Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 3.195 January 7, 1994 1) The Bashevis Singer papers (Myles Slatin) 2) Childrens literature; Knanike (Zachary Baker) 3) Di yiddishe Charleston (Jay M. Lee) 4) Christian Translators from the Yiddish; Johan Saubert (Bob Werman) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu Jan 6 13:13:56 1994 From: Myles Slatin Subject: The Bashevis Singer Papers On another list I saw a message from the Harry Ransom Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin saying that Singer's widow has donated (or sold) his mss, proofs, letters, etc. to that Library. I am delighted that a library of such excellence has the care of these papers, and appalled that they did not wind up in NY. Can anyone tell me why NYPL or Columbia or NYU did not get them? Myles Slatin, SUNY at Buffalo 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu Jan 6 16:38:58 1994 From: Zachary Baker (bm.yib@rlg.stanford.edu) Subjects: Childrens literature; Knanike (1) Regarding Mark H. David's question on access to the microfiche edition of "Yiddish Children's Literature" (MENDELE 3.193), unfortunately one must either view it in the few libraries that have the set (Harvard, YIVO, possibly the Library of Congress, JNUL in Jerusalem) or purchase it at a substantial price from the company that markets it. (At last account, that was the Congres- sional Information Service, Inc., 4520 East-West Hwy., Suite 800, Bethesda, MD 20705-4002, OR 11935 Beltsville Dr., Beltsville, MD 20705-4002 [Beltsville is doubtless named after the Bessarabian city Beltsy].) Many of the 1,000+ books included in the set are no longer available in hard copy, but some are, either through the Workmen's Circle (45 E. 33rd St., New York, NY 10016) or the National Yiddish Book Center (48 Woodbridge St., South Hadley, MA 01075). I do not know if copies of the published catalogs to "Yiddish Children's Literature" -- either the original Clearwater list or the Harvard catalog -- are still available. For the former, inquire at CIS; for the latter, contact: Judaica Dept., Widener Library M, Harvard College Library, Cambridge, MA 02138. In general, I would not recommend use of microfilm or fiche "for parents... in order to preserve their children's Yiddish" -- I think that both parents and children would prefer the genuine article. As a preservation-oriented librarian, it pains me to say that there is no true substitute for the book itself. (2) Bob Rothstein asks about the Sholem Aleichem story, "Khanike in der finfter evenyu" (MENDELE 3.192). While I cannot readily verify if the story ever appeared in any of S.A.'s books, it does indeed appear in the Tageblatt on the dates indicated by Khone Shmeruk (Dec. 2 & 3, 1907). That newspaper is available on microfilm at New York Public Library, YIVO, Hebrew Union College (Cincinnati), and possibly elsewhere. Zachary Baker, YIVO Library 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu Jan 6 16:48:14 1994 From: "Jay M. Lee" Subject: Di yiddishe Charleston Not trusting my yiddish, I have been lurking on the list for some time. Recently, however, I wrote someone about a yiddish question. She asked me why I lurk, I should participate. I have been interested in Yiddish jazz music for some time, but I have so very little of it. I have heard the Barry Sisters and the Andrew Sisters, but they are more swing. What I like the most is piano music from the 20s. The last place I came in contact with a suprising sample of Yiddish jazz piano was in the 1980 film "Oingo Boingo in the Forbidden Zone." The writer, Richard Elfman, uncle to the bands lead singer Danny, drew heavily from the genre for the sound track. It also included a version of di yiddishe Charleston. What I would like to know is who are some Yiddish jazz artists whom I could look up at the record store? I have heard a man from New York, who sang during the 20s (a song about Hoover's FBI), but that sketchy information is all I remember. Jay Lee 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu Jan 6 17:51:41 1994 From: Subject: Christian Translators from the Yiddish; Johan Saubert Leonard (Yude-Leyb), Leonard.Prager@Haifauvm, writes: Churchmen were among the first to study Yiddish systematically and may be regarded as the founders of Yiddish philology. They entertained the hope that Yiddish would be a key both to the Jewish Scriptures and to Jewish hearts. This hope proved fanciful but in the course of nursing it, a few German Christians like J.H. Callenberg made a real contribution to Yiddish studies. Callenberg had established an institute for missionary activities at Halle in 1728 and published Yiddish translations of the New Testament in parts from 1732 to 1744 {Rep: BL} (as well as of other Christian writings). ************************************************* For more information about Christian Yiddish writers, and particularly Johan Saubert, see my wife, Golda Werman's forthcoming book, _Milton and Midrash_, Catholic University of America Press. Saubert (1638-1688) a German Lutheran minister and professor of Hebrew, was an expert in Oriental languages and translated the popular, contemporary folk Midrash, the _Ze'enah U-Reenah_, written in Yiddish, into Latin. Saubert made a special effort to acquire the Yiddish Midrash from a rabbi friend. Saubert informs us in the Introduction that he undertook the translation out of a sense of Christian duty; he considers it his responsibility to make this Yiddish midrashic work available in Latin. In knowing Yiddish he was not at all unique among his fellow Christian theologians. Special Christian textbooks existed for the teaching of Yiddish to theological students for missionary purposes in the Protestant seminaries. Saubert translated the Genesis chapter of the _Ze'enah U-Reenah_ into Latin in 1660 when he was only twenty-three; in the same year he was appointed professor of Hebrew at the University of Helmstadt. More on the Yiddish of Christian translators and theologians in the 16th and 17th century can be found in two fascinating chapters in Golda's book. __Bob Werman ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 3.195 Mendele has 2 rules: 1. Provide a Subject: line. 2. Sign your article. 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