_The Mendele Review_: Yiddish Literature and Language
              (A Companion to _MENDELE_)
______________________________________________________
Contents of Vol. 04.005
13 April 2000

1) Yiddish Matters: From the Editor -- Aaron Zeitlin's letters (Leonard
Prager)
2) "oylem habe"  (sholem-aleykhem) [first of four installments]


for the Yiddish version:

     Yiddish

1)----------------------------------------------------
Date: 14 April 2000
From: Leonard Prager 
Subject: Yiddish Matters: Aaron Zeitlin's Annotated Letters***

The collected letters of literary figures, especially when competently
edited and annotated, are a boon to scholars; when the literary figures
are great letter writers -- in English D.H.  Lawrence comes to mind --
their correspondence becomes an integral part of their art as a whole.
In Yiddish literature we have few collections of well-edited literary
correspondence; the classic triumvirate (Mendele, Perets,
Sholem-Aleykhem) are a partial exception.  This unfortunate penury has
in some measure now been diminished by Yechiel Szeintuch's magisterial
annotated edition of the letters of Aaron Zeitlin [Arn Tseytlin], a
deeply meditative writer who could also be combatively polemical, a
polarity encased in the Hebrew and Yiddish short title of this work:
_Birshut-harabim uvirshut hayakhid_ ('In the public and in the private
domain').

Aaron Zeitlin's own archive containing letters from major Yiddish
writers -- as well as five volumes of verse ready for publication,
several plays, and a novel (co-authored with Isaac Bashevis-Singer) on
Otto Weininger -- were all destroyed in the Shoah period.  The Zeitlin
letters we have were preserved in archives in America and Israel.  They
carry us into the heart of Polish-Jewish literary politics, and in one
section illuminate the struggle of Zeitlin and Bashevis Singer in their
high-level, short-lived (1932-4) journal _Globus_ against the Bundist
_Folkstsaytung_ and the Communist _Di literarishe tribune_, two camps
which loathed the notion of a disinterested art.

Szeintuch paints the complex background of Zeitlin's correspondence in a
60-page monographic introduction in Hebrew.  This is followed by 127
mainly Yiddish letters from Warsaw in the 1930s to writers and editors
in New York, Vilna and Israel, principal among them Sh.  Niger, Joseph
Opatoshu, H. Leivick and Abraham Liesin.  The detailed annotation of the
letters is in Hebrew.  Two compendious indices, one of subjects (in
Hebrew) and another, twenty-six pages long (in Hebrew and Yiddish), of
names and titles, increase the usefulness of the volume immensely.
Hardly a single significant actor in the drama of Yiddish culture both
in and outside of Poland during the 1930s is absent from this exemplary
index, which doubles as an index to the writings of Zeitlin and his
major contemporaries.  Zeitlin was one of the last great carriers of the
Hebrew-Yiddish symbiosis and Szeintuch has produced a bilingual work in
the spirit of his subject's linguistic breadth.  In so doing he follows
in the footsteps of his teachers, the late Dov Sadan and Khone Shmeruk,
for whom Hebrew and Yiddish literatures were two sides of a single
Jewish coin.

This is an important work for students of Yiddish at every level.  It
can be ordered directly from the publisher:  Magnes Press, Hebrew
University, POB 39099, Jerusalem 91390, Israel. email:
magnes@vms.huji.ac.il; tel.:  972-2-6586656; fax:  972-2-563-3370. Price
in Israel:  68 shekels; abroad $17.00.

-----------------
*[Hebrew title page]:  Yekhiel Sheyntukh, _Birshut-harabim uvirshut
hayakhid; aharon tseytlin vesifrut yidish; pirkey mavo veigrot muarot
belivui teudot letoldot tarbut yidish befolin beyn shtey milkhamot
haolam_, arkha Keri Fridman-Kohen, Yerushalaim:  Hotsaat sefarim al-shem
Y"L Magnes, 2000, 374 + 7 amudim.  [ISBN 965-493-023-3].

[Yiddish title page]:  Yekhiel Sheyntukh, _Birshus-horabim uvirshus
hayokhid; arn tseytlin un di yidishe literatur; araynfir-kapitlen un
briv mit heores bagleyt fun dokumentn tsu der yidisher kultur-geshikhte
in poyln tsvishn beyde velt-milkhomes_, redagirt Keri Fridman-Koyen,
Yerushalaim:  Hoytsoes sforim al-shem y.-l. magnes, 2000, 374 + 7 zz'.

[English title page:  Yechiel Szeintuch, _Aaron Zeitlin and Yiddish
Literature in Interwar Poland; An Analysis of Letters and Documents of
Jewish Cultural History_, edited by Carrie Friedman-Cohen.  Jerusalem:
The Hebrew University Magnes Press, 2000, 374 + 7 pp.

2)----------------------------------------------------
Date:  14 April 2000
From:  Leye Krikun 
Subject: "oylem habe" (sholem-aleykhem)


                          oylem habe

                      fun sholem-aleykhem

[213] az ir vilt, vel ikh aykh dertseyln a sheyne mayse, vi azoy ikh hob
oyf zikh gehat amol a pekl, vos ikh hob es aleyn genumen oyf zikh, un
bin shier-shier nit umgliklekh gevorn! un ir meynt, iber vos? nor iber
dem, vos ikh bin geven a yungerman nit keyn geniter, nit keyn
ibergeshpitster, dos heyst, es kon zayn, ikh bin nokh haynt oykh vayt
fun a khokhim, vorum ikh zol zayn a kluger, volt ikh dokh, vi zogt ir,
gehat gelt; az me hot gelt, iz men dokh i klug, i sheyn, i me kon
zingen.

bin ikh, heyst dos, geven a yungerman, gezesn oyf kest bay shver un
shviger, gezesn un gelernt, a bisl arayngekukt in di bikhlekh besod, di
shver un shviger zoln nit visn, nit azoy der shver, vi di shviger. ikh
hob, darft ir visn, a shviger a mansbil, dos heyst:  a yidene, vos geyt
in spodek. firt aleyn ale gesheftn, aleyn geton shidukhim, aleyn geklibn
khasonim far di tekhter. un oykh mikh hot zi aleyn oysgeklibn, aleyn
farhert, aleyn gebrakht tsu firn keyn zvohil fun radomishli -- ikh bin
aleyn a radomishler bin ikh, mistame hot ir gehorkht radomishli, me hot
dos nit lang bashribn oyfn blat....

bin ikh, heyst dos, gezesn in zvohil oyf kest, gekvetsht dem
_moyre-nivukhim_, nisht aroysgetrotn mipesekh beysi, [214] biz s'iz
gekumen di tsayt, me darf zikh farshraybn tsum priziv, muz men zikh
matriekh zayn durkhforn aheym keyn radamishli tsu-rekht makhn di papirn,
zikh oystarn di ligote, aroysnemen a pas, vi geveyntlekh. dos iz geven,
kon men zogn, mayn ershter aroysfor oyf der velt. hob ikh mikh gelozt in
mark arayn dingen an agole eyner aleyn, tsu bavayzn, az ikh bin shoyn
aleyn a mentsh. un got hot mir tsugeshikt a metsie, ikh hob dertapt an
orl fun radamishli mit a shlitn, -- vinter is dos geven -- mit a breyter
pleytse, a gefarbte, un mit tsvey fliglen bay di zaytn, vi an odler; nor
dos ferdl hob ikh gor aroysgelozt funem kop, az s'iz a vays, un a vays
ferdl, zogt di shviger, iz an umglik.  "halevay, zogt zi, ikh zol lign
zogn, di dosike nesiye vet zayn, hob ikh moyre, mit shlim-shlim-mazl..."

-- "bays dir op di tsung!"  -- khapt zikh aroys der shver mit a vort un
hot bald kharote, vorum er bakumt zayn psak oyfn ort; nor tsu mir zogt
er shtilerheyt:  "vayberishe zabubones!," un ikh hoyb mikh on greytn tsu
der nesiye; dem tales ve|tfiln, putergebeks, etlekhe kerblekh oyf der
hetsoe un kishns dray:  a kishn oyf tsu zitsn, a kishn oyf ontsushparn
zikh un a kishn oyf di fis, -- un davay gezegenen zikh. gekumen tsum
gezegenen zikh -- nito keyn verter! fun tomed on iz bay mir a teve, az
se kumt tsum gezegenen zikh, blayb ikh on loshn! ikh veys nit, vos zogt
men? epes kumt dos oys bay mir groblekh, vi azoy dreyt men zikh oys tsu
itlekhn, mekhile, mitn hintn un me lozt zey iber glat azoy? ikh veys
nit, vi azoy ir, nor bay mir iz dos gezegenen zikh adayem al api veal
khamosi! nor sha! mir dakht, ikh hoyb shoyn on farkrikhn keyn
boyberik....

hob ikh mikh, heyst dos, gants fayn opgezegnt un pashol [215] in veg
arayn keyn radamishli. geven iz dos tkhiles vinter, der shney hot zikh
geleygt far-fri. a shlits-veg gor an antik. dos ferdl, khotsh s'iz a
vays, nor geyn geyt es vi a mizmer, un an orl hob ikh dertapt a
shvaygndikn, fun di areylim, vos oyf altsding vet er aykh entfern oder
"ehe," dos heyst yo, oder "ba-ni," dos heyst neyn, -- un vayter khotsh
geb im a krenk! aroysgeforn fun der heym nokhn esn gants oyfgeleygt, a
kishn fun untn, a kishn in di pleytses un a kishn oyf di fis; dos ferdl
shpringt, der orl smotshket, der shlitn shlitlt, der vint blozt, un a
shneyele rayst zikh fun oybn, kayklt zikh un falt, leygt zikh, vi
federn, oyfn breytn groysn trakt, un oyfn hartsn mir iz gut, meshune
gut, breyt un fray un likhtik oyf der neshome, fort dos ershte mol aroys
oyf got|s veltl, eyner aleyn, a balebos, heyst es, far zikh! un ikh
shpar mikh on un tseleyg mikh in shlitn gor mayse porets.... nor vinter,
vi varm ir zolt nit geyn ongeton, nor az der frost nemt gut durkh, glust
zikh opshteln zikh onvaremen, iberkhapn dos otem un forn vayter. un es
shtelt zikh mir for, in dimyen geveyntlekh, a kretshme a vareme, a
samovar a zudiker un a roselfleyshl a frishinkes mit a hoykher yoykh....
fun azelkhe makhshoves hoybt mir on klemen dos harts, poshet es vilt
zikh epes nemen in moyl arayn. ikh hoyb on araynshmusn mit mayn orl
mikoyekh a kretshme, ikh vil gevor vern, tsi s'iz nokh vayt? entfert er
mir:  ba-ni, neyn heyst dos. freg ikh im:  shoyn noent? entfert er mir:
ehe, yo heyst dos. vifil noent -- dos iz shver bay im aroystsutsien
funem moyl, khotsh tu zikh on a mayse! un ikh shtel mir for, vos volt
geven, lemoshl, ven oyfn orls ort zol zayn a [216] yid, lehavdl, volt er
dokh mir klor gemakht nit nor vu di kretshme iz, nor afile ver es halt
di kretshme, vi azoy me ruft im, un vifl kinder er hot, un vos er tsolt
far der kretshme, un vos er hot fun ir, un vifil yor zitst er do, un ver
iz gezesn frier -- gantse pek volt er mir dertseylt. a modne folk dos
iz! ikh meyn take undzere yidelekh zoln gezunt zayn. s'iz gor an ander
blut, khlebn!.... hob ikh mir, heyst dos, getroymt vegn a kretshme a
vareme, gefantazirt mikoyekh a samovar a heysn, ukhedoyme azelkhe gute
zakhn, biz got hot rakhmones gehat, mayn orl hot a shmotske geton tsum
ferdl, farkerevet dem shlitn abisl oyf a zayt, un es hot zikh bavizn a
kleyn groy shtibl, gashotn mit vaysn fun oybn biz arop, a feld kretshme,
vos inem vaysn shneyendikn feld zet zi oys eyne aleyn epes meshune elnt,
vi a farvorfene, a farnasene matseyve.... tsugeforn tsu der kretshme
gants breytlekh, hot zikh mayn orl genumen mitn ferd un shlitele in
shtal arayn, un ikh hob mikh gelozt glaykh in kretshme arayn, gegebn an
efn di tir un... geblibn shteyn oyf der shvel, nit aher, nit ahin! vos
iz di mayse? di mayse iz a sheyne mayse, nor a kurtse:  in mitn der
kretshme oyf der erd ligt a mes, ibergedekt mit shvartsn, tsukopns
shteyen a por meshene laykhter mit kleyne likhtlekh, arum un arum zitsn
kleyne kinder, opgerisn-opgeshlisn, shlogn zikh mit di hentelekh in kop,
klogn, veynen, yamern, shrayn:  "ma-me! mame!" un epes a hoykher mit
lange peyes, mit a zumerdiker tserisener nakidke, epes gor nisht nokhn
sezon, shpant arum hin un tsurik mit di lange fis un brekht di hent un
redt tsu zikh aleyn:  "vos tut men? vos tut men? un vos hoybt men on tsu
ton?"....

[217] avade hob ikh farshtanen oyf vos far a khasene ikh bin do
ongekumen! der ershter gedank mayner iz afile geven:  noyekh, antloyfn!
un ikh hob zikh a nem geton tsurik un gevolt makhn fis. nor es hot zikh
tsugemakht hinter mir di tir un es hot mikh epes vi tsugekavet tsu der
shvel, un kh'hob nisht gekont rirn fun ort. derzen far zikh a frishn
parshoyn, hot der hoykher yid mit di lange peyes zikh a loz geton tsu
mir, oysgetsoygn tsu mir beyde hent, vi a mentsh vos bet ratunek:

"vos zogt ir oyf mayn umglik?"  -- makht er tsu mir un bavayzt mir oyf
der khevre, vos zitsn un veynen.  -- "geshtorbn bay zey di mame nebekh!
vos tut men? vos tut men? un vos hoybt men on tsu ton?"

"borekh dayen emes!" zog ikh tsu im un vil im onhoybn treystn mit gute
verter, vi geveyntlekh, shlogt er mir iber in mitn di red un makht tsu
mir azoy:

"farshteyt ir mikh, oykh di eygene mayse. zi iz geven a geshtorbene,
mayn vayb heyst dos, nokh fun forayorn, gehat di gute krenk, di emese
tshakhotke; zi hot nebekh aleyn gebetn oyf zikh dem toyt. nor vos den?
ot dos, vos mir zitsn do in a hek, in mitn feld. vos tut men? vos tut
men? un vos hoybt men on tsu ton? zol ikh geyn ergets in a dorf krign a
furl un opfirn zi in shtetl arayn, -- vi azoy lozt men iber do di kinder
aleyn in mitn feld? un do geyt tsu nakht. gvald, vos tut men? vos tut
men? un vos hoybt men on tsu ton?"

bay di dozike verter hot zikh mayn yid epes modne tseveynt, on trern,
glaykh vi tselakht zikh, un hot aroysgelozt a meshune kol funem haldz,
glaykh vi gehust:  "hu-hu-hu!"  -- a [218] shtik gezunt hot bay mir
tsugenumen der doziker yid! vos mir hunger? ver mir kelt? ikh hob
fargesn altsding mit ale mit eynander un ruf zikh on tsu im:

"ikh for fun zvahil for ikh keyn radamishli, un a fur hob ikh zeyer a
voyle. iz oyb dos shtetl, vos ir zogt, iz nit vayt fun danen, kon ikh
aykh tsulib ton gebn di fur, un aleyn vel ikh tsuvartn do, oyb es darf
nit gedoyrn."

"oy, lang lebn zolt ir far der mitsve! oylem habe vet ir zikh koyfn, vi
ikh bin a yid, oylem habe!" makht er tsu mir un khapt mikh shier arum
kushn.  "dos shtetl iz nit vayt fun danen, sakhakl a verst fir oder
finf. gedoyrn vet dos opfirn nit mer vi a sho tsayt, un ikh shik aykh
bald op dos furl tsurik. oylem habe vet ir zikh koyfn, vi ikh bin a yid,
oylem habe! kinder! shteyt oyf fun der erd un dankt, kusht dem dozikn
yungnman in di hent arayn, in di fis arayn, er git undz zayn fur git er
undz, vel ikh opfirn di mame oyfn heylikn ort! oylem habe, vi ikh bin a
yid, oylem habe!"

dos vort "simkhe" iz nit shaykh aher, vorum di kinder hobn derhert
"opfirn di mame," zenen zey tsugefaln tsu ir un ersht ongehoybn veynen
iberanays nokh mit mer frishkayt. nor a psure iz dos bay zey geven avade
a groyse, vos se hot zikh gefunen a mentsh, vos tut mit zey a khesed;
nor got aleyn hot im aher gebrakht! me hot oyf mir gekukt, vi oyf an
oysleyzer, epes a min elye hanove, un ikh muz aykh zogn dem reynem emes,
ikh aleyn hob oyf zikh gekukt beshas mayse vi oyf nit keyn geveynlekhn
mentshn un bin oysgevaksn mitamol bay zikh in di oygn, gevorn [219] ot
dos, vos me ruft on "held." in der minut bin ikh greyt geven ibertrogn
berg, iberkern veltn; nishto, dakht zikh, di zakh, vos zol zayn far mir
shver. un es hot zikh aroysgerisn bay mir funem moyl:

"veyst ir vos? ikh vel zi take aleyn avekfirn mit mayn orl heyst dos,
farshporn aykh matriekh zayn, opraysn fun di kinder."

un vos vayter ikh hob geredt, hot dos dozike gezindl als mer geveynt,
geveynt un gekukt oyf mir, vi oyf a malekh funem himl, un ikh bin bay
zikh in di oygn gevaksn alts hekher un greser, kimat bizn himl, fargesn
beshas mayse, az be|sakhakl hob ikh gor moyre zikh tsutsurirn tsu a mes,
un hob aleyn mit mayne hent geholfn im aroystrogn un aroyfleygn oyfn
shlitn, tsugezogt mayn orl nokh a khotse foygl mit nokh a mezumenim
trunk bronfn. tkhiles hot zikh mayn orl afile abisl gekratst in der
potilitse, untergevortshet unter der noz, nor nokhn dritn kelishek iz er
gevorn veykher, un mir zenen avek in veg arayn ale dray, dos heyst, ikh
un, lehavdl, der orl un de geshtorbene kretshmerke khave-nekhome, azoy
hot men zi gerufn, khave-nekhome bas refoyl-mikhl, ikh gedenk dos azoy
vi haynt, vorum a gants veg hob ikh mir gekhazert dem nomen, vos der man
irer hot mir ongezogt etlekhe mol, vorum beshas me vet zi darfn mekaver
zayn, ton ir rekht un betn zi mekhile vet men muzn visn ir emesn nomen.
hob ikh a gants veg gekhazert oyf oysvenik:  khave-nekhome bas
refoyl-mikhl! khave-nekhome bas refoyl-mikhl! khave-nekhome bas refoyl
mikhl! un makhmes khazern hob ikh fargesn ir mans nomen, khotsh nemt mir
arop dem kop! er hot mir ibergegebn zayn nomen oykh un tsugezogt, az ikh
vel [220] kumen in shtetl arayn un vel nor onrufn zayn nomen, azoy vet
men bald tsunemen bay mir dem mes, un ikh vel mir konen forn vayter,
makhmes er iz dortn, in yenem shtetl, zogt er, kame vekame yorn a
yontef|nik, dos heyst, ale yomem-neroim fort er ahin oyf yontef un es
kost im gelt in shul tsu der shisl un, lehavdl, in mirkhets un umetum,
zogt er, git er zey tsu leyzn guzme-guzmes! un nokh epes hot mir
ongezogt der kretshmer, ongeturket a fuln kop, vuhin ikh zol tsuforn, un
vos ikh zol zogn, nor s'iz altsding mitamol aroysgefloygn bay mir funem
moyekh, ir zolt zogn, s'zol iberblaybn khotsh a halb vort -- gole
gornit! mayne ale gedanken hobn zikh gedreyt nor arum eyn zakh:  ikh fir
a toytn -- un dos aleyn iz shoyn geven genug, es zoln mebulbl vern bay
mir ale mayne makhshoves un ikh zol fargesn afile, vi azoy me ruft mikh,
vorum fun kindvays on hob ikh moyre far a toytn eymes-moves! blaybn
eyner aleyn mit a toytn nokh adayem -- ir zolt mikh opgiltn! es dakht
zikh mir oys, az di halb-tsugemakhte kloymersht-farglotste oygn kukn oyf
mir un zeen mikh, un di tsugeshlosene toyte lipn veln zikh ot bald
oyfefenen un es vet zikh lozn hern a meshune kol, vi fun unter der erd,
vos funem koyekh hadimyen aleyn kon men faln khaloshes! nit umzist
dertseylt men zikh on bay undz mayses vegn meysim, vi azoy mentshn zenen
fun shrek aleyn gefaln khaloshes, arop fun zinen oder gor geblibn oyfen
ort....

zenen mir, heyst dos, geforn in drayen mitn mes. dem mes hob ikh
opgetrotn eyne fun mayne kishns un anidergeleygt in shlitn in der breyt
bay mir tsufusns, un bikhdey es zoln mir nit plonten zikh keyn umetike
makhshoves, hob ikh genumen kukn aroyf in himl arayn un shtilerheyt
gekhazert [221] zikh:  khave-nekhome bas refoel-mikhl! khave-nekhome bas
refoel-mikhl! azoy lang, biz es hobn zikh di nemen ongehoybn plonten bay
mir in zikorn un s'iz shoyn oysgekumen:  khave-refoel bas nekhome-mikhl,
un refoel-mikhl bas khave-nekhome, un hob gor nit bamerkt, az es hoybt
epes on vi tsu vern alts tunkeler un tunkeler, der vint blozt alts
shtarker un shtarker, un der shney hert nit oyf tsu shitn un tsu shitn
un farshitn dem veg azoy, az der shlitn geyt oyf got|s barat, in der
velt arayn, un mayn orl epes her ikh vortshet, frier shtilerheyt,
nokhdem hekher un shtarker, un ikh volt gemegt shvern, az er bentsht
mikh mit a dreygorendiker brokhe....freg ikh im:  "goy, vos iz mit dir?"
entfert er mir mit a shpay un mit a retsikhe, zol got shoymer vematsil
zayn, un es efent zikh bay im dos moyl un er farshit mikh mit verter:
staytsh, zogt er, ikh hob im gor umgliklekh gemakht mit zayn ferdl! iber
dem, vos mir hobn genumen a toytn oyfn shlitn, is dos ferdl arop fun'm
veg, un mir blondzhen, un got veyst biz vanen mir veln nokh azoy
blondzhen, vorum ot vert nakht, zenen mir gor farfalene!....avade hot er
mir ongezogt a sheyne bsure, un ikh bin greyt geven forn tsurik in
kretshme arayn, opfirn tsurik du mitzve, an ek, oys oylem-haba! zogt mir
ober der orl, as itster iz shoyn farfaln, nishto nit keyn ahin nit keyn
tsurik, vorum mir dreyn zikh ergets in mitn feld, der shvarts-yor veyst
vu!....der veg is farshotn, der himl is finster, s'iz shoyn shtok-naht,
dos ferdl iz oysgemutshet tsum toyt. a mise meshune zol kumen, zogt er,
oyf dem kretshmer un oyf ale kretshmers fun der gantser velt! nekhay
volt er zikh, zogt er, frier oysgebrokhn a fus, eyder er hot zikh
opgeshtelt nebn der doziker kretshme! nekhai-bi volt zikh, [222] zogt
er, im geshtelt poperik dos ershte glezl bronfn, eyder er hot zikh
gelozt tsuredn ton aza narishkayt -- nemen tsu zikh an umglik in shlitn
arayn, un iber a halbn shmardovinets farfaln vern do in mitn feld, tsu
aldi rukhes, mit'n ferdl ineynem! meyle er, zogt er, iz nokh vi es iz,
efsher iz im bashert ot do a mise meshune aynemen, ober dos ferdl
nebekh? vos hot er gehat tsu dem dozikn ferdl? an umshuldike beheyme, a
skotine, vos veyst zi?....

[hemshekh kumt in 04.006]
______________________________________________________
End of _The Mendele Review_ 04.005

Leonard Prager, editor

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