_The Mendele Review_: Yiddish Literature and Language (A Companion to _MENDELE_) ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 02.009 11 March 1998 Special PURIM Issue 1) Yiddish Matters (From the Editor): Lukhes 'calendars' (Leonard Prager) 2) "A frier peysekh" (Sholem-Aleykhem) 3) _Der yidish-amerikanisher / folks-kalender / a yorbukh fir belehrung un unterhaltung_ / fun / Aleksander Harkavi / yohr trn"z (Table of Contents) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: 11 March 1998 From: Leonard Prager Subject: Lukhes 'calendars' Lukhes 'calendars' In Sholem-Aleykhem's short story, "A frier peysekh," the protagonist, Pinkhes Pinkus, "a pekl-treger oder a moykher-sforemnik," discovers he can earn a livelihood from the Jews of Narrenberg (whom he despises) by selling them calendars. This community provides its own services and products "oyser idisher literatur," which it used to import from Russia, London or Warsaw -- until a local distributor arrived, a not very presentable jargon-babbling refugee from the East, Pinkhes Pinkus. Pinkhes especially imports calendars printed in Barditshev, Vilna and Warsaw and Narrenberger Jews want these calendars. There is good reason to believe that literary calendars are meant and not strictly religious calendars or barebone calendars with dates alone, such as are still common today. The Narrenberger Jew liked buying calendars and believed that "er farshpreyt mit dem di idishe literatur." The term "literatur" in the story covers liturgical, rabbinic and secular texts, but the satire would be extreme were plain calendars meant. The calendars generally contain a certain amount of varied reading material and even when they are essentially literary annuals, they are still called "lukhes." The Hebrew, Yiddish, and Hebrew/Yiddish _luekh_ (calendar)' was generally a collection of miscellaneous information and often contained literary items. Probably influenced by European models, it developed into or became synonymous with the literary annual -- sometimes even losing its calendric character in the process. We may distingish "the literary calendar" as a subtype of the Yiddish periodical. Like the almanack in colonial and nineteeth-century America (cf. _Poor Richard's Almanac_), the Yiddish literary calendar was a popular medium for information and entertainment. Yiddish calendars also competed with one another in their literary wares. The Russian and Yiddish poet, Shimen Frug -- the first to write patriotic and nature poems in Yiddish -- edited, together with the agronomist, M. Veler, _Der landarbeter luekh / far kolonistn un gertner_ (Vilna, 1901). In addition to agricultural and horticultural matters, it included stories and poems of farm life (Frug was born and raised in the oldest Russian Jewish agricultural settlement). More representative literary calendars than Frug's are the Galician _Yudisher folkskalender_ (Lvov, 1895/6-1911/12, ed. Gershom Bader) and the _Yidisher literarisher kalender_ (Lvov, 1922-1924, ed. Anzelm Kleynman). The latter is known to scholars as the annual in which Yisroel Vaynlez reported finding a Yiddish version of _Megale tmirin_, a translation of Fielding's _Tom Jones_ and an historical novel, _Antignus_ in the Tarnopol Perl-Biblyotek. The names Gershom Bader and Moyshe Frostik are associated with a number of calendars. The lexicographer and journalist Aleksander Harkavy edited (and later also published) a characteristic American Yiddish literary calendar. This publication, as its title indicates, sought to both teach and entertain. It provided general and Jewish information, taught a bit of popular science, included a story, feuilleton or sketch, sprinkled in a few anecdotes and jokes, and always gave considerable space to features designed to help the Yiddish-speaking immigrant adapt to his new land. The title page and table of contents of a single issue of _Der yidish-amerikanisher folks-kalender_ is given below (in original daytshmerish spelling). There are also lukhes of a solely religious character, which supplement their calendric content with a variety of items. Thus Rabbi Khayem Hirshenzohn [English spelling Chayim Hirshensohn] of Hoboken, NJ, included in his _Luakh moadey yisroel_ (New York, trts"h [1935]) the _Hagodo shel peysakh_ with the commentary _Ma haeydos_ and the score for "Se tomim" by Nekhamye Mutshnik, a "musmakh min hakonservatorye lenigun betshernovits, rumenye." Pages 51-66 are left blank for "Personal Memoirs." We are told both in Hebrew and in English that "These pages are provided for the writing of personal memoirs. Comments of a spiritual nature regarding topics of national, ethical, religious or scholarly interest. This may turn out to be of inestimable value to one's prosperity in the future."(p. 50) I suspect that Narrenberg lukhes lacked this feature. The basic comic plot device in Sholem-Aleykhem's story assumes a plausible confusion between an 1888 calendar and one that is twenty years older -- a 1908 (5648) one. Actually such a confusion is not plausible and we must regard its implausibility as further evidence of the Narrenbergers' Judaic illiteracy. Using an 1888 calendar, the month after Adar is Nisan and the 17th of Nisan, 5648 is the third day of Passover = the first day of Khol Hamoed Peysekh. But since it is actually 1908 (5668), the month after Adar I is Adar II and the 15th of that month is Shushan Purim. The discrepancy between the dates (15 and 17) increases the improbability of the comic plot device, but one simply accepts the general strategy -- accounted for by the fact that the current year is an "iberyor," a lunar year with a thirteenth month. (According to the halacha, in an "iberyour," Purim is celebrated in Adar II). 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: 11 March 1998 From: Itsik Goldenberg Subject: "A frier peysekh" fun Sholem-ALeykhem a frier peysekh* a mayse, vos kon zikh farloyfn oyf der groyser velt. fun Sholem-aleykhem [note: most of the many daytshmerisms in this story are an intentional feature of the satire] alef di veltbarimte daytshe shtot narrenberg [StY: narnberg] iz ayn alte yidishe shtot. un nit nor a yidishe shtot -- zi iz a frume shtot, a gotsforkhtige. ire yidn hobn zikh gemakht a shem oyf der velt dermit, vos zey hobn keynmol nit gegriblt zikh, nit arayngelozt zikh in khkires, nit gefilozofirt, nit gefregt kayn kashes oyf azelkhe zakhn, vos kern zikh on mit got. oyf zey meg men zogn, az zey zenen yidn on khokhmes. emes, zeyer yidishkayt bashteyt nit mer vi in dray dinem, vos shtamen mistome fun Avrem ovinu, oder efsher nokh fun Odem horishn|en:(1) yortsayt, (2) barmitsve, (3) peysekh. Di dray dogmen zenen gants genug oyftsuhaltn dos yidishe folk nokh toyzenter un toyzenter yoren. Meynt nit, az dos hobn zey oysgezoygn fun zeyer eygenem finger; dos hobn zey gehert nit eyn mol fun zeyer rabiner, doktor un prediger, velkhn di narrenberger kehile halt-oys nit mit vintsiker ere, vi di katoyler, lehavdl, dem roymishen pabst. der rabiner, doktor un prediger trogt bay zey dem nomen "rabi", "undzer rabi", un di narrenberger kehile iz ibertsaygt, az nokh aza lamdn, vi zeyer rabi, iz shoyn nishto oyf der gantser velt. in zayne droshes, vos er halt zey ale yontef in der sinagoge, varfn zikh durkh azelkhe loshn-koydesh|dike verter, vos nor der mekhaber funem sider zol itster oyfshteyn, volt er zey efsher farshtanen, un efsher nit... di narrenberger yidn dertseyln fun im mofsem, vi fun a "gutn yidn." lemoshl, zey barimen zikh, az shoyn etlekhe un tsvantsik yor, zint er iz bay zey rabiner un prediger, hot zikh nokh nit getrofn, er zol amol hobn a toes: ale yontef di zelbe droshe mit di zelbe psukem funem zelbn tanakh, mit der zelber badaytung, mit di zelbe mesholem. ikh meyn ober, az dos iz a bisl ibertribn. der oytoritet funem rabiner, doktor un prediger iz in shtetl azoy groys, az keyn yortsayt, keyn barmitsve un keyn yontef vert nit bashtimt, biz er vert nit frier festgeshtelt funem rabiner un prediger. un hagam yeder narremberger yidisher aynvoyner muz hobn bay zikh in shtub a yidishn luekh, punkt azoy vi yede narrenberger yidishe froy muz hobn a vayse kapore erev yomkiper, dokh, az es kumt unter a yontef, gloybt keyner nit dem luekh oyf nemones un me geyt tsum rebn zikh erkundign [non-StY derkundign; StY: onfregn]: "ven hobn mir fayertog? [cf. NHG "Feiertag] un ver shmuest nokh aza yontef, vi der heyliger peysekh?! peysekh vert gefayert in narrenberg -- ikh gey mit aykh in gevet -- mit mer prakht un glants un mit mer kashres als in der frimster shtot bekhol-tfutses-yisroel! di narrenberger vayber -- zey kumt der shevakh -- zenen azelkhe tsnues, az peysekh in teater banutsn zey nit di khomets|dike binokls fun a gants yor. afile di narrenberger mantsbiln, vos zenen epes nit azelkhe groyse matse-shmure|nikes, fun destvegn hot zikh gemakht vifl mol, az me iz gekumen tsum rebn mit a shayle, tsi meg men peysekh trinken minkhener bir un farbaysn mit prager shinken. atsind, az mir hobn zikh shoyn a bisl bakant mir di narrenberger yidn als yidn, -- konen mir shoyn tsutretn tsu dem etsem fun der geshikhte, vos hot zikh farlofn in der shtot narrenberg in dem yor 1908, oder 5668 fun zint di velt iz bashafen gevorn, loyt rekhenung fun undzer yidishn velt-luekh. beys di narrenberger kehile banutst zikh mit ir eygene fabrikatsyes un produkten, oyser yidishe literatur. amol flegn zey di yidishe literatur importirn fun oysland, merstenteyl fun london oder fun varshe. nor fun der letster tsayt, zint es hobn zikh ongehoybn bay undz di beholes, milkhome, revolutsye, konstitutsye un pogromen, hobn di khvalyes fun der gevoltiker emigratsye aroysgevorfn oyf der dozikn narrenberger oazis, tsvishn a sakh andere nefoshes, oykh eynem a pekl-treger oder a moykher-sforim|nik mitn nomen Pinkhes pinkus. Pinkhes pinkus iz a yidl a nideriks, a zhvave, mit eyn oygl a kleyns, dos andere a groys. beshas er redt, kukt dos kleyne oygl oyfn groysn, vi eyner redt: "nu?"... un der groyse oyg entfert im: "nu - nu!"... di ershte tsayt hot er zikh genug ongelitn, genug oysgehungert un genug oysgeshtanen yesorim, veytikn un bezyoynes fun zayn daytshe brider, biz er hot zikh dershlogn tsu zayn shtendiker parnose fun der heym - arumtrogn yidishe sforim un bikhlekh iber di hayzer. a tsebrokhener, a tserabeveter, a naketer un a hungeriker, hot er farlozn zayn land, vu er iz geboyrn, un hot zikh mit groys mi dershlogn in a fray land - kayn narrenberg, vu er iz shoyn geven bavorent fun a pogrom, nor nit geven bavorent fun shtarbn fun hunger, makhmes in der frayen land iz dos shnoren shtreng farbotn afile tsvishn eygene brider. yeder mentsh iz mekhuyev epes ton. undzer tseshlogener emigrant Pinkhes pinkus hot ober nit gekont gefinen zayn shum tuekhts inem frayen land. shuldig iz geven in dem nit azoy er aleyn, vi di shprakh. dos heyst, vos nit er hot farshtanen zeyer shprakh, un nit zey hobn farshtanen zayn shprakh. di ershte tsayt hot er urumgeshpatsirt iber di narrenberger gasn un batrakht di shtodt mit di mentshn, der himl mit der erd. dakht zikh, di zelbe hayzer, di zelbe mentshn, der zelber himl mit der zelber erd - un gornisht, ale geyen zikh azoy ruik; keyner hot keyn moyre nit far a shteyn fun oybn, far a koyl fun forent oder far a meser fun hintn - gliklekhe mentshn! a gebentsht land!... vos vayter hot ober dos land ongehoybn onvern dem kheyn in zayne oygn - ibern mogn. der mogn iz a beyzer baldover; im, az es kumt di tsayt fun esn, vil er nit hern nit fun keyn politik, nit fun filozofye. "host mir epes in zinen, tsi neyn?" - azoy tayne|t a lediker mogn. - "fun maynetvegn konst du betlen geyn, konst ganve|nen, gazl|en, abi mir zolst du opgebn mayns, un vayter iz nit mayn eysek!" ... der khesorn iz ober, vos oyf oystsien di hant darf men zayn a geborener betler, oder hobn a neshome fun a betler. un undzer held hot zikh lang arumgedreyt iber di narrenberger shtrasn, biz er hot bay zikh ge|poyel|t opshteln dem ershtn mentshn, kholile nit oyf tsu betn bay im epes, nor glat azoy, oysredn zikh a bisl dos harts. Pinkhes pinkus hot zikh ongerufn tsum ershtn daytsh beze-haloshn: -- hot keyn faribl nit, mayn liber herr daytsh, ikh bin do a ger un farshtey nit dos loshn. ikh loyf fun a konstitutsye loyf ikh, un fal, heyst es, mitn ponem tsu der erd. gloybt mir, ikh volt aykh nit matriekh geven, s'zol nit zayn, vi me zogt, bov mayim ad nefesh. ikh bet nit kholile keyn nedove; ikh zukh epes a melukhe, a tuekhts, vos nit iz, abi derhaltn di neshome. hot rakhmones ... der daytsh hot im oysgehert bizn sof un hot zikh far im antshuldikt, az er hot keynmol aza shtrasse nit gehert, un iz avek zayn veg. der tsveyter daytsh hot oysgehert di zelbe droshe un iz avek on verter. der driter daytsh iz gevorn a bisl broyges, vos me nemt tsu zayn tsayt, un hot zikh rekht oysgebeyzert oyf dem "ferdamten kerl". der ferter daytsh hot im afile nit oysgehert bizn sof, bavizn im, az er hot a shtekn, un gezogt, az tomer geyt er nit "fort", azoy ruft er tsu a "shutsman" ... un unzer held hot gikh ibergebitn zayn frierike meynung iber di daytshn un iber zeyer frayen land, velkhes er hot faynt gekrign, un iz dem daytsh gevorn a dam-soyne! gimel oyb der umgliklekher Pinkhes pinkus hot faynt gekrogn di narrenberger daytshn, hot er toyznt mol azoy fil getrogn soyne un fardros oyf di narrenberger daytshe yidn mit zeyer rabiner, doktor un prediger, vos hot avekgeshtelt dem oremen emigrant dray taynes: (1)lemay iz er ayn oremen? (2) lemay geyt er opgerisen? (3) lemay redt er nit keyn daytsh? deroyf hot im dos oreme yidl opgeentfert a bisl take mit tsufil khutspe: -- adoyni kenig! ikh vel aykh entfern al rishoyn rishoyn veal akhroyn akhroyn: dos, vos ir tayne|t, lemay ikh bin ayn oremen un gey vi a shleper - zent ir gerekht; der oybershter hot mir gevolt gebn gelt, hob ikh im gezogt: geb dos beser mendelsonen -- er iz a meshumed un hot nit keyn kheylek leoylem-habe... nor dos, vos aykh gefelt nit mayn yidish loshn, volt ikh a baln geven, ir zolt zayn in mayn polozhenye un kumen mit ayer daytshmerish tsu unz keyn moskve, un afile keyn barditshev, volt ir demolt gevust, vos far a got mir hobn. a glik, vos der rabiner hot farshtanen fun der doziger gantser rede nor etlekhe getseylte verter: "gelt"... "mendelson"... "moskve"... un der narrenberger rabiner hot im genumen leyenen a notatsye un zogn muser, az s'iz a "furkhtbare frekhheyt" fun aza yidl zikh mishn in der rusisher politik un kritikirn mendelsonen, lemay er shtitst moskve mit gelt... "ot dos iz take ayer umglik, -- hot der rabiner ge|droshe|t tsum oremen emigrant -- vos ir krikht ahin , nit vu me darf. ot derfar take shlogt men aykh un me traybt aykh, un mir, daytshe yidishe birger, hobn durkh aykh kharpe un bushe"... un nokh a sakh azelkhe ernste kluge red hot der narrenberger rabiner un prediger oysgeshotn umzist un umnisht, makhmes dos yidl hot fun zayn droshe nokh vintsiker farshtanen... dos rezultat iz geven, vos nokh etlekhe mol aroystraybn im un onrufn "shnorer", "polnisher yude" vekedoyme azelkhe nemen, hot zikh undzer Pinkhes pinkus fort dershlogn bay der narrenberger kehile, me zol im oyslayen a bisl mezumonim, vet er oysshraybn fun der heym a bisl gedrukte skhoyre -- tomer vet er epes fardinen. un kakh-have. er hot oysgeshribn a transport sforim un bikhlekh, oykh a bisl sidurim, khumoshim, slikhes un hagodes, un der iker - yidishe lukhes. oyf lukhes, hot er aroysgezen, vet er do hobn mer balonim, vi oyf ale andere sforim. Pinkhes pinkus hot nit umzist farbrakht zayn tsayt tsvishn di daytshe brider. er hot farshtanen, az a luekh iz kimat der eyntsiker gangbarer artikl fun der yidisher literatur in narrenberg. er hot zikh nit opgenart. er hot oysfarkoyft dos gantse pekl yidishe lukhes in eyn tog un hot gemuzt oysshraybn nokh a transport mit lukhes, un hot dem transport oykh opgezetst. fun demolt-on hot undzer Pinkhes pinkus ongehoybn vaksn un vaksn, dos heyst, geyn fun eyn shtedtl inem andern mit a pekl sforim oyf di pleytses, tsum meynstn yidishe lukhes, barditshever, vilner un varshever fabrikatsye. nor der hoypt-opzets iz bay im geven narrenberg un vider a mol narrenberg, vorum in ergets iz nito aza eyn opgang oyf der skhoyre, vi in narrenberg. a narrenberger yid, az er koyft a yidisher seyfer, ikh meyn a luekh, tut er dermit dray "voltatn" mit a mol: ershtns, vos er brengt in shtub arayn a "yidishn seyfer"; tsveytns, vos er farshpreyt dermit di yidishe literatur; dritns, vos er git tsu leyzen dem oremen "polnishen yuden" gelt. un der oremer "polnisher yude" makht nit shlekht. der ershte yor hot er oysgebrakht yidishe lukhes in di tsendliker. dos tsveyte yor - in di hunderter. tsum dritn yor hot er zikh gegreyt optsuzetsn toyznt lukhes, un efsher nokh mer - ver veyst? es iz nor a hartsveytik, vos er muz di skhoyre batsien azh fun der heym un tsoln far ir mit barem gelt. es volt geven a glentsendes gesheft, ven me zol konen di skhoyre fabritsiren do oyfn ort. un undzer luekh-hendler Pinkhes pinkus hot fartrakht a kombinatsye - a gantsn plan, a goen|ishn, a tayvelshn plan. daled eynmol in a shenem frimorgn iz undzer luekh-eksporter, Pinkhes pinkus, gezesn in zayn yidishn restoran, vu er hot gants fayn opgemitogt, zikh gereynikt di tseyn, un zayne nisht-glaykhmesike oygn hobn gekukt eyns oyf dos andere un gefirt a shmues. a simen, az der kop hot getrakht un der moyekh hot gearbet. un bikedey der lezer zol visn, vos hot azelkhes getrakht Pinkhes pinkus, gebn mir iber in kurtsn dem shmues fun zayne oygn (lomir zikh oyf a minut forshteln, az oygn redn). dos kleyne oygl: me darf oysshraybn a transport lukhes tsum yor tof-reysh-samekh-khes... avekshikn azoy fil gold! dos groyse oyg: a gantsn oytser! dos kleyne oygl: ayn aveyre far got! dos groyse oyg: men iz uver oyf bal-tashkhis! dos kleyne oygl: me zol konem krign fun zeyertvegn ayn altn luekh... dos groyse oyg: fun Terekh|s yorn, abi a luekh!... dos kleyne oygl: di narremberger lomdim... dos groyse oyg: muflogim, groyse kep, sharfe moykhes!... dos kleyne oygl: ay, tomer veln oyskumen di dates poperik? dos groyse oyg: bin ikh bedales! dos kleyne oygl: a mitsve oyf zey! dos groyse oyg: khapt zey beoni! dos kleyne oygl: bemeyle treyf|nyakes, daytshn!... dos groyse oyg: kire mok!... dos kleyne oygl: zey hobn mir genug blut fartsapt, eyder ikh hob mikh aroyfgeshlogn oyf a shtikl derekh... dos groyse oyg: es meg shoyn amol kumen oyf zey oykh a mapole!... un Pinkhes pinkus hot a vunk geton tsum kelner: her nor, daytsh ben daytsh! a krigl smetene! dos hot geheysn azoy gut, vi a kufl bir. un undzer luekh-hendler hot aroysgetrunken a kufl bir un hot avkgeshribn aheym a briv, fun velkhn mir gebn do iber a rikhtike kopye: "...un vayter shrayb ikh aykh, mayn liber fraynd, ir zolt zayn azoy gut un araynpakn mir vifil ir kont alte lukhes, tsum meynstn fun yor tof-reysh-mem-khes. ikh hob do oyf zey ayn opzets. di daytshn koyfn alte markes mit alte lukhes. farshteyt zikh, az zey tsoln derfar zeyer bilig, nor alts iz beser far aykh, eyder zey zoln foyln bay aykh oyfn boydem un di mayz zoln zey esn. az ir vet aynpakn di alte lukhes, zolt ir moykhl zayn zey ibervegn un rekhenen mir loyt vog fun papir un aroysshikn mir per nakhname, zeyt zhe, lemanashem, ale alte lukhes, vifil ir hot, tsum meynstn fun yor tof-reysh-mem-khes. ikh tu dos kimat nor tsulib aykh. ikh veys, az es valgern zikh bay aykh alte lukhes, vil ikh aykh gebn tsu leyzen. tsu keyn andern shrayb ikh nisht, nor tsu aykh, vayl ikh halt fun aykh. gedenkt zhe, lemanashem, vos mer alte lukhes, un ikh gris ayer vayb un kinder gor frayntlekh. mimeni Pinkhes pinkus." far|khosem|t dem briv, hot er a ruf geton dem kelner: -- her nor, daytsh ben daytsh, nokh a krigl smetene!... bakumen nokh a krigl bir, hot undzer luekh-fabrikant ongeshribn nokh a brivl tsu eyn ander mokher-sforim: "...vehosheynis shrayb ikh aykh, az ikh hob oysgekratst do eyner a daytsh, vos iz a koyne oyf alte lukhes, ober nor funem yor tof-reysh-mem-khes. oyb ir hot zey, shikt zey mir tsu bald durkh a nakhname. rak ir zolt nisht rekhenen mer vi dos papir, ki ikh darf dokh oykh epes fardinen. ikh shrayb nor tsu aykh, vayl ikh veys, az nor bay aykh gefint zikh alte lukhes. un makhmes ikh hob keyn tsayt nisht, makh ikh dos bekitser. mimeni Pinkhes pinkus". un nokh a brivl hot er avekgeshribn, shoyn in eyn ander shtodt: "...vehosheynis shrayb ikh aykh, az ikh kon bay aykh hayntiks yor koyfn lukhes nor al-menas, dos heyst mit a tnay, az tsu yedn nayem luekh fun yor tof-reysh-samekh-khes darft ir mir tsulegn dray lukhes alte funem yor tof-reysh-mem-khes umzist. vayl s'iz do a por daytshn, vos zitsn un shtudirn di veterungn nokh di alte lukhes fun di frierike yorn. lokhayn avakesh, ir zolt mir aroysshikn ale ayere alte lukhes fun yor tof-reysh-mem-khes, tsulegn tsu yede dray alte eynem a nayem loyt prayz, un bald aroysshikn al-yedey nakhname. fun mir ayer fraynd Pinkhes pinkus". ot azelkhe brivlekh zenen avekgegangen nokh etlekhe tsu farsheydene bukhhendler in farsheydene shtedt. un undzer luekh-angrosist Pinkhes pinkus hot zikh tsetsolt mitn kelner un hot zikh ongezotlt mitn pekl sforim oyf di pleytses un iz avek zayn veg, vi a mentsh, vos hot farklert un oysgefirt a rekhtn, a vikhtikn eysek. hey dos gevezene yor 5668, zint got hot bashafn di velt, iz geven far di narrenberger yidn a yor fun shefe. ale, funem ershtn fabrikant bizn letstn balmelokhe, hobn gemakht gute gesheftn. ale funem grestn komisyaner bizen klenstn hoyzirer, hobn fardint gelt, un ale zenen geven tsufridn un hobn zikh gefreyt, vos der "armer polnisher yude" leyzt bay zey gelt farn luekh tof-reysh-samekh-khes. me kon zogn , es iz nisht geven in narrenberg keyn eyntsig hoyz, vos zol nisht hobn gekoyft baym "polnishen yudn" keyn luekh oyf dem yor. un di narrenberger yidishe bafelkerung hot genumen dos naye yor tof-reysh-samekh-khes (5668) nokhen altn luekh funem yor tof-reysh-mem-khes (5648) oysgetseykhnt gut, dos heyst: me hot zikh gehat yortsaytn, gefayert barmitsves un gebentsht khanike-likhtlekh, gegesn purim|dige homen|tashn un genumen zikh greytn tsum heylikn peysekh, bakn matses - altsding vi ale yor, fun zint di velt iz a velt, - un in der rikhtiker tsayt, loyt der luekh zogt, hot men zikh gants fayn avekgezetst tsum seyder, oyf morgn nokh a mol tsum seyder, un azoy volt zikh oployfn der peysekh, un efsher der shevues mitn sukes oykh, ven es zol zikh nisht trefn a mayse (bay ale shraybers fun der velt muz zikh trefn a mayse). vemayse shehoyo kakh hoyo: eyner ayn opteyker hot gedarft forn fun narrenberg kayn berlin nokh skhoyre. hot er zikh oyfgezetst dem ershtn tog kholemoyd peysekh un iz avek kayn berlin. gekumen iz er kayn berlin ayn oyfgehungerter funem veg - sakones! der lezer, vos halt kop, gedenkt avade, az a narrenberger yidisher daytsh, er meg zikh zayn afile ayn opteker, oder a dantist, oder afile nokh erger fun a dantist, vet aykh peysekh keyn khomets nisht esn far keyn tsen milyon. a gants yor vet ir bay im poyel|en, er zol aykh esn khazer. ir vet im aynbetn, er zol aykh esn rakes un vos ir vilt. nor kumt der heyliker fayertog peysekh, vert a daytsh frum mit sakones-nefoshes! er vet aykh gikher shtarbn fun hunger, eyder zikh tsurirn tsu khomets um peysekh. ir megt dos onrufn fanatizm - s'iz a farfalene zakh! alzo, gekumen a hungeriker kayn berlin, iz undzer opteyker koydem gegangen zukhn a yidishn restoran oyf der friedrikhshtrasse un hot derzen dos vort "kosher" un hot zikh mekhaye geven. arayngekumen in restoran arayn, hot er nisht tsayt gehat zikh avektsuzetsn baym tishl un durkhshtudirn dos tsetl fun di peysekh|ige mlokhim, iz oysgevaksn nebn im a kelner, a gezunter yungatsh mit ayn ongepomadetn kop, mit shteyendike vantses, a la Vilhelm der tsveyter. der yungatsh der kelner hot gehaltn in di hent a teler, un oyfn teler - shtelt aykh for! - a homentash mit mon!!!... undzer opteyker is shir nisht gefaln khaloshes: vos heyst es? kosher, peysekh, un a homentash mit mon! ven der opteyker zol nisht zayn toyt-hungerik, volt er zikher gemeynt , az s'iz a kholem. der kelner der yungatsh hot derzen, az der gast kukt epes mit modne oygn, hot er farshart aroyf beyde shteyendike vantses a la Vilhelm der tsveyter un hot a zog geton tsum gast mit a frayntlikhn shmeykhele fun a kelner: -- vegn fayertog -- purim-shpayz!... kosher lepurim!... do iz undzer opteyker gevorn nokh mer tsemisht: vegn fayertog -- purim-shpayz?!... der kelner iz avek un oyf zayn ort iz oysgevaksn der"virte" funem restoran, an elegant gekleydter daytsh mit a zeyer liblikh aluntertenigst shmeykhele oyf di fete royte lipn, un tsvishn dem virte mitn gast hot zikh farbundn zeyer a interesanter shmues, fun velkhn mir gebn do iber nor dem tamtses. der virte hot bagrist dem gast mitn fayertog purim, un der gast hot gevolt aynredn dem virte, az haynt iz take a fayertog, nor der fayertog heyst nisht "purim", er heyst "ostern" (peysekh). tkhiles hot der virte gerekhnt, az der gast iz glat a freylekher parshoyn un makht zikh lustik lekoved purim, hot er gants heflekh gekhikhiket. dem gast iz ober dos khikhikn funem virte gornisht gefeln, un der shmues tsvishn virte un tsvishn gast hot ongehoybn vos vayter arayn in ernst, biz es hobn derhert oykh di iberike gest fun restoran un hobn zikh oykh arayngemisht in dem hoykh-interesantn shmues. dos hot undzer opteyker fardrosn, hot er zikh oysgeshprokhn mit zeyer a giftik shmeykhele, az me kon zikh zayn a yid un derloybn zikh esn khomets in peysekh, nor araynmishn zikh in fremde ongelegnhaytn iz nisht loyt dem daytshn etiket... deroyf hot eyner a dzshentelman mit tsvey shene baknbordn, shoyn a bisl groylekh, mit nisht vintsiker gift a freg geton baym opteyker: fun vanen iz der "herr"? un az er hot derhert, az der "herr" iz a narrenberger, hot er oysgetsoygn a langen "aaa!!!" un hot zikh fartift in teler... ven undzer narrenberger held zol nisht zayn azoy hungerik, volt er dem dzshentelman mit di baknbardn far ot dem dozikn "aaa" mekhabed geven, vi es geher tsu zayn: ershtns, volt er im derlangt zayn vizit-karte mit der firme "doktor farmatsye in narrenberg"; tsveytns, volt er gefodert fun dem dzshentelman mit di baknbardn, az er zol im gebn zayn vizit-karte mit zayn firme, un vos nokhdem volt geven - veys ikh nisht, ikh bin nisht keyn novi. vos s'iz geven - dos kon ikh aykh dertseyln. un geven iz ot vos: undzer narrenberger held iz fun dem restoran avek a broygez|er in a tsveytn restoran. oykh a yidishn, un hot getrofn dort punkt dos eygene bild; oykh a khomets|dikn mitog, oykh khomets|dike homentashn, "kosher lepurim" - un geendikt zikh es dermit, vos undzer opteyker iz avek fun dort in a kristlekhn restoran un hot zikh bashtelt a groysn mitog "a la kart". er hot zikh getrakht: "eyder esn khomets um peysekh, iz shoyn glaykher esn treyfe"... vov. eyne fun di nitslekhste erfindungen fun undzer tsayt blaybt take nor der telefon. a dank dem telefon iz gants narrenberg in farloyf fun eyn halbe sho gevor gevorn, az di hoypt-shtodt fun daytshland, di yidishe shtot berlin, hot farshpetikt mitn peysekh kimat oyf a gantsn khoydesh: az verend in narrenberg iz shoyn der tsveyter tog kholemoyd peysekh, iz in berlin ersht purim! far der narrenberger kehile iz dos geven azoy iberrashend, az zey hobn gevolt visn, vos vet zogn deroyf "undzer rebi"? un men iz avek tsu unzer rabiner, doktor un prediger un me hot im shoyn getrofn baym tish shraybndik a telegrame kayn berlin tsu zaynem a kolege, oykh a rabiner un oykh a dokter un oykh a prediger. er hot gebetn bay zayn kolege, er zol im zofort telegrafirn, velkher fayertog iz haynt in berlin? un dem zelbn tog arum farnakht hot der rabiner gekumen a klore tshuve fun berlin. di tshuve iz bashtanen nor fun eyn vort: "shushn-purim"... un take durkhn zelbn telefon hot er gegebn tsu visn der gantser shtodt un hot gebetn yedn bazunder, az me zol araynkukn in luekh arayn, kontrolirn dem datum. un di shtodt narrenberg hot genumen shtudirn dem luekh mit aza interes, glaykh vi me volt veln dergeyn, ven kert zikh iber di velt?... me tor ober nisht avekgeyen funem emes: narrenberg iz take zeyer a fayne shtodt un ire yidishe aynvoyner zenen take zeyer orentlekhe mentshn - eyns tsum andern geher zikh ober nisht on: keyn sakh gelerente mentshn, vos zoln farshteyen luekh, iz dort nisht faranen; der eyntsiker yidisher gelerter, vos farshteyt a yidish vort, iz eyner, vos trogt zeyer a hoykhn barimtn nomen "Matyas dreyfus". mir farkhapn zikh oyf tsu-frier un makhn oyfmerkzam dem lezer, er zol kholile kayn tues nisht hobn un nisht meynen, az dos iz der Matyas dreyfus, der bruder fun undzer veltbarimtn martirer kapitan (haynt mayor) Alfred dreyfus. der narrenberger Matyas dreyfus iz der shamesh fun der dortiker korshul un der shoykhet fun shtodt. vi kumt tsu im aza nomen - zolt ir nisht fregn. lemay s'iz do in dem zelbn narrenberg a yid eyn oriman, vos lebt fun dem, vos er zogt kadish, az me batsolt im, un trogt dem nomen Natanyel rotshild? oder s'iz faran, take alts in narrenberg, a shuster, un a kaliker dertsu, vos shemt zikh nisht un heyst mitn nomen Haynrikh heyne? un a razirer iz dortn do, shteyt oyf zayn shild oysgemolt a nekeyve mit a roytn parik, un unter ongeshribn mit groyse loytere oysyes: Ludvig berne? es felt nokh tsum ruml a shtivlputser mitn nomen Borukh shpinoza... es kon zeyer gemolt zayn, az es dreyt zikh ergets arum dortn in shtodt a Borukh shpinoza , nor ikh hob nokh nisht gehat dos glik mit im perzenlekh tsu bakenen zikh... nor mir keren zikh um tsu undzer gelertn Matyas dreyfus, der shamesh fun der korshul. az der gelerter Matyas dreyfus hot derhert di geshikhte, vos der opteyker hot gebrakht tsu firn fun berlin, az dort iz ersht purim, nisht peysekh, hot er zikh genumen griblen inem luekh gor mit andere keylim, vi es past far a gelerten, vos iz i a shamesh, i a shoykhet un heyst dreyfus. er hot zikh azoy lang gegriblt, biz er hot zikh aroysgegriblt oyf a shtikl derekh. er hot gefregt a kashe: vu iz ahingekumen der "veoder" (oder sheyni)? - loyt zayn rekhenung, er gedenkt dos nokh fun faryorn, hot hayntiks yor - donnervetter! - badarft oyskumen ayn over-yor. a bavayz hot er funem organist, Fridrikh shpilhagen; er iz a krist un shpilt bay di yidn yontef in korshul; zogt er, Fridrikh shpilhogen, az bay zey iz hayntiks yor oykh ayn over-yor! mit dem dozikn vikhtikn materyal iz undzer gelerter dreyfus avek tsum rabiner, doktor un prediger, un beyde hobn zikh avekgezetst shtudyern dem luekh gor iberanayes - un do iz gekumen di rekhte katastrofe: beyde hobn derzen , az zeyer luekh iz nisht fun yor tof-reysh-samekh-khes (5668), nor funem yor tof-reysh-mem-khes (5648). dos heyst, a fartvantsigyoriker luekh!... der farfaser fun der doziker emes|er geshikhte badankt dem geertn lezer far dem, vos er hot zikh gegebn di mi oystsuhern di mayse kimat bizn sof, un lozt im iber oyf zayn eygener fantazye, er zol zikh forshteln, vos es hot zikh opgeton in der shtodt narrenberg, ven men iz gevor gevorn funem rebn aleyn, az zey hobn farkhapt dem peysekh mit a gantsn khoydesh frier, un az me vet darfn pravn peysekh nokh a mol funem onheyb! ikh volt gekont oysnutsn ale sharfe oysdrukn, vi tsum bayshpil: empert, enttoysht, iberrasht, oyfgebrakht, oyfgetrogn, tsekokht, nidergeshlogn, oyser zikh, vekedoyme. ikh fil ober, az s'iz nisht dos; s'iz banal. dos rikhtikste vort volt geven, dakht mir, "farnikhtet!"... barekhnt aykh: a gants halb yor hot a shtodt opgelebt falsh nokh ayn altn opgelebtn luekh fun far tsvantsik yorn! gefayert yontoyvem nisht in der rikhtiker tsayt! gegesn matse demolt, ven ale yidn hobn geshlogn homen|en! haynt vu zenen di barmitsves? di yortsaytn? di kadeyshim?... un vemen hot men tsu fardankn? epes a yidl, a gornisht, ayn emigrant... "o, der polnisher yude!" - hobn gezogt di narrenberger yidishe daytshn un hobn zikh gesharft di tseyn oyfn "polnishen yudn". loz er nor kumen kayn narrenberg mit zayn pekl sforim, vet er shoyn trukn nisht aroys... un der "polnisher yude", undzer bukhhendler Pinkhes pinkus, iz in dem tsayt gezesn mit nokh a sakh azelkhe aroysgevorfene, vi er, oyf a rizenshif, vos iz geduldik un rashek geshvumen fun hamburg kayn nyu-york. funem gantsn dobre-mazl, vos s'iz im gerotn aroystsubakumen fun di "daytshn", hot er koym tsunoyfgeshlogn oyf a shifskarte tsvishn dek, un er fort ot dos ahin, inem goldenem land. vos kolumbus hot antdekt tsulib dem, az oreme yidn fun der gorer velt, faryogte un farvoglte, baroybte un farshendete, zoln konen erlekh un mit koved, khotsh afile mit groys mi, fardinen zeyer shtikl broyt... lezer! lomir im vintshn glik un a freylekhn kosher|n peysekh. * Ale verk, New York, 1942, vol. 1, _Lekoved yontef_. Ershtes bukh, pp. 151-168. 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: 11 March 1998 From: Leonard Prager Subject: _Der yidish-amerikanisher / folks-kalender / a yorbukh fir belehrung un unterhaltung_ / fun / Aleksander Harkavi / yohr trn"z (Table of Contents) _Der yidish-amerikanisher / folks-kalender / a yorbukh fir belehrung un unterhaltung_ / fun / Aleksander Harkavi / yohr trn"z / The Jewish-American / People's Calendar / A Yearly Literary Review / Edited by / Alexander Harkavy / Year 1896-1897 / New York: / Kantrowitz & Katzenelenbogen, Publishers / H. Levy, Printer, 54 Ludlow Street INHALTS FERTSAYKHNIS KALENDER UN KHRONIK Kalender fir dos yohr trn"z -- 5657..............................5 Gezetslekhe fayerteg in die fershiedene shtaaten.................18 Kurtse amerikanishe khronik......................................19 Historishe un statistishe tabele fun die fereynigte shtaaten.....21 POLITIK A yohr in der politik B. Feygenboym......23 Kuba: ihr geshikhte, geografye un fervaltung.....................32 VISENSHAFT Geografye........................................................45 Die lehre fun mekhanik...........................................52 Oyl als a mitel tsu shtilen di vellen............................56 ABHANDLUNGEN Ideen un varhayten D.M. Hermolin......60 Oyfklerung fun die yiden in rusland A.B. Dubzevitz.....67 LITERATUR Di zhargonishe literatur in amerike Y. Goydo...........73 UNTERHALTUNG Aforizmen Meshugener filozof.77 Mikhtomim (hebreishe aforizmen) M. Vintshevski (Ben-Nets)83 Englishe un shotlendishe shprikhverter...........................84 Anekdoten........................................................95 Der lebens-troym (gedikht) Y. Yonathanzohn...........99 Humoristisher luekh A. Hirvitsh..............100 VIKHTIGE AMERIKANISHE ZAKHEN Regierung fun der shtodt nyu york...............................102 Yunayted steyts pasport.........................................107 Gold un zilber..................................................108 Yunayted steyts post............................................109 Di fragen velkhe men shtelt bay'n veren a sitizen...............114 Anonsen.........................................................116 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ______________________________________________________ End of _The Mendele Review_ 02.009 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 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