Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 1 no. 139 January 19, 1992 1) Yiddish theatre in Cairo (Yude-Leyb Proger) 2) Yiddish actors in Cairo (Yude-Leyb Proger) 3) Yiddish imprints in Egypt (Yude-Leyb Proger) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 08 Jan 92 17:51:13 IST From: leonard prager Subject: Mendele 131 I am happy to learn that David Hirsch of UCLA personally knew members of the Yiddish-speaking community of Cairo, professional actors included. In an article entitled "Yiddish Theater in Cairo" (to appear shortly in :HP1.Bulletin of the Israeli Academic Center in Cairo:EHP1. No 15 {1992}), I sketch the history and communal functions of the Yidishe kunst fareyn, the amateur Yiddish theatrical group which led a vigorous existence for four decades. It is highly probable that, as early as the 1890s, Cairo (as well as Alexandria and Port Said) was visited by wandering troupes and individual artists from Eastern Europe and from Palestine. A number of sporadic efforts preceded the establishment of a stable amateur theater group in Cairo. Thus a "Groupe d'Amateurs" staged Gordin's :HP1.Le Sauvage:EHP1. {Der vilder mentsh} on 9 May 1909. :HP1.Der yudisher literarisher un dramatisher tsirkl fun kayro:ehp1., also widely known under its French name, :HP1.Le cercle litteraire et dramatique du Caire:EHP1. ('The Jewish Literary and Dramatic Circle of Cairo') was founded on 3 September 1912 (in 1919 it was located at Rue Hassan el-Akbar N.1). It later changed its name to :HP1.Yidishe kunst fareyn:EHP1., but was widely known in Cairo under its French name, Groupement Artistique Juif de Caire. Although I believe there was Yiddish theatrical activity in Egypt prior to 1909 -- mainly wandering troupes from Russia -- I lack proof. I am not aware of any "Keniglikher yidisher teater" in Cairo, although the group mentioned above did often hold its annual gala performances (under the patronage of the local notables) in the Theatre Royal de l'Opera. I would be happy to hear from anyone who has knowledge of Yiddish-language cultural life in Egypt (mainly Cairo, but also Alexandria and Port Said). In separate communications to :HP1.Mendele:EHP1. I will spell out some of the things we know and a good many we need to know -- and which some of you may know. Yours, Yude-Leyb Proger {Leonard Prager}. 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 08 Jan 92 17:51:13 IST From: leonard prager Subject: Yiddish Actors in Cairo For the sake of brevity, I merely list the names of all those of whom I know who at one time or other played on the Yiddish stage in Cairo. I mark with asterisks the names of those about whom I have some information. Most of those on this list were enthusiastic amateurs who year after year learned new roles in new plays for charity perfomances, enjoying themselves immensely and giving pleasure to countless others as well. A number of families had two or more of its members in the group. In "Yiddish Theater in Cairo" (:HP1.Bulletin of the Israel Academy in Cairo:EHP1. No. 15 {1992}), I discuss the players rather genenerally. In a more detailed work in progress (tentatively entitled "Vaytere yedies vegn dem yidishn teater in kair"), I give a fuller account of the actors and their repertory. I would appreciate 1) the names of actors not on my list; 2) information identifying those whose names are not asterisked; 3) information of any kind about the persons whose names are asterisked; 4) any general information about Yiddish theater and radio in Egypt. The names below are given first of all in the Standard Yiddish Romanization and then in the spelling used in Latin-letter languages by the person himself -- a form I sometimes have to reconstruct by instinct and so may get wrong. I do not attempt to give all the years in which the individual actor appeared on the Yiddish stage in Cairo (and Alexandria and Port Said as well). Name (romanized Yiddish) Name (common form) Years Active (selective) Abramzon, Mishel {Michel Abramson} 1946 Anoshi, L. 1917 Ben-Shimen, Yoysef* {Yossef Ben Schimen} 1936, 37 Berkovitsh, Leyzer* {Lazar Berkowitz/Bercovici?} 1917 Bernard, Khaym* {Haym Bernard} 1930, 31, 32 Bernard, L. 1933 Bernard, Shimen* {Simon Bernard} 1932, 36 Bleykhman, Beti* 1919 Bleykhman, Yankev* 1919 Davidov, Dovid* 1919 Finkelshteyn, Yoysef* {Joseph Finkelstein} 1943 Frankforter, H. 1933 Freynkel, H. {H. Freinkel} 1932 Fridlis, Gizele {Gisele Fridliss} 1931 Ganon, Eli* {Elie Ganon} 1932, 47 Ganon, Evelin* {Eveline Ganon} 1947 Grinberg, H. {H. Greenberg} 1917 Gutman, Sh. {Suzy Gutman} 1931 Halitsh, Hadase* {Hadassa Halicz} 1938 Hash, Moyshe {Maurice Hoche} 1928 Henri, B. {Mr. B. Henry} 1930, 36 Hofman, Perl F. {Pearl F. Hoffman} 1937 Iskin, Fela 1928 Kats, Eli {Elie Katz} 1930, 38 Khafkin, Arn* {Aaron Hafkin} 1936 Khayim, H.B. 1937 Klayn, Roze {Rose Klein} 1933 Klur, Viki {Vicky Klur} 1934 Kolman, R. {R. Colmon} 1943, 45, 46 Koyen, Rebeke {Rebecca Cohen} 1931 Lakerman, Ezra* {Ezra Lahad} 1945 Libshard, Kh. {Victorine Lipshardt} 1931 Lifshits, Yitskhok {Isaac Lifschitz} 1932, 37, 43, 45 Likhtntal, Bernard {Bernard Lichtentahl} 1930, 31, 32 Maryanski, Leyb {Leon Mariansky} 1931 Maseof, Sharlot {Charlotte Masseof} 1930, 32 Moskovitsh, Y. {Y. Moskowitz} 1917 Pardo, Khayim* {Haym Pardo} 1945, 46 Pendrik, Liza {Elise Peindrik} 1930, 31, 43 Pendrik, Sofi {Sophie Peindrik} 1930, 31 Pikevski, Mlle A. 1930 Pikevski, Miss L. 1937 Rabinovits, Toli* {Toli Rabinowitz} 1945 Rayski, Ester {Esther Rajsky} 1943 Rayski, Pol {Paul Rajsky} 1943, 47 Redi, E. {Evelyne Redy} 1933 Rekhes, Kalmen {Kalman Reiches} 1943, 45, 46 Rekhes, Meri {Mary Reiches} 1943 Rekhes, Shloyme {Salomon Reiches} 1945 Riselsman, L. {L. Riselsman} 1917 Robert, Vilyem {William Robert} 1930, 31 Rokhlin, Khaym {Haym Rochlin} 1943, 45, 46 Saphir, H. 1944 Shroytman, A.* {A. Schroytman} 1930, 31 Shtern, Mrs. K. 1943, 45 Solomon, R. 1946 Tileman, Sharlot {Charlotte Tillemann} 1938, 43 Tsikurnik, Sholem 1938 Varon, Liza* 1909 Vaynshteyn, Albert* {Albert Weinstein} 1945 Vaynshteyn, Yoysef* {Joseph Weinstein} 1943 Vol, Mine {Mina Woll} 1929 Zelonka, F. {Mlle. F. Zelonka} 1930, 33 Zolo, H. 1945 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 08 Jan 92 17:51:13 IST From: leonard prager Subject: Yiddish Imprints in Egypt When we think of Yiddish in Egypt in connection with the written word, our first association, rightly enough, is the Geniza, where invaluable Yiddish manuscripts and early printed materials have been found. These items migrated to Egypt but did not originate there. Many hundreds of items, however, were printed in Egypt in Yiddish during the late nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth centuries as part and parcel of the cultural life of a very small yet vital Ashkenazic community which, in addition to having its own synagogue, had a Yiddish theater group of its own, its own Yiddish radio programs, and in the years 1907-1908, a Yiddish weekly, :HP1.Der tsayt:EHP1.. The theater group maintained a large archive in the building where the Ashkenazic synagogue was located. It was a repository for playbills, programs, manuscripts of plays, correspondence -- a rich assortment of handwritten and printed materials. This collection was destroyed on Balfour Day, 2 November 1945, when a Muslim Brotherhood mob burnt down the synagogue building. Printed Cairo Yiddish theater materials and Egyptian Yiddish imprints, including bilingual and trilingual ones are today scarce. Fortunately, the YIVO has a small but valuable collection of such items. It should be possible today to find out if anything has been saved in Egypt. I would appreciate hearing of Egyptian Yiddish imprints of any and every kind. Yiddish letters written from Egypt also interest me. All of this searching and recording is part of the larger business of mapping the Yiddish contours of Ashkenaz Three -- all the countries to which Eastern European Jews migrated in the past few centuries. .sk There were Jewish printers in Cairo who printed materials in Hebrew, Yiddish, Arabic, French and English and perhaps in some other languages as well. In 1895 Herman and Maurice Grunberg migrated to Cairo from Galatz, Romania and started a printing press, later taken over by Maurice's son, Lazare. At least in the early years they may have printed Hebrew and Yiddish. The :HP1.Encyclopaedia Judaica:EHP1. (Jerualem: Keter, 1971, vol. 5, p. 31) tells us there were five Hebrew printing presses in Cairo after 1905 -- a few of these also printed Yiddish items. In the 1920s there are posters printed in the "Druk fun Yankev Liskovits" ('Printing Shop of Jacob Liskowitz'). Some of the multilingual programmes were printed by "Defus Chayim Vayzl, Kahir" ('Printing Shop of Haim Weisel, Cairo'). Often there was only one two-page inner spread for the Yiddish version of theater programs, almost everything else being in roman letters (mainly French, but also English). In the early thirties the programmes are half French and half Yiddish. There were also flyers in both languages advertising the same play. Original Yiddish plays were written in Cairo, but were they printed there? Were any Yiddish books or booklets, as distinct from periodicals, published in Egypt? Perhaps :HP1.Mendele:EHP1. members can help answer some of these questions. ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol 1.139