Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 6.040 July 24, 1996 1) Luftmentch (Gustavo Kijak) 2) Halperin's "A Nakht" (Doodie Ringelblum) 3) "Oyfn Pripetchick" (Warren Winkelman) 4) "Ober/bloyz dem talis nemt er mit" (Nina Warnke) 5) Female cross-dressers on the Yiddish stage (Nina Warnke) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 23 Jul 1996 19:59:41 ARG From: kijak@einstein.com.ar Subject: Luftmentch Mikhl Hertzog fregt zikh vegn oisdruk "luftmentch" [6.038]. oif vifl es iz mir bakant, hot es ongehoibn nutzn Mendele. Ber Borokhov hot zikh banutzt mit dem oisdruk, dermonendik az er hot es genumen fun "zeydn", kedey tzu bagrindn zain teorie vegn ekonomishn matzev fun di yidn in goles: vait fun der erd, dos heist fun der agrikultur, fitzukht un elementale industries, un noent tzu di letzte etapn fun der produktzie un handl. derfar hot er batrakht di yidn vi "luftmentchn". Gustavo Kijak 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 24 Jul 1996 10:26:39 +1000 (EST) From: doodie@melbpc.org.au Subject: Halperin's "A Nakht" I have just joined Mendele and am impressed so far. A bakoshe. I would like to introduce my monthly Jewish (not Yiddish) Literature group to some Yiddish poetry - in particular I would like to do "A Nakht" by Moyshe-Leyb Halperin, from his book of poems _In New York_. Does anyone know of a translation? A shaynem dunk. Mit grusn for dort untn (Down under!) Doodie (David) Ringelblum 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 23 Jul 1996 23:00:06 -0400 From: winkelman@medcor.mcgill.ca Subject: "Oyfn Pripetchick" I need the lyrics of additional verses, if any, to this classic Yiddish song, Oyfn Pripetschick brent a fayerl.... The music is not necessary, as I have a decent, if imperfect score. If anyone out there has the lyrics, could you forward them to me at the above address? I am performing it for a Yiddish festival, but the lyrics I have seem incomplete. A dank, Warren Winkelman 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 24 Jul 1996 01:03:46 -0400 (EDT) From: bw4@columbia.edu Subject: "Ober/bloyz dem talis nemt er mit" Reading a book on Yiddish theater in Berlin before WWI this past Sunday I happened to come across the text of a song called "Dos talesl" which might be the one Bernard Katz is referring to. Unfortunately, the text I have is the version that was handed to the local censorship office--thus it is more or less translated into German. I assume that someone on this list will be able to provide the original text, if not I'd be happy to share this version with you. Nina Warnke 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 24 Jul 1996 01:39:19 -0400 (EDT) From: bw4@columbia.edu Subject: Female cross-dressers on the Yiddish stage In her summary of Eve Sicular's article on Homosexuality in Yiddish film, Marjorie Schonhaut Hirshan mentions that Sicular proposes that presenting females disguised as males was an outlet to deal with the discomfort of acculturation of Jewish immigrants in America. Molly Picon in Yidl mitn Fidl is of course the best known example of a woman impersonating a man (or boy). However, it is important to note that women disguised as men have a long tradition on the Yiddish vaudeville stage in Europe and were a common phenomenon at least since the turn of the century. And I believe it was Berta Kalish who played the role of Hamlet in the first decade of this century on the "legitimate" Yiddish stage in NY. Thus Picon's role in Yidl seems to be part of a long-established tradition of Yiddish theater--a tradition and phenomenon that certainly merits some serious research. Nina Warnke ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 6.040