From: Iosif Vaisman 9/15/97 17:09 Subject: The Mendele Review : Vol 01.019 To: Mendele _The Mendele Review_: Yiddish Literature and Language (A Companion to _MENDELE_) ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 01.019 15 September 1997 1) Yiddish Matters: From the Editor (Leonard Prager) 2) "Der yoyred" (Ayzik-Meyer Dik) [Isaac Meir Dick] 3) Review of Gennady Estraikh,_Intensive Yiddish_ (Avraham Greenbaum) 4) Bookmart: Oyfgekumener Productions (Jack Kurland); Want List (Leonard Prager) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: 15 September 1997 From: Leonard Prager Subject: Yiddish Matters --_TMR_ Bibliographer Hugh Denman has agreed to coordinate the periodic bibliographical supplements to _TMR_ which will aim to provide comprehensive listings of all new Yiddish books and publications in all languages relating to Yiddish studies and associated disciplines. Mendelyaner and all others with information regarding new publications in and about Yiddish are requested to write directly to Hugh Denman who is the Benzion Margulies Lecturer in Yiddish Studies in the Department of Hebrew and Jewish Studies at University College London. He has been working for a number of years on a comprehensive bibliographic guide to the major Yiddish authors. Naturally, it will not be possible to review in _TMR_ all titles that appear in the listings. However, reviews of books of Yiddish interest will continue to form a major component of _TMR_. Review copies and offers to review books should be sent direct to the editor, Leonard Prager . -- "Der yoyred" In the hope of deepening our knowledge and understanding of Yiddish fiction, _The Mendele Review_ will present short fiction and sections of novels by major writers as well as by lesser known figures who may well claim our attention. The method of presentation will vary: 1. Some stories (like Ayzik-Meyer Dik's "Der yoyred" below) will be given with litle or no comment. 2. Others stories will appear within the rubric "Reading Yiddish Stories" and will be followed by analysis and interpretation. 3. Yet other stories will be the subject of symposia -- the first of which is scheduled for _TMR_ vol. 01, no. 021 -- whose participants will either be a) invited individuals or b) the _Mendele_ readership as a whole. The stories will be presented in romanized form and will be based on the best texts available. Where translations are known to have been made they will be listed. In some instances, Mendelyaner may wish to provide fresh translations. Hopefully (even in instances where commentary has been made by a single individual, or a by a group of individuals within the framework of a symposium), all _Mendele_ and _TMR_ readers will have an opportunity to participate in this Yiddish-fiction forum. In Dik's "Der yoyred" a brief, sometimes Biblical tag in Ashkenazic Hebrew (e.g, "orkhu hayomim" {Ezekiel 12:22}) precedes each section but one of the story and gives it a certain homiletic flavor and textual authority. Beginners in Yiddish are likely to be confused by the pronunciation and the transcription of the Hebrew-Aramaic component in Yiddish. Put simply, the H-A component is either "merged" (e.g. _shabes_) or "whole" (e.g. _shabos_). Quotations from sacred texts -- as in the tags used by Dik in "Der yoyred" -- are in "whole Hebrew" or "whole Aramaic" (collectively known as _loshn-koydesh_) and are romanized according to the same rules that are applied in the case of Yiddish. The relationship between Standard Ashkenazic Hebrew and its dialects is entirely analagous to that between Standard Yiddish and its dialects. The main phonetic difference between whole Hebrew and whole Aramaic and their merged varieties is that in the former post-tonic vowels are never reduced and all syllables are treated as if they were open. The use of _kh_ to represent _khes_ and _khof_ differs from the convention employed in "The General-Purpose Romanization of the American National Standard Romanization of Hebrew," which was recommended by the American National Standards Institute in the late 1970s, but not widely adopted. Neither _Mendele_ nor _The Mendele Review_ have yet arrived at a consensus with regard to the romanization of Ashkenazic Hebrew. There are a number of competing systems and the average romanizer of _loshn-koydesh_ is inconsistent. Even a superficial perusal of haredi [or should we write _kharedi_?] literature in English reveals frequent transcription switches, for example, from Ashkenazic to Israeli Hebrew. The _Encyclopaedia Judaica_ represents _khet_ with an _h_ with subscript dot and _khaf_ by _kh_ with subscript macron; it uses _ch_ for final tsadi followed by ' [= /tsh/ (_c_ with inverted circumflex above it)]. The romanized text below is based on the Yiddish text in _Khulyot_ 1 (Winter 1993), pp. 43-49. We thank the editors of _Khulyot_ for permission to use it. [In past issues we wrote _Chulyot_ and some people write _Hulyot_.] Readers of Hebrew literature will immediately recognize the striking plot similarities between Dik's "Der yoyred" and Sh. Y. Agnon's substantially very different long story (or novelette) _Vehaya heakov lemishor_ ('And the Crooked Will Be Made Straight' [see Isaiah 40:4]). Both apparently derive from an older source, possibly a folk tale or midrashic anecdote. The Cameri Theatre in Tel Aviv staged a dramatic version of this story. There was a famous hasidic rabbi by the name of R' Shmelke, but whether this is Dik's R' Shmelke I do not know. Nikelsburg is a real place, which has since changed its name (see the note by Claus Buryn below). ---Avraham Greenbaum on Gennady Estraikh's _Intensive Yiddish_ In this issue, the historian and bibliographer Avraham Greenbaum (who has no pretensions to being a linguist or language teacher) reviews Gennady Estraikh's _Intensive Yiddish_. His brief but pungent remarks will hopefully generate further discussion of this new textbook. _TMR_ welcomes essay-length notices and reviews ; brief comments and notes on single expressions should be sent to _Mendele_ . 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: 15 September 1997 From: Claus Buryn Subject: "Der yoyred" by Ayzik-Meyer Dik [Isaac Meir Dick] Ayzik-Meyer Dik Der yoyred* A vunderlekhe geshikhte, vos es hot getrofn mit eynem R' Tsodek fun Nikelsburg. Es iz zikh fun der mayse aroptsunemen a muser-haskl, az der mentsh zol nit ton keyn falshs un in der grester noyt zol men zikh hitn fun betlbroyt. Un oyf eybik iz yener farflukht, der vos hot nor eyn mol farzukht. Vayikuyom bonu: Al tevieynu loy lidey matenas bosor vodom. Neetak veneesaf al-yedey Y. Shapiro.** [Varshe in Y. Lebenzohns tipografye, 1855] *Dos kleyne mayse-bikhl (sakhakl 24 zaytlekh) vert do ibergedrukt getray, ober in dem modernem oysleyg. Iberike verter vern batseykhnt tsvishn kaylekhdike klamern. Hesofes vern gegebn in grodekike klamern. **Y. Shapiro iz eyner fun Ayzik Meyer Diks hipsh bisl psevdonimen. 1. {Vayehi.} Un es var in der shtot Nikelsburg, hot gevoynt a mol a gevant-kremer. Er hot geheysn R' Tsodek Pikante. Er iz geven a groyser bal-parnose un er var in der shtot gerekhnt far a groysn kotsn. 2. {Vayaas loy shem.} Oykh hot er zikh gemakht a groyser nomen in der shtot mit zayne nedoves un tsdokes. Es iz im in der shul keyn mol eyn alie far im tsu tayer geven. Er iz nokh dertsu geven a groyser mehader bemitsves. Er hot a mol batsolt far an esreg hundert toler. Far zayne kinder hot er ale mol gedungen di beste melamdim, un hot oykh makhzik geven oyf zayn tish oreme lamdonim. Vi er iz geven, azoy iz oykh geven zayn vayb, zeyer a tayeres mentsh un a groyse eyshes-khayel un dertsu oykh zeyer sheyn. Zi iz geven oykh fil kliger far im un hot farshtanen dem gesheft fil beser als er. 3. {Akh loy leoylom khoysen.} Ober der glik blaybt nit oyf eybik tray dem mentshn. In der velt muz zikh alts umdreyen. Azoy iz do oykh geven mit dem R' Tsodek Pikante. Den eyn mol tsum ershtn seyder iz gevorn a zeyer a groyse sreyfe. Un es zenen farbrent gevorn zeyer fil hayzer. Un oykh di krom mit di skhoyre fun dem R' Tsodek. Un oykh zayn shtub mit gor di virtshaft, zilberne gefes, un zeyer fil tsirung un oykh zeyer fil papirn oyf hershaftn. Zayn shodn var groys, gor umbashrayblekh. 4. {Vayehi lohem yemey hakhag leeyvel.} Der yontef var bay zey tsum troyer un tsum geveyn. Er un zayn froy hobn nor nit gevust vuhin men zol zikh kern un vendn. Gute fraynd hobn zey afile a bisl untergeholfn, ober es iz shoyn zey nit meglekh geven dem gesheft vider hertsushteln azoy vi frier. 5. {Loy orkhu hayomim.} Es iz geven nit lang un zey hobn nebekh dem plats gemuzt farkoyfn um tsu makhn a kleyn kreml fun glogever skhoyre. {Voyikhyu yemey tsaar} - un hobn gelebt zeyer orem. Di greste layt fun shtot hobn mit dem R' Tsodek zeyer rakhmones gehat. Ober dokh hobn zey nit gevust mit vos men zol im kenen helfn. Zey voltn im makhn far a nemen in der shtot. Ober der prezident fun di [der] shtot hot es nit tsugelozn, vayl der R' Tsodek iz geven a groyser bal-khoyv, un di gezetse iz, az men zol nit ontroyen kehiles gelt azoy a mentshn, ver es hot shoyn a mol bankrotirt. 6. {Vayehi kaasher kotsro nafshom beamal hoish hahu.} Un es var, az di groyse layt fun shtot hobn nit gekent mer dertrogn dem tsar fun dizem gefalenem oysher, der vos a tog iz er gevorn oremer un oremer. 7. {Vayivoatsu yakhdov.} Iz bay zey geblibn, az men zol makhn a ksav un ale groyse layt un der reb zoln zikh unterkhasmenen bekhol ir voir. Dem ksav zol men gebn dem R' Tsodek un er zol mit im arumforn in der velt. Den zey hobn klor gevust, az azoy a ksav, vos es veln zayn oyf im gekhasmet di groyse layt fun Nikelsburg un der rov, vet in der velt zeyer vikhtik zayn un er vet avade makhn a sakh gelt. 8. {Vayaasu kaasher yaatsu.} Un zey hobn azoy geton vi zey hobn zikh miyoets geven. Zey hobn opgeshribn dem ksav un hobn zikh untergeshribn. Es hot mer nit gefelt nor dem rebs khsime un vayter nit. 9. {Bayomim hohem.} In dize tsaytn iz geven a rov in Nikelsburg der groyser R' Shmelke. Dizer man var a groyser lamdn, vos hot nit gehat zayn glaykhn in zayn dor. Un vi zayne lomdes iz geven groys, azoy iz geven groys oykh zayne khsides un zayn khokme in veltzakhn. Un zayn eytse un zayn vort iz geven zeyer tayer un vikhtik, azoy bay yidn un azoy bay kristn. Un er var geakhtet in der velt vi a getlekher man. Tsayt zayn lebn hot er nit gegebn keyn haskome oyf a seyfer un keyn mol hot er nit gegebn a ksav a gefalenem mentshn, vos fort arum in der velt tsu klaybn nedoves, vi far tsaytn flegt zayn di mode bay undz yidn. 10. {Velokheyn loy ovo lakhtoym.} Un daher hot der R' Shmelke nit gevolt zikh khasmenen oykh oyf dizn ksav. Hot es di shtotlayt zeyer fardrosn oyf im un hobn im gezogt: "Rebe, ir kent dizn mentshn nit glaykhn mit andere shlepers. Ir kent dokh im, az er iz an ish-yoshor veyire-eloyim. Undzere shtot hot fun im zeyer fil mekabl toyve geven. Un vayl mir veysn vi fil ayer khsime vet im in der velt helfn, zent ir mekhuyev mayver tsu zayn oyf ayer mide un muzt zikh unterkhasmenen oyf dem ksav." 11. {Veloy ovo horav} Un der reb hot dokh nit gevolt zikh khasmenen biz vanen es iz tsu im gekumen der R' Tsodek aleyn un zayn vayb un hobn far im biterlekh geveynt, un hobn im gebetn rakhmim, az er zol zikh iber zey merakhem zayn un oyf zeyere kleyne kinder un zol untershraybn dem ksav. 12. {Veyehemu meyov aleyhem.} Un er hot zikh iber zey derbaremt. Er hot nit gekent oyshaltn, az der R' Tsodek un zayn vayb zoln far im shteyn un veynen. Er hot dem ksav untergeshribn un hot zey oykh gezogt: "Hert, mayn tayerer R' Tsodek, ikh tu aykh dermit gor keyn toyve. Es iz afile emes, az ir vet makhn a fule gelt. Ober nokh hob ikh nit gezen velkher es hot dem betlbroyt farzukht, az er zol zikh derfun kenen opraysn. Ikh hob gelezn, az men vil mayz fartraybn fun a shtub, zol men khapn etlekhe mayz un men zol [zey] aynshparn in an ayzerne kletke, un men zol zey azoy lang [lozn] hungern, biz eyne est oyf di andere. Un dernokh, az men lozt avek di letste, est zi keyn ander zakh, nor di mayz. Dos zelbe iz mit dem mentsh, velkher nor eyn mol dos betlbroyt farzukht hot -- er vet shoyn nit zukhn keyn andere parnose, es vet im nit shmekn keyn gesheft in der velt, nor betlen. Mayn eytse volt geven beser di shlekhte tsayt ibertsuvartn. Mit der tsayt endert zikh alts." Ober vos helft es? Der R' Tsodek hot dem ksav tsugenumen un hot zikh opgezegnt mit dem rov, un iz in a por teg [arum] avekgeforn. 13. {Uvekhol hamekoymos asher ovar.} Un in ale erter vu er iz nor geforn un hot gevizn dem ksav fun R' Shmelken hot er measef momoyn geven un hot ayngenumen groys koved. Den di velt hot nokh nit zoykhe geven fun R' Shmelken a tsures-os. Men hot dem R' Tsodek fargetert. Men hot im um un um ayngeladn un men hot gegebn nedoves tsu draytsik un fertsik toler. Es hot nit gedoyert eyn yor un er hot shoyn tsuzamengeklibn an erekh fun tsvey toyznt toler [un] hot gehat shoyn bedeye zikh umtsukern aheym. Nor vayl er iz geven fun Nikelsburg vayt shoyn an erekh fun hundert un fuftsik mayln, iz bay im geblibn, az er zol makhn zayn tsurikvegs durkh andere mekoymes, kedey er zol kenen tsurikforndik gor fun dos nay(e) gelt makhn. Un er hot take azoy geton. Er hot tsurikforndik gemakht genoy azoy fil gelt vi aherforndik, un hot bay zikh gedenkt, az er vet kumen aheym vet er makhn a gutn gesheft un vet im-yirtse-hashem dem rov vayzn, az es ken vern a soykher oykh fun a mentsh vos hot shoyn gebetlt. 14. {Vayehi biyoyso baderekh.} Un es var az er iz gevezn in veg an erekh fun fuftsik mayln fun der heym, hot er zikh ongetrofn in a kretshme mit a bal-darsher. Dizer man var fil kliger vi frimer. Er hot shoyn fun dem R' Tsodek un zayn ksav gehert un hot im zeyer mekane geven. Nor yetst, vi er hot zikh do mit im funandergeredt un der R' Tsodek hot im dertseylt, az er fort tsurik aheym mit a sakh gelt, hot tsu im gezogt der bal-darsher: "Az es iz yo azoy, farkoyft mir dem ksav, ikh gib aykh far im hundert dukatn un fort aykh lesholem aheym. Vos art aykh? Ikh vel mir forn mit dem ksav in andere lender un vel epes far zikh oykh farzorgn. Ir megt zikher zayn, az keyner vet fun dem handl nit visn. Un far dem reb zolt ir zogn, az ir hot dem ksav farloyrn, oder er iz nokh bay aykh." 15. {Vayitavu divrey hadarshon} Un es zenen gefeln di reyd fun dem darshn dem R' Tsodek un er hot im farkoyft dem ksav far fir hundert toler, un der bal-darsher hot nokh dertsu gemakht a sharfe sude. Zey hobn gegesn un hobn getrunken un zenen beyde freylekh gevezn. Un oyf morgn zenen zey zikh funandergeforn. Der R' Tsodek iz geforn aheym un der bal-darsher hot farrayzt keyn Amsterdam mit dem ksav un hot dortn gemakht gor di gelt. Un fun dortn iz er avek keyn London un fun London iz er geforn keyn Frankraykh. Un vu er iz nor gekumen hot er measef geven tsen mol mer vi der R' Tsodek, den er iz geven a betler fun zayn yugnt on un er hot farshtanen dem kunst vi zikh bay yedern gefelik tsu makhn, a mol mit khnife un a mol mit a yires-shomaim-peneml. Uvifrat atsind, vi er hot do gehat dem ksav fun dem rov R' Shmelke. Oykh iz er geven zeyer a sheyner darshn un a guter moykhiekh, er hot zikh barimt, az der khosed R' Shmelke hot im geshikt di velt a bisl frimer tsu makhn. Um un um, vu er iz nor gekumen, hot er zikh gelozt rufn R' Tsodek der moykhiekh fun Nikelsburg. Un hot in a tsayt fun a yor tsvey tsuzamengemakht a toler finf toyzent, ober er hot nit zoykhe geven, az er zol fun zey a hanoe hobn. Den vi er iz gekumen in a kleyn shtetl in Frankraykh, vos men ruft zi Nomur, iz er dortn plutsling zeyer krank gevorn un iz in dem zelbn tog geshtorbn on vide, den er hot zikh gor nit gerikht deroyf. Di bisl yidn, vos hobn dortn gevoynt, hobn zikh arum im misasek geven vi es iz der mineg-Yisroel. Der rov fun dem shtetl hot im masped geven, un nokh der kvure hot der rov mit dem prezident fun dem mokem ibergezen vos es iz fun im geblibn. [Ven] zey hobn ibergezen zayne ksovim, hobn zey gefunen dem ksav fun Nikelsburger rov. Hobn zey fun im gezen, az men ruft im R' Tsodek b"r Avrom fun Nikelsburg. 16. {Vayemaharu vayikhtevu.} Un zey ayln un shraybn tsu dem R' Shmelken un hobn im oykh opgeshikt dem ksav. Zey hobn medie geven, az der R' Tsodek iz bay zey geshtorbn un hot gelozn a kapital fun a toler finef toyznt, khuts kleyder un a gutn zeyger. Bekhen, zoln kumen zayne yoyrshim un zoln es opnemen. 17. {Vayehi kevo hamikhtov el ir Nikelsburg.} Un es var als der briv iz gekumen keyn Nikelsburg tsu dem rov, hot er geshikt nokh dem R' Tsodeks vayb un hot ir ongezogt, az ir man iz geshtorbn in dem shtetl Nomur, vos in Frankraykh, un hot ibergelozt a groysn kapital. Bekhen zol zi gor keyn shies makhn un zol ahin forn mit ir eyntsikn zun, a bokher fun zekhtsn yor, optsunemen di yerushe. 18. {Vayiten loy mikhtov.} Oykh hot er ir gegebn a briv, oyf velkhn es hobn zikh gekhasmet di groyse layt fun Nikelsburg un er aleyn oykh, az zi iz di almone fun dem R' Tsodek un der bokher iz der zun, un men zol zey opgebn di yerushe. Un dem R' Tsodeks vayb iz gekumen keyn Nomur un hot opgenumen di yerushe in gantsn un hot zikh umgekert tsurik keyn Nikelsburg un hot ongehoybn tsu firn ir alte gesheft mit groys hatslokhe. Hot ongeton klog un hot getroyert nokh irn man a gants yor, den zi hot im zeyer lib gehat. Nun veln mir lozn do di almone bay ire gesheftn un mir veln dertseyln vos es iz gevorn mit dem R' Tsodek aleyn. 19. Undzer R' Tsodek, vi er iz opgeforn fun der kretshme, vu er hot genekhtikt mit dem bal-darsher, vos er hot im farkoyft dem ksav, a mayl tsen, zenen im ibergefaln gazlonim un hobn bay im avekgenumen alts vos er hot nor bay zikh gehat. Er iz fun zey nimlot gevorn koym a lebediker. Er hot zikh bahaltn unter a shteyn oyf dem gostinets. Biz es zenen ongeforn mentshn, hobn zey im mitgenumen in a kleyn shtetl. Iz er dortn gezesn etlekhe teg, biz er hot tsuzamengebetelt a por toler un hot zikh avekgeshlept vayter tsu fus. Ober nit keyn Nikelsburg, den er hot zikh geshemt tsu kumen aheym on a groshn gelt un on dem ksav. Er hot farshtanen, az got hot es im geshtroft far dem, vos er hot farkoyft dem ksav. Er hot genug deroyf kharote gehat, ober es iz shoyn [geven] tsu shpet. Er hot zikh avekgeshlept keyn Lite un Poyln un hot zikh gevalgert iber fremde tishn eynike yor un hot zikh tsugelozn a bisl tsum trunk un hot zikh gor in gantsn fargesn on der heym. Bay im iz shoyn geven a kern a gute onbaysn [un] a shnaps. Er flegt zikh shoyn ayngefinen oyf khasenes un brisn, un hot zikh oysgelernt tsu betlen glaykh vi er volt in dem geborn gevorn. 20. {Vayehi meir loir.} Un er hot zikh geshlept fun shtot tsu shtot, un hot gor nit gekukt oyf keyn takhles. Biz vanen er iz gekumen keyn Vilne, di greste shtot fun Lite, hot er zikh derkent mit eynem fun Nikelsburg, vos hot dortn gevoynt shoyn a yor tsen. Un dizer man iz geven zeyer raykh un frum. Er hot zikh zeyer farvundert iber dizn Tsodek, den er hot im gekont az er iz nokh geven an oysher un a mentsh mit a sheynem kharakter un iz geven an erlekher soykher. Der R' Tsodek iz atsind gekumen tsu im in shtub betn a nedove, vi der shteyger iz fun di shnorer. Der Nikelsburger hot im gegebn a gildn un hot im oykh gebetn zitsn un hot im gezogt: "Mayn bester yid, mir dakht zikh, az ir zent R' Tsodek der gevant-kremer fun Nikelsburg." "Azoy iz es" - - hot im opgeentfert R' Tsodek - - "ikh bin a nisref gevorn, der noyt ken dem mentshn tsu alts brengen." Der Nikelsburger hot zikh bagosn mit trern dos herndik un hot azoy gezogt: "Es vundert mir zeyer oyf mayn geburtsshtot, az zi zol farlozn azoy a mentsh vi ir zent. Genug mir krenkt es zeyer un zeyer. Ir zolt shoyn fun mayn shtub nit aroysgeyn, ikh vel aykh sheyn bakleydn un vel aykh gebn fuftsik toler oyf der hetsoe oykh eynike rekomendatsyonen, un ir zolt forn aheym. Ir zet dokh shoyn, az mit betlbroyt kumt men di velt nit durkh un dos iz keyn takhles nit far aykh." Der Nikelsburger hot im bay zikh gehaltn a por vokhn. Er hot im bakleydt un dernokh hot er im opgeshikt glaykh keyn Nikelsburg mit zaynem meshulekh, vos er flegt tsushikn ale yorn keyn Layptsig. 21. {Vayisa R' Tsodoyk leveysoy.} Un der R' Tsodek iz shoyn iber nays geforn aheym un iz gekumen besholem um resh-khoydesh nisn keyn Nikelsburg. Er iz ober nit glaykh farforn tsu zayn vayb. Er hot afile nokh nit gefregt vos zi makht, den in dem zelbike tog un in der zelbn shtunde, vos er iz gekumen in shtot, hot er gehert es iz a bris bay a groysn nogid, vos men hot im gerufn R' Leyvi Horevits. Hot er bay zikh getrakht, eyder vos es vet zayn -- dervayl lom ikh hobn a gutn onbaysn. Iz er zikh avekgegangen oyf dem bris. Es iz shoyn geven far nakht un keyner hot im nit derkent un [er] hot arayngezetst tsvishn ale fremde oreme-layt un hot mitgeshpayzt mit dem grestn apetit vi a betler kon nor hobn. Nun veln mir dertseyln vos es iz gevorn mit zayn vayb un im veln mir do lozn oyf eyn vayle zitsn. 22. {Bayomim hohem.} In dize tsaytn iz gevorn an almen eyner fun di Nikelsburger gvirim. Dos iz der R' Leyvi Horevits. Er iz oykh geven a gevant-hendler un hot nokh gehat levad ze zeyer fil gesheftn. Un daher, az es iz bay im di vayb geshtorbn, hot men ongehoybn im tsu shidekhnen di vayb fun R' Tsodek. Er hot zikh nit gelozt lang redn, den zi iz im geven zeyer gefeln. Zi iz geven an eyshes-khayel un sheyn un oykh a meyukheses un iz geven itsund oykh gut in shtand un hot gehaltn in firung. Kurts um, er hot ir genumen far a vayb un hot mit ir farlebt a yor zeyer gliklekh, un atsind hot zi im geborn a zun, oyf velkhn bris der R' Tsodek zitst un est. Der oylem var do zeyer freylekh. Den der Horevits iz geven biz aher a khasukh-bonim. Men hot derlangt tsum tish genug mashke, un der rov hot dortn gezogt fil toyre un der khazn hot gezungen. 23. {Vayehi akhar hamozoyn.} Un es var nokh dem vi der oylem hot opgegesn un hot opgetrunken, iz aroysgegangen di kimpetorin aleyn mit a groysn zak kleyngelt um tsu teyln di oreme-layt, vos zenen gezesn in fordershtub. Es iz shoyn geven rekht nakht, es hobn gebrent zeyer fil likht. Zi hot yedern gegebn zayn erekh nokh, biz zi iz tsugekumen tsu dem R' Tsodek, ir man. Vi er hot ir derzen, hot er aropgerukt di hitl iber dem ponem un hot farbrokhn di hent. Er hot zikh geshvind oyfgekhapt un hot gevolt antloyfn. Ober der meshores hot im tsugehaltn. Di vayb hot gemeynt, az zi hot im baleydikt mit a kleyne nedove; zi hot im gegebn a gresere. Er ober rayst zikh fort, biz der meshores hot im aropgekhapt di hitl. Do hot zi im shoyn derkent. Un vayl zi hot gemeynt, az er iz geshtorbn, hot zi gegleybt az er iz gekumen fun yener velt. Zi iz geblibn in khaloshes un es iz gevorn a groyser liarem un a groyse mishenine. Men hot dem R' Tsodek ongenumen, un er hot zikh moyde geven, az er hot dem ksav farkoyft. Men hot di froy koym opgemintert, ober zi hot nit lang gelebt nokh der mayse fun shrek un biesh. Un der R' Tsodek hot men megaresh geven fun shtot. Un der rov hot geshtroft di nikhbodim far vos zey hobn im mayver geven al datoy un hot geheysn di zakh farshraybn in pinkes fun Nikelsburg. Ende. *** ***Romanized by Claus Buryn. Note: "Nikolsburg. Bezirksstadt in Maehren, an der Bahn Lundenburg-Zellerndorf, 7173 Ew. (zahlreiche Juden); Besitzung des Grafen Mensdorf mit dem Schloss der ausgestorbenen Familie Dietrichstein auf hohem Felsen. Weinbau. 26 Juli 1866 Praeliminarfriede zwischen Oesterreich und Preussen." (_Meyers Hand-Lexicon des Allgemeinen Wissens_. Zweite ... Auflage. Leipzig: Verlag des Bibliographischen Instituts, 1878, p. 1357) . The town is not found on modern maps. It is known today by its Czech name _Mikulov_. It is located south of Brno (Bruenn) and north of Vienna, just north of the Austrian border. [CB]. 3)-------------------------------------------- Date: 15 September 1997 From: Avraham Greenbaum Subject: Gennady Estraikh, _Intensive Yiddish_ Avraham Greenbaum. "Learning 'Oxford Yiddish' with a New Textbook," _Jews in Eastern Europe_ 1 (32) [Spring 1997], pp. 81-2* [reprinted with the kind permission of the author]. Gennady Estraikh, _Intensive Yiddish_, ed. Dafna Clifford, pref. by Dovid Katz, Oxford: Oksforder Yidish Pres, 1996, 255 pp. Our shrinking Yiddish world welcomes new textbooks for studying the language as indicators that there are new students of Yiddish -- many of them not Jewish -- and teachers who teach them. Oxford University, where the present textbook was published, has become the academic center for the study of Yiddish in Europe.** Its scholarly collection _Oksforder Yidish_ has appeared three times and is reminiscent even in its format of the famous Yiddish collections published in Vilna and Minsk in the inter-war period. Gennady Estraikh, who was recently awarded a doctorate at Oxford, was one of the young Yiddish writers who appeared on the scene in the sunset years of the Soviet Union. In addition to teaching Yiddish, he edits _Di pen_, which claims to be the only literary monthly published in the language. This reviewer does not have the expertise for a detailed critique of _Intensive Yiddish_, but some faults are obvious. We miss the passages usually found at the beginning of such primers which are transliterated into the Latin alphabet. That is of particular importance in a book which claims to be usable for self-instruction. Surprising is the almost complete lack of "Jewish content"; with the exception of two adaptations of legends by modern authors, there is nothing particularly Jewish in the literary selections, all of which are by authors who lived or are living in the twentieth century. We surmise that Dr. Estraikh, in trying to appeal to a wide audience, wanted to avoid ethnocentrism; but he seems to have gone too far in the opposite direction. We welcome the author's decision to indicate the stress in the vocabularies for all words. Some lessons, however, have more new words than the student can absorb even in an intensive course. In conclusion, some specific criticisms: "sheygets" (pp. 140, 254) is translated as "impudent Gentile." It should be "gentile" and "impudent or ignorant Jew."*** There are some inaccurate definitions, e.g. "khazonishe muzik" (p. 63) is not "Jewish religious music" but cantorial music. Interesting but problematic is the statement (p. 47): "It is clear that except in the most traditional communities, 'du' [informal 'you'] has steadily encroached upon the use of 'ir' [formal 'you'], especially in the English-speaking world and Israel, where the coterritorial English and Hebrew lack the distinction." To this writer the use of "du" where "ir" is called for is a sign of insufficient knowledge of Yiddish. Experts whom I have consulted agree: in their opinion here Estraikh is simply wrong. If, by the "most traditional communities" he means those whom we in Israel call the "haredim" [ultra-Orthodox], we can ask him: Where else is Yiddish a living language today? *_Jews in Eastern Europe_ is the continuation of _Jews and Jewish Topics in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe_. It is available from The Hebrew University, The Centre for Research and Documentation of East-European History, Givat-Ram, 91904 Jerusalem, Israel. [annual subscription $40 for three issues] ** [These words, apparently written prior to the recent decline of Oxford as a Yiddish center, give too little weight to London, Paris and Triers -- not to mention several Eastern-European cities. The publisher was of course not Oxford University Press, as one might mistakenly assume. LP] ***[_Mendele_ has freqently discussed the word _sheygets_ (see vol. 1, nos. 49, 200; vol. 2, nos. 107-114, 116-118, 120; vol. 3, no. 118; vol. 4, nos. 24, 171, 205, 207, 210, 212, 220, 417-8; vol. 5, no. 7) LP]. ____________________________ 4) Bookmart 4)a ---------------------------------------------------- Date: 15 September 1997 From: Jack Kurland Subject: Oyfgekumener Productions ***Oyfgekumener Productions Oyfgekumener Productions, publisher of CDs and tapes by the Wholesale Klezmer Band and its members, currently has four recordings available and a new title coming in mid-October. They are described on website http://www.crocker.com/~ganeydn. The recordings are available from Tara Publications, the National Yiddish Book Center and the Book Center of the Workmen's Circle. For more information write to Yosl (Joe) Kurland/ The Wholesale Klezmer Band/ Colrain, MA 01340/ voice/fax: 413-624-3204. 4b --------------------------------------------------------- Date: 15 September 1997 From: Leonard Prager Subject: Want List ***Want List: _Shtentsls heftlekh_ Nos. 15, 24, 31, 34 For a bibliographical project I have been working on for many years I am missing the following _Shtentsls heftlekh_ (London 1940-1945). These are individual brochures which AVROM-NOKHEM SHTENTSL (Abraham-Nahum Stencl) issued before he founded _Loshn un lebn_. Each has its own title. I would like to buy these items but will settle for xerox copies, or at the very least a list of the contents. _15_. _Tsu der indzl do_ ('To the Island Here') {2:9} (August 1941). _24_. _Sovyet-front_ ('Soviet Front') {3:5} (June 1942). _31_. _Khanike_ ('Khanuka') {3:12} (December 1942). _34_. _Englishe mayster in der moleray_ ('English Masters of Painting') (December 1942). ----------------------------------------------------------------- End of _The Mendele Review_ 01.019 Leonard Prager, editor Send articles to: lprager@research.haifa.ac.il The editor of _TMR_ can also be reached via _Mendele_'s homepage: http://www2.trincoll.edu/~mendele/ Send change-of-status messages to: listproc@lists.yale.edu a. For a temporary stop: set mendele mail postpone b. To resume delivery: set mendele mail ack c. To subscribe: sub mendele first_name last_name d. To unsubscribe kholile: unsub mendele ****Getting back issues**** _The Mendele Review_ archives can be reached at: http://sunsite.unc.edu/yiddish/TMR