_The Mendele Review_: Yiddish Literature and Language (A Companion to _MENDELE_) ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 02.011 27 March 1998 1) Yiddish Matters: From the Editor (Leonard Prager) 2) _geven a shtot lutsk, geven un umgekumen_ (Yoysef Retseptor) 3) "a toyte hant," _muser|nikes_ (Khayem grade) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: 27 March 1998 From: Leonard Prager Subject: Yiddish Matters 1. In this issue A brief review of a brochure memorializing Lutsk and the second installment of Khayem grade's long poem, _muser|nikes_. 2. In future issues Six more installments of _muser|nikes_, an issue devoted to the Yiddish alphabet, one devoted to Yehoyesh's tanakh translation, one to the use of Hebraisms in Yiddish. Rosheshone issue: naye yidishe shafungen [with _Der bavebter yid_] 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: 27 March 1998 From: Leonard Prager Subject: Yoysef retseptor, _geven a shtot lutsk, geven un umgekumen_ (Leonard Prager) [review] Yoysef retseptor [Joseph Receptor (accent acute over first e of last name)] (1904-1986). _geven a shtot lutsk*, geven un umgekumen_. Paris [privately printed], 1962, 15 pp. Reviewed by Leonard Prager The powerful impulse to record, to document for posterity the impossible existence in the camps and ghettos during the dark years of the Nazi War Against the Jews (1939-1945) made diarists and chroniclers of many who might otherwise have had no literary inclination. They prophetically sensed that a "normal" humanity would resist belief in the unbelievable world molded by the Nazis. But numberless others who did not personally undergo the trauma of the Shoa and who might ordinarily have felt no great need to write have taken pen in hand with an almost equal sense of mission to testify that their former Old World homes did exist, that a certain way of life once was, that towns with a distinct flavor and character were real places and, especially, that life in that past despite poverty and oppression had its own beauty and excitement. They feel, too, a great national and moral responsibility to remind the world of its unfathomable crime againt the Jewish people. Here is Yoysef Retseptor's own "Foreword" to explain why he needed to write his brochure, even though a large memorial work on Lutsk already existed: "... vifil m'zol nisht shraybn vegn undzer groysn khurbm vet nisht zayn tsu fil um tsu dertseyln dem shoyder un genem, vos undzere korbon|es hobn gelitn fun di hitleristishe merder un zeyere shoftem. Oyb m'ken dem _seyfer lutsk_ farglaykhn tsu a groysn makhzer in velkhn s'gefunen zikh ale tfiles un nisukhem, iz di broshur vi a kleyn sider|l, vi a gor kleyn matseyve." In short, the author's impulse is the ancient (cf. Homer's _Odyssey_) and near-universal one of "shteln a matseyve," placing a memorial-marker. He goes on to say that his memoir tells in brief: "az s'iz geven a shtot lutsk. a shtot, vu s'hot geshvebt der yidisher gayst. vu m'hot in di gasn geret mame loshn. vu di shabosem un yontoyvem hobn zikh gefilt in shtub un in gas. vu m'hot gefirt khosn-kale tsu der khupe ba der shil, baglayt durkhn oylem un yidishe klezmer. vu onhoyb khoydesh hot der yid in droysn on shum kompleks oder shterung mekhadesh geven di lavone. vu simkhes-toyre hobn di khsidem gekhapt a tentsl in droysn, geyendik fun eyn shil in di tsveyte." And then came calamity and "nishto mer in shtot keyn yidn, m'hert nisht mer dos yidishe loshn un farshvundn iz fun shtot der yidisher oyszen un der yidisher gayst." The world, he writes, will soon forget the Shoa, but it is our responsibility to remind it that a "civilized" people slaughtered millions of people simply because they were Jews. The act of remembering is both "national" -- mourning the loss of a specific Jewish civilization, and "humanist" -- reminding mankind of the evil which may lie beneath the veneer of rationality. There is no mention of revenge, on the one hand, or of memorializing the destroyed community through, say, the rebuilding of a Jewish homeland or through some concrete activity with narrower and more ideological content than is suggested by "shteln a matseyve." Likened to a 'small prayer book' as well as to a gravestone, the brochure is somehow meant to be a religious offering, the prayer-book symbol implying Jewish continuity and survival through cultivation of that timeless and apolitical sphere of Judaism which, Hannah Arendt argued, rendered Jews totally vulnerable in the modern period. Yoysef Retseptor is one of the legion of Jewish men and women, not professional writers or journalists, who have attempted to memorialize their old homes in Eastern Europe. Their writings constitute a sub-genre of the large body of works known as _yisker-bikher_ ('Memorial Books'). Despite the appearance of a large volume, _Seyfer lutsk_, which belongs to this genre, Retseptor needed to make his own deposition. His essay consists of a lyrical evocation of an idealized Jewish life in his hometown of Lutsk [Polish _Luck_ (with a diagonal across the L indicating the sound /w/] prior to the German invasion of Poland and a description, gleaned largely from one of the few survivors of the Lutsk ghetto, Kh. Gok [Gak?] (who settled in Canada after the War) of the fate of Lutsk Jews during the Shoa. The first part of Retseptor's essay is yet another witness of the way the Jewish calendar shaped Jewish life in the towns of Eastern Europe. The author's descriptions are most affecting when he details his vignettes with attention to naming; he is weakest when his urge for summing up leads him to write abstractly. Lutsk is conjured up before our eyes in Retseptor's list of street names and evocation of the Thursday market fair: "di lange yagalonske, vilke un novostroyenye (velkhe hot zikh geendikt mitn yidishn beys-oylem), doline un yarovitse, krasne un mitsroyem gas, karaimske un nidev, bolnitshne, trinitarske un dominikanska, der mark-plats, vu di yidishe sedekhes hobn in di zumer-teg farkoyft zeyere heyse katshenes ['corn-on-the-cob'] fun di groyse blekhene samovarn un vu yanishes shmalts hering hobn gehat a groysn opgang ba di poyerem (bazunder donershtik -- in tog fun yarid) ven zey zenen gekumen farkoyfn zeyer holts, tvue, frukhtn, oyfes, fish, eyer, shtroy, skhakh ['_suke_ branches'] un heshaynes ['willow twigs']." This sentence reveals a good deal about the Polish-Jewish (there were also Ukrainians and Russians in Lutsk) symbiosis which was alive until about the 1920s when Poles and Jews began to compete murderously for the same positions in an overpopulated scarcity economy. The Christian-named streets -- Trinitarian and Dominican -- are part of the remembered town, which also had Egypt and Karaite streets. The peasants sell the Jews items necessary for Jewish religious life, as well as farm products and the raw materials from which the Jewish craftsmen will make finished products. Yet Retseptor remembers Lutsk as having thirty thousand Jews and only a few thousand non-Jews. It might very well have seemed a very Jewish town, but there were no towns or shtetls or derfer in eastern Europe without gentiles. According to the _Encyclopaedia Judaica_ (11:589), Lutsk had 20,000 Jews by 1939. Official figures, which conceivably understated the Jewish presence for electoral or other purposes -- I don't really know if this was the case -- gave: 1921 14,800 Jews ca. 70 % 1931 17,366 Jews 48.5 % 1937 15,800 Jews 36.5 % (_EJ_ 11:588). Retseptor does not mention how many Jews returned to Lutsk after the Liberation. When the Soviets captured the town in February 1943, 150 Jews emerged from the surrounding forests. By the late 1960s there were 1,500 Jews in Lutsk (_EJ_ 11:589). The ultimately hopeless but in its own way courageous effort to rebuild Jewish life in Post-Shoa Poland is a story the author ignores. There must be innumerable such brochures as Retseptor's. I chose to write about it today because, looking for a copy in a large university library where it was catalogued, I was told that it was lost. Small items such as this are easily misplaced and can remain "lost" for years. But even if they sit safely on library shelves, they can be lost to our collective consciousness. While their value for their authors may have been principally subjective, they are not lacking -- when used critically -- in documentary and, yes, literary value. Nostalgia, of course, distorts, but Retseptor's (and other essays like his) unpredictably often capture images which resonate in the mind. * Now Lutzk, Ukraine 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: 27 March 1998 From: Itsik Goldenberg Subject: "a toyte hant," _muser|nikes_ (Khayem grade) muser|nikes fun Khayem grade [2] a toyte hant 001 s'iz shtil in oysgeloshenem bes-medresh, shtil, 002 in vaybershulkhl vign zikh a hayfl shotns 003 oyfn balkn, oyfn dil, 004 un s'hoyden oyf di vent zikh tales-kotn|s... 005 reb Abe halt a halb sho oysgeshtrekt a toyte hant, 006 khripet heyzerik un trukn: 007 Khayem vilner -- git a tkies-kaf, 008 keyn mol in a bikhl nit arayntsukukn. 009 ikh veys: ir zayt nit vi a hinerkepl shlaf, 010 a bal-tayve zol aykh glaykh fartsien in zayn shleyf; 011 di bikhlekh zaynen ober khazer-treyf, 012 un vi a mentsh zol shtark nit zayn, 013 vert er kalye fun treyf-posls, 014 un ir -- anshtot tsu veykn zikh in vayn, 015 veykt ir zikh in rosl... 016 men muz zikh fun der velt fun vaytn haltn, 017 a fayerdik tseglite shtabe 018 nemt men fun a leshtop oykh aroys a kalte -- 019 fargeyt zikh hesped|ik reb Abe -- 020 Khayem vilner, git a tkies-kaf... 021 un Khayem vilner in khaveyrem-krayz, 022 filt vi s'baysn zayne fustrit mayz. 023 antkegn im zitst khlavne a tseshmeykhlter, vi shtendik, 024 oyf zayn oyfgeramtn ponem iz keyn zakh nit kentik. 025 Yoysef kovler rirt nit mit keyn eyver, 026 er shtart der moreshkhoyre|nik -- a keyver, 027 a frishe vund a ofene. 028 mit oygn faykht-farlofene 029 kukt Shloyme|le babunitser ful flaternish 030 oyfn vilner in zayn maternish. 031 nor der varshever der tumler vigt zikh frum, 032 a rege falt arop zayn noz der shleferiker oyfn tish, 033 bald tshukhet er zikh oys -- tsemisht 034 kukt er tomevate zikh arum: 035 er volt shoyn lang geshlofn -- gikher, gikher, 036 Khayem vilner zhalevet a hant, 037 a mayse bikher, -- 038 un zayn shotn vert nokh frimer oyf der vant... 039 plutslung shpringt reb Abe oyf, 040 es treyslt zikh fun kaas zayn guf: 041 -- vos iz es gor in mitn drinen, 042 ikh vel a gantse nakht do patern? 043 vos meynt ir, vilner, kh'vel zikh biz baginen 044 mit aykh matern? 045 ir zayt a yingl! -- Khayem vilner vert als blaser. 046 reb Abe shnaydt an ongetsundener: 047 -- ir zayt a hantekh a farzayerter, a kool|sher, a naser, 048 an oysgevishter, opgebundener, 049 an emes|er reshus-horabem zayt ir, 050 a mistkastn far fremdn mist un shteyner -- 051 der emes iz bloyz eyner. 052 ir meynt, mir veln aykh do haltn vayter? 053 an erlekher volt di treyf-posl|s oysgemeyket; 054 mashmoes, az in aykh zitst tif der ibl -- -- -- 055 -- emes, emes -- bamket tsu der varshever far|dveyke|t. 056 reb Abe mest im op: zitst glaykh, 057 tsadik|l -- mir konen aykh! 058 un veykher shoyn tsum vilner: hot nit keyn faribl, 059 mir veysn, ir vet ayer hant be'emes haltn, -- 060 gedenkt, der yeytser-hore ken zikh oysbahaltn. 061 ir klert: ikh vel aleyn zen un dervayzn kenen, 062 az di bikhlekh zaynen gornit, -- 063 zog ikh aykh: zey veln aykh dos harts farbrenen, 064 frier oder shpeter vet ir zen di nafke-mine; 065 ir visht zikh un shteyt vayter unter a tsefoylte rine, -- 066 di toyre un di velt -- zey kenen nit tsuzamen zayn, 067 zayt-zhe nit der hunt, vos vil oyf beyde khasenes bavayzn -- - -- 068 un Khayem vilner filt, men nemt zayn hant arayn, 069 vi in a klem fun ayzn... 070 reb Abe dreyt zikh op fun vilner on a vort, 071 vi a shoykhet fun an of, vos er hot opgeshokhtn. 072 aropgelozt di gambe oyf der bord, 073 di orems oyf der brust farflokhtn. 074 git er zikh a ker tsu der babunitser: 075 -- dertseylt, vos tut ir, Shloyme, oyf tsu menatseyekh zayn di gayve? 076 es hot der kupishker tsebrokhn zayne briln, 077 beshas er hot zikh eyn mol oyfn gas farkukt 078 mit treyf|er tayve -- 079 un ir vos tut tsu brekhn ayer viln? 080 Shloyme hot zayn kepl in di akslen tsiterik farrukt, 081 vi a lam a bidne in a hogl, -- 082 reb Abe, shoyn in muser|n a rogl, 083 blaybt a rege a farloshener, fartifter, 084 bald nemen zayne umheymlekhe oygn vider glantsn: 085 -- der kupishker, zol bayshteyn undz der skhus fun nifter, 086 flegt zikh opgebn in gantsn: 087 amol hot er a vinter zayne finger opgefrorn, 088 getrogn yedn tog a khoyle inem hegdesh esn -- 089 babunitser, tsi filt ir ayer eygenem khesorn, 090 vi der veytog fun an opgehaktn finger, 091 ir zolt on ale mayles ayere fargesn? 092 vemen viln mir es narn, vemen? 093 far vos-zhe viln mir zikh dafke makhn gringer? 094 s'iz a kharpe far mevakshem zikh tsu shemen! 095 vos tut ir hekher ontsuyogn? 096 velder zaynen do -- to lomir geyn dort lebn mit bitokhn! 097 der mentsh is shtark genug fun alts zikh optsuzogn. 098 in Shloyme|s bakn nemt dos blut zikh zamlen, 099 biz er klaybt tsuzamen mut aroystsushtamlen: 100 -- ikh hob mayn futer opgegebn, 101 un gegangen on a mantl biz in tifn vinter -- -- -- 102 oyf reb Abe|s tseyner nemt a shmeykhl shvebn, 103 farmatert shlaydert er avek zayn kop ahinter: 104 -- vos zogt ir, khlavne, tsu aza pule? 105 bazakht un ruik entfert khlavne: 106 -- dos iz a groyser prat -- nor s'ken geshen 107 a mentsh zol makrev zayn dos lebn -- 108 di velt zol ober visn es un zen... 109 Shloyme lozt arop dem kop: 110 -- hot ver gevust, az ikh hob oysgeton mayn futer? 111 khlavne entfert ruik op: 112 -- men ken ton gut|s -- un dokh nit zayn keyn guter... 113 Shloyme vert tsetumlt-royt antshvign, 114 reb Abe nemt zikh impetiker vign: 115 -- reb Shloyme zisls moshl veyst ir dokh gevis: 116 mir veln loybn emetsn, vos hit a krankn, 117 krigt er ober far zayn gut|skeyt vos nit iz, 118 iz im nito far vos tsu danken. -- 119 derzet der rosh havaad in Shloyme|s oyg a trer, 120 nemt er im baruikn: babunitser, s'iz shver 121 tsu vern a mekhaber, laykhter iz tsu vern a mevaker, -- 122 klemt zikh nit, ir shteyt nit op fun andere... 123 Khlavne filt dem shtokh, zayn ponem flakert, 124 reb Abe vagt nit mer. 125 der varshever derzet a shas hakoysher, 126 khapt aroys a bikhele fun keshene un shrayt: 127 -- ay, ay, hob ikh farshribn oyftuen a sakh! 128 reb Abe git a tap im mit di oygn fun der zayt, 129 un zogt mit ayngehaltenem gebeyzer: 130 -- a karlikl hot zikh tseshrien bay der nakht: 131 di vig iz eng im, er gevorn iz a groyser, 132 hot men likhtik in der gikh gemakht, 133 ersht -- dos karlikl vos ale mol 134 ligt tsevalgert in der breyt, 135 gevaldevet es un barimt zikh oyfn kol, -- 136 ir farshteyt?.. 137 un vider tsit reb Abe oys a gele hant a horike: 138 -- Yoysef kovler, git a shvue eybik blaybn mit navaredok, -- 139 un nemt oyf zikh kaboles naye tsu di farayorike. 140 der varshever vinkt khitre: he, a khapenish, 141 er khapt di yoldn, vi a ganef fun di plankn -- gret, 142 di mevakshem ober shtumen mit harts-klapenish, 143 yederer dermont zikh, vi men hot in im arayngeredt, 144 biz er hot tsugeshvorn, -- 145 zey kukn oyfn kovler, oyf reb Abe|s toyter hant, 146 zey drikn ot di toyte hant fun kame yorn... 147 Yoysef shtelt zikh, kukt zikh um in vaybershul, 148 vi er volt hilf gezukht in kheyder, -- 149 dos vaybershulkhl iz mit shotns ful, 150 un Yoysef zogt far|yiesh|t: kh'tu a neyder 151 keyn mol fun yeshive nit avektsugeyn, 152 oyf yontef nit tsu forn in der heym -- keyn kovel, 153 un in zayn shvue klogt geveyn, 154 vi in der ershtn kadesh fun an ovl -- - -- 155 shtil iz in baynakhtikn besmedresh, shtil. 156 in vaybershulkhl vign zikh di shotns 157 oyfn balkn, oyfn dil, 158 un s'hoyden oyf di vent zikh tales-koten|s... ______________________________________________________ End of _The Mendele Review_ 02.011 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_. 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