Yiddish Mailing List, Issue #8 June 20, 1989 216 lines ============================== Yidish-Vokh in upstate NY, August 31-Sept. 6 (David Sherman) Translation of "The Rabbi" (David Sherman) Dave Tarras (Andrew Tannenbaum) Yiddish films (Charlie Berg) How do you say you received a message? (various) [note: send contributions, so I have something for the next issue!] ------------------------ Digest-Message: 08/1 From: dave@lsuc.on.ca (David Sherman) Subject: Yugntruf's Yidish-Vokh, August 31 to September 6, 1989 Date: Tue Jun 20 00:26:03 EDT 1989 Yugntruf (Youth for Yiddish) is running a "Yidish-Vokh" at the Bronx House - Emanuel Adult Vacation Center in Copake, NY. Copake is southeast of Albany, 2-3 hours north of NYC. "Yugntruf's YIDDISH-VOKH is a unique opportunity to spend a fun week with other young adults in a rustic, Yiddish-speaking environment." The cost is US$150 per person, same price for children 3 and over. Children under 3 are free. The price includes "- a week's room and board, in a semi-private room with private bath - kosher food - transportation" [from NYC] "There'll be nature hikes, swimming, volleyball, boating, walks into town, all-night Yiddish sing-alongs, workshops and entertainment. All Yiddish students are welcome." For those concerned about kosher food: there is a mashgiach on the premises. I will be calling him at the beginning of July to check out the details. The Vacation Center is apparently populated by senior citizens through the summer. Ikh un mein veib un kinder viln geyn tsu dem vokh. Es zet ois, az s'vet zein zeyer lebedik. Es vet nisht zein keyn bezundere kinder-programen, ober di gantse vokh, hat men uns gezugt, iz nisht azoi "formal" vi Klezkamp, un di kinder veln konen hoben a gute tseit mit uns. Afile on dem yidish, iz hundert un fuftsik dolar zeyer venik tsu batsulen far a gantse vokh, mit esn. Ikh hof az andere mail.yiddishnikes veln konnen kumen oikhet. A $20 deposit per person is to be sent to Yugntruf by July 1. "Space is limited and we fill up early every year. First come, first serve." Yugntruf, 200 West 72 St., Suite 40, NY NY 10023, (212) 787-6675. ------------------------ Digest-Message: 08/2 From: dave@lsuc.on.ca (David Sherman) Subject: "The Rabbi" song, WITH TRANSLATION Date: Tue Jun 20 00:39:55 EDT 1989 This was digest message 07/1. I've been asked for a translation by one of our readers. Here goes: (Sung to the tune of Kenny Rogers' "The Gambler".) The Rabbi On a warm summer's evening On a ride to Monticello I sat next to a rabbi We were both too tired to sleep So we took turns staring Out the window to the darkness Till boredom overtook us And he began to speak He said, "Yoh, ikh bin an alter Yes, I am an old man Un s'tit mir vei di beiner And my bones hurt Un khotsh di bord iz lang un groi And although my beard is long and grey Ikh hob a sakh gezen I have seen a lot Gib aher a bissl bronfn Give here a little whisky Vel ikh zugn gite eitzes I'll give you good advice Veil ikh zey in deine pleitzes Because I see in your (lit.)back Vos iz bei dir geshen." What's happened to you (or, what you've been through) So I handed him my bottle And he drank down my last swallow Then he mooched a cigarette And asked me for a light And the night got deathly quiet And his face lost all expression He said, "Ikh gei dir yetzt zugn I will tell you now Vi azoi fun yidishkeit. About Yiddishkeit "M'darf vissn ven tsu koifn You gotta know when to buy Vissn ven tsu loifn Know when to run Vissn ven tsu dreien git Know when to turn the right way (but dreien means more than just "turn") Un ven tsu handlen fein And when to trade well Besser red nisht vus m'darf nisht Better speak not when you don't have to Un gei nit vi m'tur nit And go not where you mustn't Yo, s'iz git tsi furn, besser iz tsi bleibn in der heim. Yes, it's good to travel, but better to stay at home "Yeder khochem veis Every chochem knows Az a yid muz zein b'simkha That a Jew should be happy Danken borey oilam [and] thank the Creator of the world Far alles vos men hot For everything you have Un halt di toyre teier And hold the Torah dear Veil dortn brent a feier! Because in there burns a fire Un gib a sakh tsedukeh A give a lot of tzedakah Veil parnuseh kimt fin Got." Because parnosseh comes from G-d And when he finished speaking He turned back to the window Said Borey Nefoshos (short blessing after food or drink) And faded off to sleep And somewhere in the darkness My soul, it started burning For in his final words I found A strength that I could keep. M'darf vissn ven tsu koifn Vissn ven tsu loifn Vissn ven tsu dreien git Un ven tsu handlen fein Besser red nisht vus m'darf nisht Un gei nit vi m'tur nit Yo, s'iz git tsi furn, besser iz tsi bleibn in der heim. David Sherman ------------------------ Digest-Message: 08/3 Date: Tue, 13 Jun 89 11:24:22 EDT From: uunet!cs.utexas.edu!haddock.IMA.ISC.COM!trb (Andrew Tannenbaum) Subject: Dave Tarras (re: digest message 07/2) Dave Tarras did not make it to Klezkamp in December 88, he had intended to go, but had taken ill earlier in the week. I was very much looking forward to seeing him. He was interviewed in the recent documentary "A Freiliche Nacht in Gan Eden." Andy ------------------------ Digest-Message: 08/4 Date: Tue, 13 Jun 89 12:21:35 EDT Subject: Yiddish films From: uunet!valideast!chb (Charlie Berg) As an addendum to Ms. Nadel's listing of Yiddish films distributed by Ergo films, I have also seen the short "Gefilte Fish" offered by them on video. I am lucky enough to have a video tape store that carries a lot of Yiddishkeit related films, including all of the Green/Picon films mentioned, as well as the "Raisins & Almonds" film, also another "Return of Second Avenue". I have to admit that I couldn't finish watching "Yidl Mitn Fidl", which was supposedly Picon's best film. The historical interest I had in the movie (I was on a history of Yiddish cinema kick at the time) didn't make up for the fact that the plot and the dialog was B level. "Raisins & Almonds" is worth seeing - I think this is the movie that's about the history of Yiddish cinema. However, I didn't think much of the Second Ave. film, which covered the history of Yiddish theatre. "Gefilte Fish" is a cute short, comparing 3 generations' method of preparing this Pesach delight. A quick 15 minute short. (Actually, I saw this as the opener to "A Jumpin' Night in the Garden of Eden", the new film about the revival of klezmer music). Has anybody seen the new movie about the history of the Forverts? It won an award as the best documentary at the New England Film Series. Well, back to work... Tzi gezunt, Di Pykler...Charlie Berg ------------------------ Digest-Message: 08/5 From: dave@lsuc.on.ca (David Sherman) To: goldberg@sitwell.csl.sri.com Subject: Re: resending mail.yiddish issue #7 Date: Tue Jun 20 00:56:08 EDT 1989 > Dave, both messages arrived. Thanks. Jack Goldberg > PS How would this message be said in yiddish? Well, others have said... || From: Raphael Finkel || Ikh hob bakumen nor di vidershikh. || || From: frydman%cartun.DEC@decwrl.dec.com || A dank far numer 7. Dos is da eirsht vos ich chob gezien. || Ich hod nish ge-krikt in May. || || From: well!jax@apple.com (Jack J. Woehr) || ariingekimmen, a dank. ------------------------ END OF ISSUE #8 ------------------------ David Sherman, Toronto Moderator, mail.yiddish { uunet!attcan {AT&T Sites}!att pyramid!utai utzoo } !lsuc!dave dave@lsuc.on.ca attcan!lsuc!dave@uunet.uu.net