Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 4.146 October 19, 1994 1) Kids and Yiddish (Henry Mullish) 2) Yekes (Joseph Sherman) 3) Transliteration, romanization and translation (Al Strauss) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 19 Oct 1994 12:22:50 -0400 (EDT) From: mullish@acfcluster.nyu.edu Subject: Kids and Yiddish -- A Family Yiddish Musical Experience It is not very often that we get an opportunity to attend a top-notch Yiddish show entirely geared to kids -- of all ages, I might add. On Sunday November 6, 1994 at 1:30pm at the Katie Murphy Auditorium the Workmen's Circle will be offering a sensational program for kids starring Joan Borts, Adrienne Cooper, the Yiddish Troubador, Menachem, and the Workmen's Circle Yiddish Chorus (here is where I take my bow) under the direction of Zalmen Mlotek at the Fashion Institute of Technology, located at Seventh Avenue and 27th Street, Manhattan. The price of the tickets for this benefit performance ranges from $50 to $5 for kids and they may be obtained by calling (212)889-6800 x226. This is an opportunity to teach the kids in the most direct way the meaning of the word _kvel_. All the best, Henry Mullish 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 18 Oct 1994 07:53:07 GMT + 2:00 From: 071JOS@muse.arts.wits.ac.za Subject: Yekes Last night at a dinner party the distinguished British novelist Bernice Rubens -- on a current visit to us here in South Africa -- surprised me by asserting that the orgin of the pejorative Yiddish term for a German Jew, Yeke, is an acronym of the Hebrew phrase 'yehudim kshey oref' (yud-kaf-ayin). This delightful explanation seems to me most interesting and amusing -- but is it true? Can the learned *mendelenikes* advise, confirm or deny? I will look forward to provoking and to reading some of the vastly erudite -- not to say pedantic -- responses that have filled the columns of the elmails of recent months on other subjects. It would also be good to hear from some real yekes what they think about it all. Warmest regards to the khevre Joseph Sherman 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: 18 Oct 94 20:31:23 EDT From: 74722.1215@compuserve.com Subject: Transliteration, romanization and translation First I would like to give an example of an anecdote from Royte Pomerantsen and a translation of the same story. Nomen Ba yunge por iz geborn gevorn a zun. iz geveyntlach geven a simche in shtub. Tate-mame zanen geven gor prosste mentshn, ober take gor prosste. Der yungn tatnstate iz geven a shiker, un di yungn mamens tate iz geven a ganev----eyner gor fun di groysse shikurim, un der anderer gor fun di groysse ganovim. Un beyde mechotonim zanen shoyn hant, aych tsu lang yorn, af der bessere velt. Hobn zach di yunge tate-mame ongehoybn tsu krign, vi me zol a nomen gebn dem ingl. er hot gevelt, men zol em gebn a nomen noch zayn tatn, un zi hot gevelt nit andersh noch ir tatn. Un az man un vayb heybn zach on krign, iz dos b'li kets. Zey hobn zach gezidlt un geshrien, un sol-kol-sof, zey hobn gezen, az zey kenen aleyn nit durchkumen, hobn zey bashlossn geyn tsum rov. Zey kumen tsum rov, hert zey der rov aus, un fregt em: "Vi hot geheyssn dayn tate?" Zogt der man: "mayn tate hot geheyssn Avrom-Dovid." Fregt der rov di vayb: "Nu, un vi hot geheyssn dayn tate?" Zogt zi: "Avrom-Yitschok." Zogt der rov: "Iz doch gut, vos vilt ir? Ruft dem ingl Avrom. Ay vos? noch velchn Avrom? Vet ir zen shpeter: vet der ingl aussvaksn a shiker, vet es zayn noch dem tatns tate, un oyb er vet aussvaksn a ganev, vet dos zayn noch di mamens tate." What's in a Name (Ausubel) When the time came for naming their first born son, a husband and wife began to wrangle with each other. She wanted to name him after her father; He wanted to name after his father. Unable to asgree they went to the rabbi to referee the dispute. " What was your father's name?" asked the rabbi of the husband. "Nahum." "And what was your father's name?" the rabbi asked the wife. "Also Nahum" "Then what is the whole argument about?" asked the puzzled rabbi. "You see rabbi," said the wife " My father was a scholar and a god fearing man, but my husband's father was a horse thief!" The rabbi pondered and pondered. It was indeed a ticklish matter; he didn't wish to hurt the feelings of the husband. So he said, "My decision is that you name your son Nahum and leave the rest to time. If he becomes a scholar, then you will know that he was named after his mother's father. If on the other hand, he becomes a horse thief, it will be clear that he was named after his father's father. p.s. I love the rhythm and the nuances of the of the transcription. The translation hot nisht ken tam. It's like a corned beef sandwich on gentile bread with butter. (is that too harsh, enshuldig mir) Am I the only who ever went to the A&P and asked for a gentile bread) pps. Dear Zellig it grieves me to think that I made you feel bad for even one moment. I have the utmost respect for you and for what you are trying to accomplish for yiddish. Please understand my only contact to yiddish is through transliteration, and I had never heard of " romanization" or the phrase "kitchen yiddish" before mendele. You have my heartfelt hand shake and best wishes biz hundert un tsvantzig. Al Strauss ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 4.146 Mendele has 2 rules: 1. Provide a meaningful Subject: line 2. Sign your article (full name please) A Table of Contents is now available via anonymous ftp, along with weekly updates. Anonymous ftp archives available on: ftp.mendele.trincoll.edu in the directory pub/mendele/files Archives available via gopher on: gopher.cic.net Send articles to: mendele@yalevm.ycc.yale.edu Send change-of-status messages to: listserv@yalevm.ycc.yale.edu a. For a temporary stop: set mendele nomail b. 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