Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 6.091 November 10, 1996 1) Yiddische Tageblatt (Celia Bergoffen) 2) Yiddish writers in Winnipeg (Goldie Morgentaler) 3) "Shlof mayn kind" (David Smith) 4) _In Their Footsteps_ by Pearl Krupit (Marjorie Schonhaut Hirshan) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 6 Nov 1996 10:51:45 -0500 (EST) From: bergoffn@is2.nyu.edu Subject: Yiddische Tageblatt Dear Yiddish Scholars: I am an archaeological consultant researching a property on the Lower East Side of Manhattan that was formerly the site of a Russian Bath house and possibly a mikveh, though this remains to be proven. The topic turns out to be even more interesting than anticipated, as little is known about the relationship between the Russian (steam) bath and the mikveh, either architecturally or socially. At least, little has been recorded on the subject in English. Alas, I do not know Yiddish, although I can read Hebrew characters and have a good command of German. There are a number of Yiddish avenues which I wish I could pursue, and wonder whether anyone on this list could help me. First, has anyone done research using the Yiddische Tageblatt or the Morgn Zhurnal, or any other late 19th-early 20th c. (1887-c. 1920s/30s), orthodox Yiddish newspaper, & can tell me whether bath houses/Russian baths were advertised in there? A Ladino reader kindly sent me references to bath house ads in the Ladino press ca. 1916, but I wonder whether the Russian-bath-cum-mikveh facility was also usual in the "Yiddish" community. I suppose it was, but I would like proof, ideally, a bath house ad listing its facilities and specifically mentioning a mikveh using the word "mikveh" and not some euphemism. Of course, an ad for the "Allen Street Bath," at no. 5 Allen St. (not the public bath!) the one would solve all my difficulties. I also understand that there are a number of references to the "mikveh lady" in Yiddish literature. I would be most interested in any literary references to the mikveh from the period ca. 1880-1920's/30's that might reveal attitudes about this institution and in particular, descrip- tions of the physical layout of the bath/mikveh. Thank you. Celia Bergoffen New York University 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 7 Nov 1996 10:45:44 -0500 From: 105341.3550@compuserve.com Subject: Yiddish writers in Winnipeg For an article on Yiddish literature in Canada, I am seeking information on Yiddish literary activity in Winnipeg during this century. If anyone has information about Yiddish writers who lived in that city, or about Yiddish cultural life there, including theatre, newspapers, literary journals, etc. I would appreciate knowing about it. You can contact me privately if this is not of general interest. Goldie Morgentaler Montreal, Canada 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 8 Nov 1996 16:51:08 -0600 (CST) From: emerald@lark.cc.ukans.edu Subject: "Shlof mayn kind" I'm interested in learning more about the various songs that have been popular under the title "Shlof mayn kind." The lullaby I recall from my childhood is apparently the less common of the two well-known versions of this song -- a left-wing version, discussed by Ruth Rubin in Voice of a People, which emphasizes the untershid between rich and poor. Thus far, though Rubin gives the music for this version, I haven't been able to find a recording (and if anyone knows where to look for one I'd be ap- preciative). Of the second main version of this song, with lyrics by Sholem Aleichem, there are several readily available recordings. Meanwhile, I've recently run across a third song with the same opening refrain in Szmerke Kaczerginski's Lider fun Getos un Lagern (New York, Cyco-Farlag, 1948). This is a Warsaw ghetto lament for children who are too young to know the insults and injuries that the world has in store for them, with a call for revenge... If anyone knows more about these songs, or their interconnections, or about obscure recordings I could track down, I'd be grateful to hear what you can tell me. Thanks for your help, David Smith University of Kansas 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 10 Nov 1996 09:45:30 -0500 From: shirshan@aol.com Subject: _In Their Footsteps_ by Pearl Krupit Reading Perl's book, the nostalgic journey back in time recalled to me the concepts of a giant in the field of human development, Erik Erikson, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award. Erikson categorized a brilliant system of eight stages of psychosexual development, and names the final stage of psychic health "generativity" which is the concern in guiding the next generation. It includes productivity and creativity in handing down the values of our life's experiences. Perl rings a bell in both counts. As Perele shares her memories of love of her bobe, her immigrant parents who intensely filled her with love and Yiddishkeyt, her fears for her family trapped in war-torn Russia, I felt we might have exchanged families and still felt very much at home. I also must admit az ikh bin gezesn un hob gekhlipet at her account of her role as representative to the Moscow International Book Fair of 1987, of the hunger of Russian Jews for di oysyelekh, of their thirst for a yidish vort, of Jews who came from all parts of the Soviet Union, some even traveling for days, to see a Yiddish book, to stroke its binding, because a Yiddish book is sacred to them. More of us should "bear witness" to our past as Perl did so intelligently and well in this book of memories. Generativity creates the shine in the goldene keyt for our kinder un kind'skinder. Marjorie Schonhaut Hirshan Boynton Beach, Florida ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 6.091 Mendele has 2 rules: 1. Provide a meaningful Subject: line 2. Sign your article (full name please) Send articles to: mendele@yalevm.cis.yale.edu Send change-of-status messages to: listserv@yalevm.cis.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 ****Getting back issues**** 1. Anonymous ftp archives are available. ftp ftp.mendele.trincoll.edu in the directory pub/mendele/files A table of contents is also available, along with weekly updates. 2. Mendele archives can also be reached as follows: via WWW: http://sunsite.unc.edu/yiddish/mewais.html via gopher: gopher://sunsite.unc.edu/11/../.pub/academic/languages/yiddish/mendele via ftp: ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/academic/languages/yiddish/mendele