with the organized establishment system of commandments and serving as its voice. Ariela Krasney 7)---------------------------------------------------- Date: 6 Feb 96 08:22 GMT From: rothr@infomail.infonet.com Subject: Oxford Institute problems of last year Some of you may remember my problems with the Oxford Institute for Yiddish studies, reported in Vol. 5.086 of August 18, 1995. The Institute charged me a 2000 USD for no service at all after I had cancelled timely the course due to some health problems. It all resulted in problems with Visa, my bank and subsequently with my mortgage and it took even months to realise a savings account was still blocked for electronic transfer by this "affair". It is only today that I received the confirmation from Visa that everything is definitely credited back to my account. Despite several reminders over the last months to the Oxford Institute requesting their supporting evidence of the debit executed to my account, Visa only received credit-refusals but no facts. Visa therefor decided to return all the money back to me. I want to thank all mendelyaner who sent me mail with their personnal advise on this matter including usefull information regarding the way the Oxford Institute "operates". It helped me to keep my 2000 USD out of their pockets. Now I decided to participate in the 2-weeks June program from the Brussels university and I will probably join also to the brand-new Paris program (3 weeks starting begin July). This last one has the advantage to be in the centre of Europe, and also interesting from a cultural and culinary (a lot of jewish restaurants) point of view. As soon as I receive the program I will post it on mendele. It should be a lot cheaper than other programs, less money at risk or other kind of problems... Rudi Roth Belgium ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 5.244