Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 4.422 May 14, 1995 1) Call for Bibliographers (David Goldberg) 2) Koyletsh (Barry Walfish) 3) Kinship and modernity in Moldavia (Rick Gildemeister) 4) Humor (Louis Fridhandler) 5) Nokhamol gezindikt (Noyekh Miller) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 12 May 95 10:34:50 EST From: david_goldberg@smtpgwy.mla.org Subject: Modern Language Association Call for Bibliographers The MLA International Bibliography is looking for people who would be interested in indexing scholarly books and journals in the fields of Yiddish language, literature, and folklore. The bibliography is compiled by volunteer specialists in various subject fields, in cooperation with the staff of the MLA Center for Bibliographical Services. Bibliographers generally have a fixed assignment of five or more journals, from which they contribute 25 to 50 citations a year. Bibliographers are also encouraged to index new books in their field. The bibliographic information is recorded on worksheets and mailed to the MLA Center for Bibliographical Services for processing. Although bibliographers are not paid, they do receive a complimentary copy of the complete printed bibliography, in which their name is listed among the contributors. Upon request, a letter of acknowledgment is sent to the bibliographer's dean, department head, or supervisor. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer bibliographer, please send a letter and resume to Terence Ford, Editor, MLA International Bibliography, 10 Astor Place, New York, NY 10003-6981. Tel: 212 614-6348. E-mail: ford@mla.org David Goldberg 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 12 May 1995 10:48:57 EST From: walfish@vax.library.utoronto.ca Subject: Koyletsh As far as I know, koyletsh refers to a round khale eaten on certain holidays, esp. Purim. I assume, the ingredients are the same as the usual braided or bilka types of khale. Barry Walfish 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 12 May 95 11:00:36 EDT From: eeglc%cunyvm.bitnet@yalevm.cis.yale.edu Subject: Kinship and modernity in Moldavia Ghitta Sternberg's ethnography of Stefanesti, a shtetl on the border of Bessarabia, notes an interesting twist on Yiddish kinship terminology. She felt that the shtetl was headed toward assimilation, with the ability to speak Romanian fluently, without a Yiddish accent, considered a desideratum. She also says that the townspeople would have vigorously denied this prediction. What they wanted was modernity, an acculturation and participation in the national life of their country, but not an out and out rejection of Yiddish. The townspeople classified people along a continuum of traditional to modern. The way one addressed an aunt who was traditional was to call her "mime", whereas if she were more modern, wearing Western European clothing styles, for instance, she would be addressed as "tante". Sternberg points out that it was all somewhat unconscious, that someone would address a modern-thinking aunt as "mime" was just unthinkable. Sternberg also points out the townspeople were aware of a connection with German and German culture, but that they considered it a connection in which they were the "poor relation". They viewed this culture as superior to their own. What's interesting is that they adopted a daytshmerizm "tante" to identi- fy people categorized as what might be considered "German", i.e. modern. I've heard a lot of American Jews use the word tante and wonder, is it indeed a daytshmerizm? If so, it is ironic that the Germans themselves had rejected Oheim and Mumme for Onkel and Tante, respectively as being more "cultivated", i.e. French. Just some nice Erev-Shabes musings. I really do hope other Mendelyaners will read that book. Sternberg's whole premise is that the Romanian shtetl was indeed different from shtetlekh in the Slavophone countries, and that it merits study. I agree, and also feel it's one of the most charming and touching ethnographies I've ever read (I was an anthro major in college). Rick Gildemeister 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 12 May 1995 12:53:13 -0400 From: lfridhan@aol.com Subject: Anything (almost) created with humor has my vote Leybl Botvinik derklert gants fayn, tseleygt af telerlekh, zayne yesoydes fun yidishe kompyuter neologizmen (4.417, 2), ober mit di heyvn fun humor. Gut gezogt. Me darf es oyshern, geduldik, mit kop. Humor iz fun di tifenishn. Bobby Clark, a barimter komiker fun amol, hot zikh tseklogt mit der noz aropgelozt, "Nu, vos tut men? Ikh arbet azoy shver. Ikh dertseyl dem oylem mayne beste vitsn. Un vos tut der oylem? Nor zey lakhn." Louis Fridhandler 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 14 May 1995 From: nmiller@mail.trincoll.edu Subject: Nokhamol gezindikt The shames has been informed by more than one of our sharp-eyed readers that Vol 4.415 (May 10, 1995) was mislabelled Vol 4.414. Apologies. The archive will be corrected. These being the last words in Vol.4, let us hope that a new year (and a new machine!) will both be error-free. Noyekh Miller ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 4.422 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. 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