Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 6.008 May 31, 1996 1) Mazl tov, Mendele, and happy 5th Anniversary (Marjorie Schonhaut Hirshan) 2) Tsatskele revisited (Marjorie Schonhaut Hirshan) 3) Sholem Aleykhem reading (Marjorie Schonhaut Hirshan) 4) Lawrence Sanders iz a yid? (Johnny Mangaard) 5) Workmen's Circle Convention (Chana Mlotek) 6) Yidish in yisroyel un in poyln (Tsirl Kuznitz) 7) Yiddish and Franz Kafka (Pawel Brunon Dorman) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 26 May 1996 12:00:00 -0400 From: shirshan@aol.com Subject: Mazl tov, Mendele, and happy 5th Anniversary I add my appreciative name to the list of Mendele's well-wishers. Having joined the family late, only a year and a half ago, I am filled with awe at his ability and dedication for so many capable man hours of labor. I also seek advice from you elder statesmen. Like the sorcerer's apprentice, my Mendele printouts seem to reproduce in the filing cabinet, and have over run my garage, my study, and kitchen counters. I hope we will not have to buy a bigger house to accomodate this year's output with its increase in subscribers. Long may we continue in our work for, and our love of, Yiddish! Marjorie Schonhaut Hirshan Boynton Beach, Florida 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 30 May 1996 09:35:18 -0400 From: shirshan@aol.com Subject: Tsatskele revisited I liked Ellen Prince's definition of tsatskele as a 'young woman to reckon with' and I wonder would "Oy, iz dos a meydele! mit an oyringl!" have identical meaning or nuances of different implications? Welcome back to Harvey Spiro and his intelligent posting re: tsatske, etc. our thanks for his proposed etymologies. Marjorie Schonhaut Hirshan Boynton Beach, Florida 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 30 May 1996 09:35:32 -0400 From: shirshan@aol.com Subject: Sholem Aleykhem reading It is not often I am speechless, but how to thank Mark David is a problem this morning for taking us back in time and creating so moving an experience for us. Bravo! Bravisimo! rings hollow when someone leads you to a voice from a literary burning bush. We replayed it twice and found the sound clear and audible. A blessing on your head! Greedily, we call for more, more! Marjorie Schonhaut Hirshan Boynton Beach, Florida 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 30 May 1996 23:19:49 +0300 From: mangaard@cc.helsinki.fi Subject: Lawrence Sanders iz a yid? Ikh vil nor freygn tsi der shriftshteler Lawrence Sanders iz a yid. Dos dosike informatsiyon banuts ikh far mayn forshung veygn dos "yidish-english". Der shrayber Sanders banutst take yidishe oysdrukn in zayne romanen. I would like to ask if the writer Lawrence Sanders is Jewish. I need this information for my research on "Jewish English". This author uses well quite often Yiddish expressions in his novels. Johnny Mangaard 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 30 May 1996 16:55:11 -0400 From: wcfriends@aol.com Subject: Workmen's Circle Convention I would like to pass along some notes about the 1996 biennial convention of the Workmen's Circle/Arbeter Ring held at the Nevele Hotel 2 weeks ago. In addition to reports and discussions on various aspects of WC activities, much time and programming were allotted to Yiddish culture, with sessions on Yiddish drama given by Chayale Ash, Yiddish song by Zalmen Mlotek, conversational Yiddish by Brucha Lang; also programs devoted to the Shule, the children's and adults' camps Kinder Ring and Circle Lodge. President Barnett Zumoff gave the beginning of his address in Yiddish and Executive Director Robert Kaplan interjected a few Yiddish phrases, like "a shenere un besere velt" which embodies the spirit and goal of the Arbeter Ring. Some guest speakers made a point of referring to this phase of the organization's program, like Maynard Wishner, President, Council of Jewish Federations, a graduate of the WC schools, who told of a recent emotional experience he had when speaking Yiddish to Russian Jews at Babi Yar in Kiev. Other prestigious guests who let a Yiddish word or two drop included Jerry Goodman, Executive Director, National Committee for Labor Israel, Ambassador Colette Avital, Consul General of Israel in New York, Jack Sheinkman, President, Americans for Democratic Action (alumnus of WC schools), Bess Myerson, former NY City Commissioner for Cultural Affairs, who is now helping Russian immigrants at the Jewish Braille Institute and using Yiddish in her work. The Traditional Friday Yiddish Cultural evening program introduced by Joseph Mlotek, former Educational Director of the Arbeter Ring, gave tribute to veterans Ben Gebiner and Will Stern, former executive directors. A moving musical montage on the 95th anniversary of the organization was prepared and staged by Zalmen Mlotek with the able participation of Adrienne Cooper and Henry Sapoznik. At the close of the convention three ardent Yiddishists were elected to office: Shelby Shapiro - treasurer, Abigail Mandel - vice chairman, and Mark or Moish Mlotek - president, whose inaugural address also began in Yiddish - a tradition of newly-elected presidents. There was a singalong in Yiddish, prizes awarded for exceptional cultural activities presented by Cultural Director Chava Lapin. The spirit and enthusiasm ran high and hopefully will bring good results. Incidentally, at one point in his speech Moish divulged the solution of the Yiddish puzzle that Yosl and I present in our column "Perl fun der yidisher poezye" in the Forverts and I thought perhaps other Mendelistn would enjoy participating in it. The puzzle appears every two weeks and deals with various topics like holidays, literature, music, theater, etc. Chana Mlotek 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 30 May 1996 17:12:43 -0700 (PDT) From: tsirl@leland.stanford.edu Subject: Yidish in yisroyel un in poyln Ikh hob tsvey bakoshes: Tsi veyst emetser vegn yidish-aktivitetn vos veln forkumen in yisroyel tsvishn dem 13 - 25 juni ? Tsi hot emetser genoye informatsie vegn dem yidishn festival vos vet forkumen in kroke, poyln dem 23 - 29 juni ? A dank in faroys, Tsirl Kuznitz 7)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 31 May 96 10:15:50 CET From: dorman@plearn.edu.pl Subject: Yiddish and Franz Kafka In 1912 (18 February - Sunday) Franz Kafka delivered a lecture about Yiddish language. The lecture was preface to Jizchak Lowy's (1887-1942) reading of poems. This happened in Praga. Jizchak Lowy was the actor from Poland (from Warsaw ?). Franz Kafka told that Yiddish has only 400 years and it is the youngest european language. It has no grammar yet. As we know the first scientific book about Yiddish grammar was: S. A. Birnbaum, Praktische Grammatik der jiddischen Sprache fur den Selbstunterricht, published in Wien in 1918. Franz said that Yiddish is still in use. It is changing. Sometimes Yiddish was more consequent in developing a form than modern German language. And for example form in Yiddish "mir seinem" (we are) from middle-high-German "sin" (to be) developed more naturally than modern German "wir sind" (we are). Sometimes Yiddish preserved middle-high-German forms. For example: "kerzlach", "blumlach" and "liedlach". Now in German language those words sound: "Kerzchen", "Blumchen", "Liedchen". One of the poems which was reading by J. Lowy is called "Sand and Stars" by Simon Samuel Frug (1860-1916) "Samd un schtern". It is a bitter interpretation of biblical promise: we will be as sand and stars. Franz Kafka adds: "Nun, getreten wie der Sand sind wir schon, wann wird das mit den Sternen wahr werden?". See: E.T. Beck, Kafka and the Yiddish Theater. Its impact on his work, Madison, Milwaukee, London, 1971 If someone is interested - please feel free to send me your notices and also questions. I could write more about Franz Kafka and Yiddish then. I can also give more sources (bibliography). P.S. - excuse me for any errors in writing - but my native language is polish. Pawel Brunon Dorman Poland ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 6.008