Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 5.132 October 6, 1995 1) Yiddish & bas/bar mitsves (Hershl Hartman) 2) Yiddish diminutive names (Yankl Gerger) 3) Zooish: intergeneration zoo walk (Miriam Isaacs) 4) Shilumim (Steve Jacobson) 5) Stashkeshmir (David Sherman) 6) Yiddish in L.A. secular kolnidre program (Hershl Hartman) 7) Julius Blauma? (Meyshe-Yankl Sweet) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 2 Oct 1995 17:24:22 -0400 From: hershl@aol.com Subject: Yiddish & bas/bar mitsves Marcia Gruss Levinsohn (Vol. 5.129) asks whether the cultural celebration she describes can be called a "bar/bas mitsve" event since it doesn't include readings from the Torah and/or Haftorah. Having conducted such celebrations for over 30 years and as the author of "Credo for a Secular Bar/Bas Mitsve," a version of which, I understand, is also used in Israel, I have no difficulty in affirming the right of non-observant Jews to adapt any aspect of the varied, continually evolving Jewish tradition to meet their needs. The alternative for such Jews would be to discard the traditions entirely--as is often the case when options are foreclosed. In addition to the "droshe" topics Marcia suggested, the bas/bar mitsve program of the Sholem Community encourages youngsters to select any topic related to their Jewish identity (historical, cultural, philosophical,etc.) and to present it in any form they wish (spoken essay, graphic arts, dance, music, audio-video, etc.) although most opt for the traditional spoken essay. Many participants in the program have reported that, years later, when they describe their experience to college roommates and others, the uniform reaction has been: "that's not fair--how come you got to do something so creative and interesting?!" I like Lipa Feingold's song (is the music available?) and hope Marcia will supply what appears to be a missing last line of the second verse. Then we can all say az mir hobn geklibn nakhes. Hershl Hartman 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 02 Oct 1995 18:03:31 EDT From: hrmv59a@prodigy.com Subject: Yiddish diminutive names A shaynem dank to Zellig Bach on his wonderful disertation on naming. (Vol. 5,125,1) A frage. If the diminutive form for 'Yankl" is "Yankle", then "Moishe" is the diminutive of "Moish". Is this correct? This would mean that the beloved Moishe Rabenu (Moses) was really Moish Rabenu. Doesn't sound right!! One solution would be that the non-diminutive form in "Yank" and thus the diminiutive form becomes "Yankle". Would appreciate comments from my khaverim Mendelyners and especiallly khaver Bach. (I am wondering if khaver Bach has a background in language study or connected to a college or university, since his address is AOL). Yankl (or Yankel or Yank) Gerger 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 2 Oct 1995 18:12:44 -0400 (EDT) From: miriamis@gwis2.circ.gwu.edu Subject: Zooish: intergeneration zoo walk Ikh hob fargesn tsu geben a datum; dem dritn zuntik yedn khoydesh. October 15, Nov. 12. u.s.v. Mir trefn zikh baym groysn zeyger, nisht vayt fun di laybn. I forgot to mention in the notice about the intergenerational zoo walk, You too can be "grin" un greene. Miriam Isaacs 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 3 Oct 1995 09:20:09 -0800 (AKDT) From: ffsaj@aurora.alaska.edu Subject: Shilumim Could someone explain the meaning (and pronunciation) of the presumably Hebraic word spelled shin-yud-lamed-vov-mem-yud-mem, which appeared in the caption to story near the bottom of the front page of the Sept. 22, 1995 Forward? By context the word appears to mean "reparations", but I can't find it in a Hebrew dictionary nor in any of my dictionaries of Hebraisms in Yiddish. Steve Jacobson 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 4 Oct 95 22:39:50 EDT From: dave@cai.lsuc.on.ca Subject: Stashkeshmir Leybl Goldberg refers to "staskeshmir" as a Weinreich neologism for peanut butter. Is this word not generally accepted? Our kids use it all the time. A "stashke" is a peanut, and anything one spreads on bread is a "shmir". E.g., we also have "tshoklet-shmir" (the goopy stuff from Israel, yum!). Garlic spread is knobl-shmir, and so on. David Sherman 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 5 Oct 1995 14:53:23 -0400 From: hershl@aol.com Subject: Yiddish in L.A. secular kolnidre program Some 400 people joined in a solemn and joyous observance of kolnidre night in which many works of Yiddish poets and thinkers were read and sung at a program sponsored by the Sholem Community Organization of Los Angeles, an affiliate of the Congress of Secular Jewish Organizations. Poems by Avrom Reyzin, Itsik Fefer and Peretz Markish, as well as Yehoyesh'es translation of biblical passages, were read to and by the enthusiastic crowd, many of whom had not previously experienced a ritual or ceremonial use of Yiddish literature. Also included in the program were excerpts from the writings of Y.L. Peretz and Dr. Khayim Zhitlovsky. The musical component of the unique program featured the Sholem Community's Yiddish Choir and a stirring solo rendition of kolnidre by its conductor, Joanna Cazden, who also led the audience in Yiddish, English and Hebrew songs. Especially moving were the Choir's renditions of J. Kotliar's "Zing'zhe mir a lidele in yidish," (Sing Me a Yiddish Song) and Mark M. Warshavsky's "Oyfn pripetshik." The melody of kolnidre was heard again in a solo performance on the theramin by Alex Schub, music director of the Sholem Sunday School, where almost 100 students learn Yiddish folksongs and some folk expressions as part of their exploration of Jewish identity. A number of the participants in the kolnidre program learned of it at the huge Yiddishkayt Festival in September, which was co-sponsored by the Sholem Community, and via a posting on Mendele. Others had attended the Community's Rosheshone celebration in a Brentwood park, where Peretz's "L'shonetoyve tikuseyvu" was read in the original and in Max Rosenfeld's translation. Hershl Hartman 7)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 5 Oct 1995 19:26:23 -0600 (CST) From: msweet@facstaff.wisc.edu Subject: Julius Blauma? I'm seeking a book on the Jewish communities in E. Europe, written in the late '20s by an author whose name is reported to me as Julius Blauma--the book is in Yiddish, and was published in Poland. This is of great interest for some research I'm doing. A thorough search of library databases yielded nothing with this author's name, or close to the description of the book. If anyone has a bibliographic lead, pls. contact me at my email address--would be very grateful. A sheynem dank in foroys. Meyshe-Yankl Sweet ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 5.132