_The Mendele Review_: Yiddish Literature and Language (A Companion to _MENDELE_) ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 04.002 29 February 2000 1) Yiddish Matters: from the editor (Leonard Prager) a. An exchange of letters on translating Sholem-Aleykhem b) The dissolution of a family -- Kotik's opening chapter of the second volume of his memoirs. 2) Project Onkelos (Noyekh Miller and Leonard Prager) 3) Volume Two, Chapter One, _mayne zikhroynes_ (yekheskl kotik) Yiddish 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: 29 February 2000 From: Leonard PragerSubject: Yiddish Matters a. Sholem Aleichem [Sholem-Aleykhem] is not quite headline material in the newspapers of the world, not even in Israel where his name is widely known, where streets are named after him, where his plays or dramatized novels are frequently performed (not to mention _hakanar al hagag_ 'Fiddler on the Roof'), where translators vie to make him as memorable in Hebrew as he is in Yiddish. Readers of book reviews and letters-to-the-editor on the back pages of _HaAretz_ may -- as has happened recently -- run across his name with a certain refreshing frequency. In conjunction with Avraham Yavin's new translation of _Motl, Peysi the Cantor's Son_, the literary section of _Haaretz_ (28 January 2000) printed the Yiddish passage "Mir iz gut -- ikh bin a yosem!" ('This is fun -- I'm an orphan!') together with the Hebrew versions (by Y. D. Berkowitz, Kh. N. Bialik and Y.Kh. Ravnitski [according to Khone Shmeruk's deduction], David Shtray, Arye Aharoni and Avraham Yavin). As I indicated in the last issue of _The Mendele Review_ (4.001), Avraham Yavin's new translation of Sholem-Aleykhem's _Motl peyse dem khazns_ -- _Motl ben peysi hakhazan_, Tel Aviv: Am Oved Publishers, 1999 [ISBN 965-13-1366-8] -- has been widely acclaimed. It is not hard to see what many reviewers found praiseworthy in the Yavin translation. It is written in a very readable modern Hebrew. Yochanan Reshet (_Haaretz_ 3 December 1999) concluded his positive estimate with the words: "There is a synthesis of the old, the new, and the faithful -- a mix that distinguishes all of Yavin's translations, which are aimed at the more discriminating, more tasteful reader, but also at the simple Israeli reader. In any event, this rendition avoids the hackneyed "yidishkayt" of earlier translations and achieves a surprizing Hebrew-Israeli modernity. Thus we are given a Sholem Aleichem who is both eternal and contemporary." [my translation -- ed.] It would be interesting to know precisely what the reviewer meant here by "'yidishiut' hakefuya mashehu shel hatargumim hakodmim" [which I have translated as "the hackneyed 'yidishkayt' of earlier translations"]. Yavin followed the Yiddish text of the recently published (1997) modern-spelling edition edited by the late Professor Khone Shmeruk (see _The Mendele Review_ vol. 1, no. 12 for selections from this edition). Almost nothing in Israel can be unanimous and I give here an exchange of letters regarding the Yavin translation [translation mine- ed.]: 1. "All the Works of Sholem Aleichem" _HaArets_ 8.2.2000 [in answer to "Through Motl's Eyes" by Yael Dar in _HaAretz_, 19 January 2000, "Gallery," p. 2B] One applauds all steps taken to shorten the Hebrew reader's path to the Jewish bookshelf, including Avraham Yavin's new translation of Sholem Aleichem's classic work, _Motl, Peysi the Cantor's Son_. We should also remember earlier translations, especially Y.-D. Berkowitz's, and that of Arye Aharoni published two years ago by Am Oved. As a reader and lecturer in Yiddish literature, I prefer Aharoni's translation to Yavin's. As we know, Berkowitz felt free to "correct" the original text by emendations and omissions. The same is true with regard to Yavin, who followed the supposedly scientific edition of Professor Khone Shmeruk, who excised chapters and changed the title of the first chapter. Instead of the original text's charming caption: "haynt iz yontev, me tor nit veynen" ['It's a holiday today, one mustn't cry'], Shmeruk -- followed by Yavin -- gives us the altered 'I and the Little Calf'. Since we are talking about Sholem Aleichem, it is worth mentioning that during the past year Arye Aharoni completed his life work of translating the complete works of Sholem Aleichem from Yiddish to Hebrew. This is the first complete edition of Sholem Aleichem's writings in any language -- including Yiddish. Professor Gershon Weiner Jerusalem 2. "Sholem Aleichem's Word" _HaArets_ 15.2.2000 [in answer to "All the Works of Sholem Aleichem" by Professor Gershon Weiner in _HaArets_ 8.2.2000] Sholem Aleichem initially published chapters of many of his works in the Yiddish press as separate stories. He made a variety of changes, deletions, and additions before finally issuing these separate items in book form. This was the case with _Motl, Peysi the Cantor's Son_. Stories of Motl began to appear in the Eastern European and American Yiddish press as early as 1907, whereas the book was first published in 1913 (in the Warsaw "Progres" edition). Sholem Aleichem made various changes for the "Progres" edition, including substition of the title "ikh un dos kelbl" ['I and the Little Calf'] for the earlier "haynt iz yontev, me tor nit veynin" ['It's a holiday today, one mustn't cry']. Since this edition appeared during Sholem-Aleichem's lifetime and with his active participation, it undoubtedly represents his last word and expresses his views and wishes. This text, therefore, was properly acknowleged in Professor Khone Shmeruk's academic edition published by the Magnes Press in 1997, and in Avraham Yavin's translation. Professor Chava Turnianski Chair, Department of Yiddish The Hebrew University b. The opening chapter of Yekhezkl Kotik's less well known second volume of memoirs is a narrative version of a familiar melodrama of family dissolution -- indeed, it could readily be adapted to the stage. "di kinder hobn zikh yederer gevoynt in zayn hoyf eynzam. der familye-farband iz zikh bislekhvayz in gantsn opgeshvakht gevorn." ('The children lived in their separate quarters. The family bond was gradually weakened.') The grandfather, the affluent, wilful patriarchal figure accustomed to mete out benefits and reap the affection and respect of an extended family of children, in-laws and grandchildren remarries soon after becoming a widower. Famous for doting upon his wife of many years, he brings home a new wife who is considerably younger than himself and encouners general hostility. While not quite a Yiddish version of "January and May," Kotik's account of his uxorious grandfather is not only a moral tale of an old man's folly; it is a vivid canvas of a family's life together and in conflict. 2)-------------------------------------------------------- Date: 29 February 2000 From: Noyekh Miller and Leonard Prager Subject: Project Onkelos Project Onkelos Onkelos, first century (C.E.), was a proselyte and student of Rabbi Akiva who translated the Torah into Aramaic. His translation, universally known as the Targum (translation) Onkelos, is taught and used to this day. His targum caught on because by his time a great many Jews no longer understood Hebrew, at least not very well. Placed as it normally is along the side of a Torah page, those who wanted help with their Hebrew found Onkelos an invaluable teacher. We at the beginning of the 21st century face the same problem with respect to Yiddish. There are many who want to become Yiddish readers or improve their Yiddish, but the tools available to them are often sparse. It is our intention with Project Onkelos to help readers to read Yiddish by providing them with exemplary Yiddish texts that also exist in English translation. Irving Howe and Eliezer Greenberg dedicated their anthology of Yiddish stories in English translation "To the Six Million," and it is hard to think of a more fitting memorial. We propose to add a further dimension to this highly influential bridge to the Yiddish-language culture of Ashkenazic Jewry by providing in an easily accessible and attractive format the original stories, which readers will be able to read alongside the Howe-Greenberg anthology in a kind of improvised Loeb Classic edition. Reading these great stories in Yiddish means not only entering into the world of the Six Million, but entering deeply into their imaginative life, hearing their voices. This ambitious project (subject, of course, to copyright limitations) will be realized over the next few years, hopefully with the aid of additional volunteers. The list below gives the table of contents of the Howe/Greenberg anthology. Stories marked with an asterisk are already available in _The Mendele Review_ in UTF and PDF format (see: http://www2.trincoll.edu/~mendele/tmrarc.htm). Irving Howe and Eliezer Greenberg, eds. _A Treasury of Yiddish Stories_ New York: Viking Press, 1954. Table of Contents 1. The Calf Mendele Moykher-Sforim 2. On Account of a Hat Sholem-Aleykhem 3. Devotion Without End Y.-L. Perets 4. Eternal Life Sholem-Aleykhem 5. Hodl " 6. The Search " 7. Dreyfus in Kasrilevke " *8. The Pair " 9. The Dead Town Y.-L. Perets *10. Neilah in Gehenna " 11. Cabalists " *12. Bontsha the Silent " 13. If Not Higher " 14. The Mad Talmudist " 15. Rabbi Yochanan the Warden " 16. The Golem " 17. And Then He Wept Dovid Pinski 18. A Meal for the Poor Mortkhe Spektor 19. Sanctification of the Name (A legend) Sholem Ash 20. Kola Street " 21. The Poor Community Avrom Reyzn 22. The Big Succeh " 23. Tuition for the Rebbe " 24. The Recluse " 25. Mazl Tov Y.-L. Vaysnberg 26. Father and the Boys " 27. Revenge (Extracts from a Student's Diary) Zalmen Shneyer 28. The Girl " 29. White Khale Lamed Shapiro 30. Smoke " 31. Tbe Rebe and the Rebitsn " 32. Munie the Birl Dealer Moyshe Kulbak 33. Repentance Y.-Y. Zinger 34. Sand " 35. Competitors Yoyne Roznfeld 36. The Sick Goose " 37. Gimpel the Fool Y.-Bashevis Zinger 38. May The Temple Be Restored Yoysef Opotoshu 39. A Page from the Song of Songs Sholem-Aleykhem 40. My First Love Moyshe Nadir 41. The Adventures of Hershl Zumervint Itsik Manger 42. Eating Days Lamed Shapiro 43. In a Backwoods Town Dovid Berglson 44. To the New World Isaac Metzker 45. A Quiet Garden Spot Sholem Ash 46. The Little Shoemakers Y.-Bashevis Zinger 46. Higher and Higher Peysekh Markus 47. The Eternal Wedding Gown Yoysef Opotoshu 48. The Return Yankev Glatshteyn 49. The Man Who Slept through the End of the World Moyshe Nadir 50. A Ghetto Dog Shaye Shpigl 51. My Quarrel with Hersh Rasseyner Khaym Grade 52. Yiddish Proverbs 53. A Tale of a Candelabrum R. Nakhmen Bratslaver 54. Stories of Hershl Ostropolier 55. Tales of Khelm 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: 29 February 2000 From: Lucas Bruyn Subject: Volume Two, Chapter One: _mayne zikhroynes_ (yekheskl kotik) yekheskl kotik "mayne zikhroynes," berlin 1922 (tsveyte oyfgabe) tsveyter teyl, kapitl 1 (zz. 7-14) [nokh der bobes toyt] [z. 7] kapitl I nokh der bobes toyt. -- der zeyde tut a shidekh. -- plutsling gekumen mit a vayb. -- der ayndruk oyf der familye. -- di "bobe". -- dem zeydns tayneg. -- zayne naye tekhter. -- tsezeyt un tseshpreyt. -- mayontkes. -- undzere hakhnoses-orkhims. -- yokheved. -- leye. -- men dervaytert zikh fun zeydn. -- nishto amolike yomim-neroim. di bobe iz geshtorbn -- un dem zeydns lage hot zikh grod farbesert. er iz vayter geblibn der eyntsiker goyel umoshie, der bal-yoyets un vegvayzer bay di pritsim, vos zenen geven tsemisht fun oyfshtand, fun di redifes un tsores, vos hobn zikh geshotn oyf zeyer kop fun muravyovs breyter ayzerner hant. mankhe fun zey hobn itst gefunen treyst in dem altn kluger arn-leyzern un er hot zey take mitgeholfn in ale protim. a dank zayne eytses, hobn zey opgegebn zeyere mayontkes tsu di yidn in arende un bakumen genug gelt, um tsu firn zeyer pritsish lebn vayter. gelt hobn zey demolt bazunders noytik gehat. der zeyde hot ober oykh ongehoybn fardinen a sakh gelt un zayn lebn iz avek nokh breyter vi frier. zayn britshke mit di por ferd, vos hobn frier oysgezen yidishlekh, hobn ersht gekrogn a pritsishn oyszen. di ferd mitn shpan hot im a porets avekgeshenkt, un in britshke iz er gezesn mit der gantser breytkayt zayner. der zeyde, vos iz shtendik geven ongegosn mit impet un hast, hot, farshteyt zikh, nor badarft oysgisn di gantse trern, vos er hot gehat, oyf der bobes toyt, un koym hobn di dozike trern-kvaln etvos oyfgetriknt, hot er shoyn a trakht geton vegn a tsveytn vayb... shatkhonim hobn dos bald dershmekt un genumen balegern [z. 8] dem zeydn tog-teglekh mit farsheydene shidukhim, yunge vayblekh, raykhe, afile sheyne, u. az. v. dos hot ober dokh nisht gepast far der familye. flegn di shatkhonim zogn, az zey reydn shidukhim arn-leyzers zun yisroeln, vos iz mit mir geven in eyn elter. keynem fun di kinder iz dokh nisht ayngefaln, vi men hot nisht gekent dem zeydn, az er zol veln khasene hobn nokh aza heym-gelibtn vayb, bay azoyne eltere yorn, beys er hot bay zikh ale kinder mit a zibetsik eyniklekh un ureyniklekh. der gedank vegn a tsveytn vayb hot dem zeydn azoy tsehitst, az er hot nor fargesn on zayn zuns shidukhim, mit velkhe er hot zikh zeyer interesirt frier, un er, vi men hot zikh shpeter dervust, hot nokh getaynet mit di shatkhonim, az men zol im shatkhenen epes a sheyn vayb, fun mitele yorn un a yakhsnte. alts zol zayn tsuzamen. un in a dray khadoshim arum kumt der zeyde plutsling fun ergets tsuforn aheym a freylekher, un heyst makhn an ordenung on shtub. es darf kumen a gehoybener gast. un in a vayle arum zogt er zikh azoy farbaygeyendik tsu di kinder: - ikh hob khasene gehat... mit a groyser yakhsnte... r' itsele, karliner rovs, tokhter... a yidene a tsadeykes... un bald deroyf ruik dertseylt vegn ir. dem man hot zi geget, vayl er iz gevorn an apikoyres, nisht kukndik oyf dem, vos er iz a yid, zeyer a sheyner, a gebildeter un hot dervaksene kinder mit ir. zi, di tsadeykes, hot nisht gekukt oyf di ale glikn un hot nisht gevolt lebn mit an apikoyres. in shtub iz gevorn a khurbm. alemen iz finster gevorn in di oygn; un men iz zikh tselofn in di andere tsimer -- zikh oysveynen. di zakh iz ober opgeton gevorn, farfaln, heyst es, un der zeyde hot vi es iz aropgeshlungen dem tsar fun di kinder un iz bald avekgeforn brengen dos naye vayb... ven er iz avekgeforn, hot zikh ersht ongehoybn di groyse yelole. di geveyneray un gvalderay iz geven kimat azoy groys, vi in dem tog fun der bobes toyt. ale hobn mit trern gekukt eyner dem andern in di oygn, on verter, vi mentshn, vos darfn iberkumen an umfarmaydlekhe gefar, es hot zikh keynem avade nisht gegloybt, az der zeyde, vos hot lib gehat der bobn un azoy fil ayngelegt di velt nokh ir toyt, zol bald fargesn oyf dem alem, un oyf der elter, [z. 9] tsu zekhtsik yor, bay a fule shtub mit kinder un kinds-kinder, zol er araynbrengen a shtif-muter. di trern zenen ober nisht mer geven vi trern. helfn hot men nisht gekont. un in a por teg arum iz take aropgekumen a breyte, a sheyne yidene fun a yor finf-un-fertsik, sheyn oysgeputst, un der zeyde hot geheysn der dinst shteln dem samovar. di kinder hobn zikh gemakht harts, nisht aroysgevizn far der breyter sheyner yidene zeyer tsar un fardros, un hobn zi oyfgenumen nisht kalt un nisht varem. dem zeydn iz geven zeyer nisht bakvem: im hot zikh shtark gevolt, az zayn tsveytes vayb zol varem oyfgenumen vern. ober farlangen es hot er nisht gekent, un dos zelbe hoyz, vos iz shtendik geven azoy kokhedik un royshik mit kinder un mit eyniklekh, vu men hot geshtift un gelakht, getantst un gezungen -- dos zelbe hoyz iz itst gevorn shtil, farmoret, vi oysgeshtorbn. keyn hoykh reydn, keyn gelekhter, keyn geshreyen, keyn gepilder, alts ayngehaltn, dershlogn, shtil. fun shtot hot men oykh oyfgehert tsu kumen, nisht tsu di kinder un afile nisht tsu arn-leyzern. men hot gevust, az er iz farnumen mitn nayes vayb, az er muz mistame zitsn bay zikh in tsimer mit ir un klaybn fargenign. di "bobe" nome, vi di eyniklekh hobn zi far laytn gerufn, hot zikh dervayle oykh gehaltn korekt tsvishn di kinder un eyniklekh. zi hot a ponem, farshtanen, az der shtub-oylem iz lefi-erekh a gants eydeler un az men darf zikh staren vi vayt meglekh tsu tsutsien ot di ale mentshn, kedey zey zoln nisht varfn oyf ir keyn um-kheyn, vos dos iz nisht gevuntshn. hot zi zikh batsoygn tsu der gantser familye zeyer heflekh un aroysgeshtelt zikh far a "mamen" un a "bobn". in a tsvey vokhn arum iz gekumen tsu forn tsum zeydn a gast. dos iz geven dem vaybs a yungere tokhter, a fraylin fun a yor fertsn. shpeter, in a por vokhn arum, iz gekumen nokh a gast. vider a tokhter, a fraylin shoyn fun a yor zibetsn. di dozike tekhter zenen farblibn nebn der muter. in a por khadoshem shpeter hot dem vaybs a zun khasene gehat mit a tokhter fun kamenitser balebos... un azoy arum iz shoyn in a kurtser tsayt fun a knapes halb yor oysgevaksn baym zeydn a naye familye... di beyde tekhter hobn zikh shoyn gehodevet baym zeydn un er hot zey aroysgevizn a sakh foterlekhe libe. der eydem mit der shnur, der mekhutn un mekhuteneste mit zeyer [z. 10] gantser familye zenen gevorn gantse bney-bayis baym zeydn in shtub, hobn farnumen dem oybnon, azoy az es iz shoyn nisht geblibn keyn ort far beyle-rashes kinder un eyniklekh, vos hobn frier ful gemakht di shtub mit simkhe un gelekhter. di kindershe fargaltkayt un dershlognkayt hot teylvayz oykh gevirkt oyfn akhdes tsvishn eynander. es iz nokh geven di noentkayt, es iz nokh geven epes libe, ober di libe hot shoyn nisht geflakert un vos shpeter hot es alts gekilt un gekilt... der zeyde, vos hot shtendik gezogt dos vertl, az "dem zol di erd aroysvarfn di beyner, ver es git op a kind fun zikh," hot zikh dokh genumen tsu farzorgn di kinder yedn bazunder. meglekh, az er hot gikher gevolt poter vern fun zeyere fargalte blikn, vos hobn im fardorbn dos fargenign mitn nayes vayb. far yedn kind hot er gedungen an ander hoyf in arende. far zikh aleyn hot er oykh gedungen a hoyf -- "pruske" bay vilevinskin, fir vyorst fun kamenits, mit a bronfn broyz. in a halb yor tsayt hot er bavizn tsu farshtekn yedes kind in an ander hoyf. men iz tseforn un tseshpreyt zikh un er hot zikh geshept nakhes fun zayn "vaybl" un ire tekhter. arum iz geven: sha, shtil... poter gevorn fun di kinder, hot er nokh fun onfang gevoynt in kamenits, makhmes der hoyf iz geven noent. in a sho hot men shoyn gekent zayn in pruske ahin un tsurik. ober in a kurtser tsayt hot ot der royshiker mentsh zikh farbenkt nokh emese ru, nokh shtilkayt, azoy, az es zol im gornisht shteren in zayn fargenign. azoy farkisheft iz er geven fun zayn nayes vayb. di kinder hobn zikh yederer gevoynt in zayn hoyf eynzam. der familye-farband iz zikh bislekhvayz in gantsn opgeshvakht gevorn. un ven nisht yokheved, dem feter yosls vayb, vos hot zikh shtark tsum hartsn genumen dem goyrl fun der mishpokhe un hot zikh gestaret tsunoyf tsubindn di opgerisene opgeshvakhte letste fedemlekh, volt mistame funem familye-akhdes gevorn a tel. ot di yokheved iz geven a groyse makhnes-oyrekhte un zeyer an ibergegebene froy. gevoynt hot zi in babitsh, a hoyf -- akht vyorst fun kamenits, un di familye flegt oft kumen tsu ir in gest mit geshpan un ferd. shtendik flegn zikh bay ir gefinen a tsen fuftsn perzon, di -- avekgeforn, yene -- gekumen, [z. 11] un men hot gegesn mlintshikes un zikh gebodn in milkhiks. der tuml fun dem zeydns hoyz, hagam shoyn shvakher un klener, hot bislekhvayz emigrirt tsu ir. bay ir flegt men zikh freyen, tantsn, lakhn un reydn fun der breyter "bobn" mit ire tekhter. di tsveyte makhnes-oyrekhte iz geven dem tatns shvester leye, oykh zeyer a kluge un a gute froy. men hot oyf ir gezogt in der familye, az dos iz di muter beyle-rashe. es farshteyt zikh, az dos iz geven a guzme. ir man elyezer goldberg iz geven a yunger man -- a lamdn, a maskl un a meshoyrer. az im hot zikh farglust, hot er gemakht a hebreishn shir oyf khanuke, oyf purim un iz derbay geven a leb-yingl. er hot gehat zeyer a breytn kharakter; in der familye hot men gezogt, az er hot shitere finger... gelt iz bay im geven a kole. gevoynt hot er in a hoyf starsheve, nebn zastavye. dos iz geven der zelber hoyf, vos der zeyde hot zikh geshemt tsu nemen, beys a porets hot es im gevolt opshraybn bematone. iz starsheve geven der tsveyter hakhnoses-orkhim far der familye, nor shoyn an ergerer fun yokheveds hakhnoses-orkhim. beheymes hot zi keyn sakh nisht gehat, un az es iz ongeforn di familye hot ir nisht gestayet keyn milkh un keyn puter. esn fleysh iz demolt gor in mode nisht geven, oyser shabes; un oykh oyf shabes iz es shver ongekumen. agev hobn dem oylem shtark getsoygn tsu yokheveds mlintshikes. yokheved hot zikh oysgelernt zey tsu makhn bay ir shviger beyle-rashe, vos iz shoyn geven mit dem mefursem. dos zenen geven vunderlekhe mlintshikes, vos haynt zet men shoyn nisht mer azelkhe. mayn liber foter, vos iz geven der eltster in der familye, hot gants veynik bazukht di dozike hakhnoses-orkhims. er hot gehat zayne rayones. vider iz er geven far di yunge tsu frum, tsu gelasn, hagam zey hobn im zeyer lib gehat; un az er hot zikh a mol bavizn bay yokhevedn in shtub, iz dos geven bay alemen a min yontev, vi a rebe kumt tsu forn in gest tsu zayne khsidim. in zayn gezelshaft hobn ale koketirt mit ruikayt un gelasnkayt, keyn geshreyen, keyn gelekhter, keyn shtifn. ale flegn im arumringlen un er flegt zey vos dertseyln oder zogn a kluger vits, vi zayn shteyger iz shtendik geven, un alemens oygn flegn oyfshtraln. [z. 12] vinter hot yokheved gezetst gendz tsu draysik oyf a mol un gepreglt shmalts un gribenes; hot zikh ongehoybn a sedre mit yokheveds gribenes. di gendz hot zi ayngezaltsn in a fesele, un a khoydesh tsayt hot men gegesn gendzns un gribenes. dertsu hot zi nokh yedern mitgegebn a portsye aheym. es hot zikh geton a velt mit yokhes gribenes. zi hot oykh gepashet indikes un yedn fun der familye hot zi geteylt oyf peysekh indikes. a berye iz zi geven a groyse, say in shtub un say in hoyf. zi hot fun alts gevust, umetum geven, hot gehit di beheymes, kelblekh, ferd un destglaykhn. a gantsn tog iz zi geven farnumen. flegt oyfshteyn zeks a zeyger in der fri. say zumer, say vinter, hot zi zikh a gantsn tog geporet, nor mayse-khvat, laykht, vi di emese berye. zi hot zikh umetum gemisht, hot alts bavorent, un vinter flegt zi oft shteyn a gantsn tog in shayer baym dreshn di tvue... der bakvemlekhkayt fun di gest hot es ober gornisht geshadt. bald in der fri hobn ale gest gehat heysn tey fun samovar mit di gute slivkes un gebeksn. geven bay ir ober a shvakhkayt, -- fort a ishe! -- vos flegt teyl mol gants shver virkn oyf di gest: zi hot zikh lib gehat tsu barimen far alemen, az zi iz a groyse berye... un barimen zikh nisht kurts, nor lang, mit nayn mos reyd. hot zi dertseylt fun ire arbetn, fun ir kokhn, bakn, fun bekies in gesheftn, fun konen oyfnemen a gast, fun konen fartsireven a gvald-ris u. az. v., un hot ofter alemen fardreyt dem kop mit di dozike vaybershe barimerayen. in di dozike nayn mos reyd iz ober tsu mol gelegn a shtokh, getsilt in ir man, vos iz kloymersht a gantser porets, makhmes zi tut far im. er iz a porets, zi iz shtendik farton in arbet. er kumt tsu alem fartikn, zi darf dreyen mitn kop. ober a berye iz zi fort geven a groyse, un di shvakhkayt ire hot men ir gekent moykhl zayn. in di yomim-neroim-teg, ven ale yishuvnikes kumen in shtot arayn oyf rosheshone, yonkiper, iz zikh undzer familye tsunoyfgekumen. tsum zeydn ober iz men nisht farforn, hagam in kamenits iz bay im geshtanen leydik a groyse voynung. yederer hot zikh gedungen oyf rosheshone un yonkiper a dire. der zeyde flegt oykh kumen mit zayn vayb un tsvey "tekhter." [z. 13] zayn in gantsn dervaytert fun zeydn hot dokh nisht gepast, un az men iz gekumen fun davnen, flegn di gresere kinder geyn opgebn gut-yontev dem zeydn un bald aheym gegangen. farn gantsn tog iz men shoyn mer tsum zeydn nisht gegangen, un di shtub hot oysgezen dem ershtn rosheshone, nokh der bobes toyt, vi a khorev-gevorene shtot. nor oyb es hot zikh dokh etvos gerudert in dem zeydns shtub rosheshone-tsayt -- zenen dos geven di gest, vos flegn kumen tsu zayne shtif-tekhter. mayn tate iz geven rosheshone baym rebn in slonim. dem feter mortkhe-leybn hot zeyer fardrosn zayn bruders khasene, hot er zikh oykh dervaytert fun im. er hot im afile gornisht gezogt vegn dem, nor bay zikh hot er es gehaltn far a groys farbrekhn un far a miese grobkayt, un azoy arum hot er zikh bislekhvayz opgerukt fun zayn bruder. der zeyde flegt shoyn kumen tsu mortkhe-leybn, nisht vi a mol, mit yener breytkayt un fraykayt. der kluger zeyde hot groysartik farshtanen dem bruders shtumen broygez un hot zikh gestaret tseraybn es vi es iz. azoy, lemoshl, hot er ongehoybn kumen oft tsum bruder, onshtot dem, vos frier flegt yener kumen tsu im. di nakht tsu erev yonkiper, vos hot gehat aza kheyn baym zeydn in shtub, iz itst avek zeyer shtil un umetik. der shoykhet iz take gekumen koydem tsu arn-leyzern, ober di balebatim hobn nisht arayngeshikt zeyere kapores tsum zeydn in shtub. ale kinder, vider, hobn zikh opgeshlogn di kapores bay zikh un arayngeshikt tsum zeydn di kapores fartike, "opgeshlogene," nisht vi far a yorn. nor di nakht fun erev yonkiper zenen di gresere kinder avek tsum zeydn. es iz geven derzelber groyser raykher tish mit di farsheydene ayngemakhts un tortn un pireshkes, un lekekher un nis un zise bronfns, ober vu iz di simkhe? vu iz di frayndshaft, di bridershaft, di groyse libe? alts vokhedik kalt, moreshkhoyredik, farshlofn, nishto dos royshn fun di fil kleynitshke un gresere eyniklekh. nishto di shtralndike blikn. ale hobn zikh bislekhvayz tserukt, tsevorfn, farborgn. un dos bentshn erev yonkiper iz shoyn oykh nisht dos, vi far-a-yorn, beys ale hobn gevart eyne oyf di andere, keyner iz nisht avekgegangen aleyn. ale hobn tsuzamen geveynt un di geveyneray mit der yomeray say fun di groyse un say fun di kleyne zenen dergangen bizn zibnter himl. [z. 14] der feter berl-bendet, vos flegt shtendik farforn mit zayn gantser familye kinder un eyniklekh tsum zeydn oyf rosheshone un yonkiper, iz haynt farforn tsu zayn foter zelig andarkes... nor eyn zakh iz efsher geven mer vi far-a-yorn: shtile, dershtikte trern... nokh yonkiper zenen ale tseforn in di hoyfn un alts iz avekgeshvumen. es iz geven klor, az di groyse shif iz tsebrokhn gevorn, un yeder shvimt avek bazunder oyf eyntsike heltslekh un bretlekh, vos zenen geblibn funem groysn shif... ======================================================================= End of _The Mendele Review_ 04.002 Leonard Prager, editor Subscribers to _Mendele_ (see below) automatically receive _The Mendele Review_. send "to subscribe" or 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://www2.trincoll.edu/~mendele/tmrarc.htm