Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 6.158 December 23, 1996 1) Der B'rit Chadash (Walter Golman) 2) Der B'rit Chadash (Iosif Vaisman) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 21 Dec 1996 20:51:20 -0500 (EST) From: velvele@wam.umd.edu Subject: Missionary source of a B'rit Chadash I received my copy of the B'rit Chadash from a street-corner missionary in Miami Beach about twenty years ago. There was nothing secretive about him. He was distributing English-language copies of the New Testament and was displaying a sign that invited "Jewish persons" to receive a copy in Yiddish. Well, I was and am a "Jewish person," and so I asked for a copy. Like many another in this world, he asked whether I "really" read Yiddish and whether I would read it. I accepted the copy and have done some reading in it. It is the Einspruch translation and seems to me to be a pretty good translation -- not great, but pretty good. I may add that a Yiddish vinkl I belonged to enjoyed hearing the Sermon on the Mount in mame-loshn, and I have gazed with envy on the fine, clean type, quality paper, and sturdy leatherette cover. Oyf unzere yidishe bikher gezogt gevorn! Thank you for the reminder. Walter Golman Silver Spring, Maryland 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 22 Dec 1996 19:59:32 -0500 (EST) From: iiv@mmlds1.pha.unc.edu Subject: Der B'rit Chadash Authors, translators, and publishers of the evangelical texts, commentaries, and fiction in Yiddish constitute a fairly diverse pool: assorted Christian missionaries and spiritual ancestors of Jews for You-know-whom, Jewish scholars (religious and secular) and Yiddish writers, halakhic authorities and self-appointed solvers of the "Jewish question". The New Testament itself has a long history in "Hebraeo-Teutonicum" language. I don't know about the earliest translation, but by the end of the 17th century it was already around: Sifre ha-Berit hadashah: Dos naye testament in di Yudishe shrift, Frankfurt an der Oder: Sumptibus Michaelis Gottschalckii, 1700. That edition was followed soon by: Novum Iesu Christi testamentvm Iudaicogermanice redditum maxime a Ioh. Mullero & H.C.I. Frommanno; ed. Io. Henr. Callenberg. Halae: Instituti judaici, 1736 In the 19th century The Church of Scotland became seriously concerned with the salvation of poor Jewish souls. In 1839 it has sent a mission of inquiry to the Jews. Andrew Bonar wrote a "Narrative of a mission..." (Edinburgh: William Whyte & Co., 1842 and other editions). The book presents a very interesting account of Jewish life in various parts of Europe and Middle East, written by the quite sympathetic outsiders (ironically or not they were significantly less biased (i.e. anti-semitic) than their non-missionary fellow travellers of that time). According to Bonar, his expedition distributed many books in Yiddish. He does not give references, but quite likely those were from the 1820 London edition: Naye Testament fun dem mashiah [New Testament in Judisch-Deutsch], London: A. Macintosh, 1820 England was a fruitful soil for the scriptural production. Formed in 1804, the "British un Oyslendishe Bibel-gezelshaft" for the first 100 years of its existence distributed 25 million copies of Bible in 350 languages. In 1907 alone they sent out 6,435 Bibles in Yiddish. Besides the major fare translated by Mordekhei Shmuel Bergmann, they served a choice of side dishes: "Di heylige bsoyre toyve nokh Yohanan" (1920), "Di apostelgeshikhte" (1954), etc. In Germany Trovitsh und zohn, printed "Di bikher fon neyen bond: neyes testament (ney iberzetst)" (Berlin, 1901 and other editions), as well as separate "Dos evangelyum fon Markus" (Berlin, 1928) and "Dos evangelyum fon Matyah" (Berlin, 1931). Other examples include: "Dos naye testament fun dem moshiah" (Vien: Adolf Holtshoizen, 1899), "Der briv tsu di Yidn" (New York: New York Bible Society, 1900), "Sefer Torah, neviim u-ksovim, dos izt Di gantse heylige shrift" (Chicago: Chicago Hebrew Mission, 1904), "Di heylige psure toyve fun Matya" (Vien: Adolf Holtshoizen, 1906), "Di gute bsoyre loyt Yohanan, a naye iberzetsung" (New York: American Bible society, 1927), "Di gute psure loyt Matai, fun Grikhish ibergezetst un farglikhn mit andere mershprakhike iberzetsunge" (Philadelphia: American Scripture Gift Mission, 1940), "Leopold Cohn memorial edition of the New Testament in the Yiddish language" (New York: American board of missions to the Jews, 1947), "New Testament in Yiddish, translated by Aaron Krolenbaum" (Philadelphia: Million Testaments Campaigns, 1950). Henry Einspruch's translation was published 5 times by the Lederer Foundation: first edition in 1941, fifth in 1977. There was never a deficit of the "secondary sources" in Yiddish. Early examples include: Francisco Haslbauer, Gerindlikher berikht fun der emunas ha-Notsrim, Prag: Carolo-Ferdinandaeischen Buchdruckerei, 1719 Francisco Haslbauer, Kurtser inhalt des Kristlikhen gizatsis, Prag: Carolo-Ferdinandaeischen Buchdruckerei, 1729 and later on: Hananyah Berliner, Ha-Podeh u-matsil, a beshreybung fun dem leben di maasim un di toros fun yeyshua hamashiah, Leipzig: J.C. Hinrichs, 1898. D. Landsmann, Yeshue Hanoytsri izt der meshieh emes : eyn bezukh bay eyner beshnaydung, New York: American Tract Society, 1899 Y.V., Di drayeynigkeyt, eyn tsvigeshprekh (vikueh) tsvishen eynem Yuden und eynem Kristen, London(?), 1890 Y.V., Yom ha-Kipurim, London(?), 1897 Y.V., Di zohnshaft, London(?), 1897 Meyer Lerman, Velkhe iz di vahre religyon? New York: New York Gospel Mission to the Jews, 1900(?) There was even a monthly magazine in Yiddish "Roeh Yisrael" (Brooklyn, Sar Shalom Association) that lived for 54 years (1919-1973). Probably, the most malignant manifestation of this kind of literature are books for children, e.g. "Der Idisher artst un der kleyner tambur" by "Dr. Zeckhausen" (New York, 1890). Each poison calls for an antidote. Famous Karaite thinker and polemist Rabbi Isaac ben Abraham Troki (1533-1594) wrote his famous "Chizzuk emunah", where he conclusively proved that Jesus was neither son of G-d, nor messiah, and, in general, no-goodnik. The book was translated in many languages, including Yiddish: "Hizuk emunah, ibergezetst oys loshen ha-koydesh in Taytsh" (Amsterdam, 1717). Other books from both sides and from above the fence include: Joseph Holt Ingraham, Sefer Tiferet Yisrael, meyusad oyf di kitve kodesh (tr. by Benedix Benzion), Odessa: A. Shultse, 1883 David Moses Hermalin, Yeyshu Hanoytsri, zayn ersheynen, leben und toydt. Algemeyner iberblik vegen der entshtehung fun kristenthum, Nyu York: M. Hinski, 1890 Yeyshu Hanoytsri, oder Yoysef Pandre: historishe ertsehlung di geburt fun Kristenthum, New York: Hibru Poblishing Kompani, 1897 Zevi Gutmann, Eynige Yudishe fragen iber dem Meshieh, (?), 1898 A.Z.Kohen, Yeshua ha-notsri ; nokh di beste yudishe un kristlikhe kvelen berbayt, Varsha: Edelshteyn, 1907 Max Green, Di Iden-frage un der shliesel tsu ihr lezung, Philadelphia: G.W.Jacobs, 1909 Shemuel Vilkinzohn, Ver iz Yeshue ha-meshieh geven? London(?), 1909 Binyamin ben David Balzak ha-Levi, Yudenthum gegen Kristenthum, Nyu-York: Goldman un Shteynberg, 1912 Alexandre Westphal, Yeshue fun Natseres, Heemstede, 1914 Morris Jonah Haimowitz, Arum dem man fun Natseres, New York: Ferlag Kultur, 1924 Isidor Ginzburg, Di entshtehung fun kristenthum, Nyu York: Forverts, 1925 Henri Barbusse, Yeshu ha-Notsri, Varsha: Bibliotek Mark Rakovski, 1928 Max Lazar Bucans, Di geshikhte fun Kristenthum, historishe erklerungen vegen Yehoshua Hanotsri, apostel Paul..., New York: Hebrew Publishing Co., 1928 Emil Ludwig, Yeyshu Hanoytsri: der mentshnzon, Varsha: Sh.Goldfarb, 1930 Well, I am not 100% sure that it was an appropriate topic to discuss between Shabes Vayigash and December 25, but... Iosif Vaisman ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 6.158