Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 6.268 March 16, 1997 1) "Afn Fidl": serial or not? (Ron Robboy) 2) A fine caricature of Sholem Aleichem (Louis Fridhandler) 3) The Second Commandment (Blume Mann) 4) Tsholnt (Zitta Baker) 5) Pareve (Mechl Asheri) 6) Mendele vert a navenodnik (Noyekh Miller) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 14 Mar 1997 13:21:08 -0800 From: rrobboy@cts.com Subject: "Afn Fidl": serial or not? Henik Sapoznik [6.265] identified the linkage device in _Afn fidl_ that suggests a serial origin. So it does. And a sheynem dank to him for his thoughtful response. On the other hand, I still find the length of each kapitl surprisingly short if it was serialized in a monthly. It seems to me just as possible that the arrangment in "chapters" was contrived as a literary conceit, in order to give a more novelistic sweep to a shorter form designed to be read in one sitting. Of course, I am simply speculating -- that is to say, speaking in reckless ignorance of the facts. The thing to do is go to an authoritative source. Are there copies of _Der yidisher familye_ held in any collections? Does _Dos Sholem-Aleykhem bukh_ give more information beyond that which Mr. Fridhandler passed along [6.264]? We are all counting a full report from Henik! Ron Robboy 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 14 Mar 1997 17:55:04 -0500 (EST) From: lfridhan@aol.com Subject: A fine caricature of Sholem Aleichem The discussions about Afn Fidl by Sholem Aleichem remind me of a fine, beautifully insightful, artful caricature by David Levine. It's in The Big Book of Jewish Humor, ed. William Novak and Moshe Waldoks on page 202. Sholem Aleichem is holding an open notebook under his chin as though it were a violin. His left hand supports the other end of the spine of the notebook. The fingers curl over the far end of the spine as though fingering strings. His right hand holds a large pen which he is drawing across the notebook like a bow. The meaning is obvious: He makes soulful music with the sounds of his writing. His Yiddish appeals strongly to the ear. Sholem Aleichem never learned to play the violin although he was strongly drawn to music, especially the violin. The story, Afn Fidl, has a curiously discordant note at the end, out of tune with the beginning. At the start the narrator (named Sholem Nakhem Veviks, the author's real name) offers to play something on the violin for his listeners. At the end, he cries out with obvious disappointment, _Oys Fidl!_. In the story, the father's anguished disapproval of his son's meeting with a non-Jewish violinist on shabes had undone his hopes for learning to play. But David Levine's caricature focussed on how well Sholem Aleichem compensated. Louis Fridhandler 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 14 Mar 1997 16:28:12 -0800 (PST) From: bmann@garnet.berkeley.edu Subject: The Second Commandment Can anyone refer me to Yiddish anecdotes regarding the Second Commandment prohibition on graven images, or more generally, an aversion to visual representation? Examples from novels, poetry, memoirs, essays, stories, even paintings will do. Personal reminiscences from anyone who encountered this taboo at some point are also welcome. The material is for my dissertation which addresses the problem of iconicity in modern Hebrew and Yiddish poetry. A sheynem dank, Barbara (Blume) Mann 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 14 Mar 1997 21:00:55 +0000 From: bakern@accountant.net Subject: Tsholnt I saw the posting referring to the origin of cholent. My father told me that it was invented by Rashi in France and simply means warm beans from the french chaud lent. Zitta Baker 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 15 Mar 1997 22:05:08 +0200 From: donnom@netvision.net.il Subject: Pareve Thanks to Les Train (6:263) for his Latin etymology of the ultimately Slavic Pareve. It certainly sounds logical and answers a long-standing question in my mind. I always wondered how the Sephardim express this specific reference to food containing neither meat not milk. I speak Ladino, but don't know of any such term. In Hebrew-speaking Israel, the word is simply "parve", an admitted borrowing from Yiddish, and everyone, Ashkenazic and Sephardic understands it. As far as its secondary meaning, neither one nor the other, those Mendeleniks with an interest in biology might like to know that Israeli scientists tried to cross a chicken with a rabbit, but failed. The result was nisht a hin nisht a hare. Purim is close upon us, after all... Mechl Asheri 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 16 Mar 1997 From: nmiller@mail.trincoll.edu Subject: Mendele vert a navenodnik As already announced, Mendele will be silent until about April 2. Please continue to send posts as usual. If getting back and bentshing goymel is the best part of a trip, a full e-mail box without bills runs a very close second. Between now and then two interesting meetings involving Yiddish--and open to the public--will be taking place. I mention them in this space in the hope not only that many of our readers will attend but to invite those who do (Kathryn Hellerstein's idea, for which thanks) to act as rapporteurs for Mendele. Opgeredt that papers from the participants themselves would be more than welcome. The first is the Third Annual Yiddish Conference and Festival at the University of Hartford, March 23-25. It features lectures by Curt Leviant on the 23rd, Michael Steinlauf on the 24th, and Zalman Mlotek, on the 25th. The latter two speakers are Mendelists. Call 860-768-4964 for details. The second, already announced, is the Kutchin Conference at the University of Pennsylvania on March 31. Speakers include Mendelistn Kathryn Hellerstein and Ellen Prince, as well as Rakhmiel Peltz, Jeffrey Shandler, and Chava Weissler. Call 215-898-6654 for details. A dank ale velkhe hobn geshribn mekoyekh "farkukn zikh". Un zayt mir ale gezunt. Noyekh Miller ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 6.268