Mendele: Yiddish literature and language
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Contents of Vol. 4.107
September 20, 1994

1) Introduction (Khayim Ber Friedman)
2) The Freedmans ('eynekh Sapoznik)
3) Mekhaber (Aharon Meytahl)
4) Upcoming concert (Rita Falbel)
5) Kibosh revisited (Charles Eisenberg)

1)----------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 19 Sep 94 11:55:21 EDT
From: HarveyF953@aol.com
Subject: Introduction

Born in Cleveland, Ohio-moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1980-Electrical
Contractor in Arizona. I speak beginning Yiddish. Although I've spoke it
for over 35 years I never developed the language due to the lack of
people in my community to speak with. I am active in many associations
related to the construction industry and I am an avid physical fitness
person.

Harvey (Khayim Ber) Friedman

2)----------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 18 Sep 94 18:46:41 EDT
From: Sapoznik@aol.com
Subject: The Freedmans Part 2

Let me join in welcoming Bob and Molly Freedman to the Mendele mishpukhe.
Their love and enthusiasm for Yiddish culture, its preservation and
propagation, has made them for a cornerstone in the renewed
popularization of Yiddish music. Their mighty record collection and Bob's
Samsonian task of cataloging it in the dawning days of home PCs, make
their contribution great whether lovers of Yiddish culture are  aware of
it or not.

Borekh habo!

'eynekh ("Henik Varenink") Sapoznik

3)----------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 19 Sep 1994 08:19:36 +0200 (EET)
From: power@actcom.co.il
Subject: Mekhaber?

Yude Rozof objects to "mehaber" on the basis of pronuncitation. Since in
Yidish there is no difference in pronouncing "heth" and "khav" the
translitation should have the same sign for both of them. I fail to
follow the logic. Transliteration deals with written signs of alphabet. A
coherent system should enable as much information as possible in
comparison with the source. Assigning the same combination of letters to
different letters deprives the reader of latinized text of information.
Why? It has nothing to do with pronunciation.

I suspect it has to do with the old, now defunct struggle, with Hebrew.
As a matter of principle, everything that smells Hebrew should be
oyfgekert or God forbid the use of Hebrew words davke azoy.

Aharon Meytahl

4)----------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 19 Sep 1994 12:32:06 -0400
From: rfalbel@cumc.cornell.edu
Subject: Upcoming concert

I wanted to tell people in the New York metropolitan area that I'll be
doing a concert with Adrienne Cooper (well known Yiddish singer) and Ben
Schechter (composer/pianist) of Jewish/International music (includes
Yiddish, Hebrew, Ladino and other languages) on Saturday evening Sept.
24, 8 pm at the Peoples Voice Cafe, 133 West 4th St. (a few doors east of
Washington Square Church, near 6th Ave).  $7. general admission, $5 for
members, and $4 for seniors.  For more information call: 212/787-3903,
Saturday after 6 pm: 212/777-2528.  A freylakhem Sukkas ale Mendelniks,
Gut Yontif.

Rita Falbel

5)----------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 19 Sep 1994 16:17:40 -0700 (PDT)
From: durian@coyote.csusm.edu
Subject: Kibosh revisited
As a newcomer to the Internet khevra of Mendelniks,I am somewhat hesitant
about reopening a controversy concerning an issue that ,to my
knowledge,has not been determined . I refer to the provenance of the word
"kibosh".

Since I do not wish to belittle the contributions of various other
Mendelniks by offering mine as the definitive substitute,I should like
first to cite some dictionary authorities as to the origin of the word.

Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary states, "origin unknown".  Webster"s
New International Dictionary dismisses the matter entirely with a
sneer."Slang",it pontificates.The Oxford Universal Dictionary
says,cautiously,"?Yiddish" (sic).

Now to get back to the unresolved problem of the parentage of the
word.There seems to be a clear affinity both in orthography and meaning
between"Kibosh" and the three letter Hebrew root Kaf-Bet-Shin. Verbs
formed with this root have a number of meanings, among them,according to
the authoritative "Complete Hebrew-English Dictionary "of Prof. Reuven
Alcalay :to suppress,subdue,subject,etc.-meanings that are clearly
relevant to the definition of "Kibosh" as given in Webster"s New
Collegiate Dictionary,-"Something that serves as a check or stop". A
Hebrew  noun based on the same three letter root,Kibush,which,as
transliterated looks like a misspelling of "Kibosh",means ,as given in
Alcalay's dictionary ,conquest,suppression,control- almost precisely the
definition of the word in question.----Q.E.D. I trust that this puts  the
kibosh on the matter.

Charles Eisenberg

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