Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 5.173 November 22, 1995 1) Introduction (Kenneth Benjamin Moss) 2) Illuminated Yiddish manuscripts (Diane Wofthal) 3) The interview with General Powell (Michel Konstantyn) 4) Lamed-vovnikim (David Baron) 5) Australian Yiddish News (Bobbi and Michael Zylberman) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 21 Nov 95 15:08:49 EST From: kmoss@eden.rutgers.edu Subject: Introduction K'heys Benyomin (Ken) Moss, un sof col sof ken ikch zogn az k'bin a mitglid fun Mendele. K'bin an undergraduir student in geshikhte un gezelshaftlekhe limudim in Rutgers universitet. Zayt mir moykhl fun di pgomim in mayn Yiddish: k'hob ongehoyben zich tzu lernen Yiddish mit a yor tzurik, un k'hob a sach tzu lernen. Me darf nitzen vos me hot. K'bin a veltlekher yid mit a tifer lib far moderner yiddisher kultur. Ikch lern zich Yiddish tzulib di geveyntliche sibes vos mir weltlekher 'inchoate' yiddishistn hobn (yo, kc'bin punkt un in gantzn eyner fon zey vos Eliyahu Juni un zayn mitforers gefinen tzu zayn shreklech 'nisht vortzldik'), un kc'bin ne'ene fun der shprach. Ik lern zich itzt Yiddish in unabhengike limudim mit profesor Moishe Moskowitzn. Ikh zeh faroys a sach interesante yorn do of Mendele, un k'bin zeyer freylekh tzu zayn a mitglid. My name is Benyomin (Ken) Moss, and finally I can lay claim to the status of a Mendele member. I'm an undergraduate at Rutgers College, where I have studied history and social science. I am a secular Jew with a deep love for modern Jewish culture (and a steadily growing commitment to cultural activism in the Jewish community here). I'm studying Yiddish for precisely the sort of reasons you might expect from secular inchoate Yiddishistn (indeed, I am precisely and entirely one of those that Eliyahu Juni and his ilk find so woefully inauthentic), and I enjoy it immensely. I'm currently doing independent study in Yiddish with Professor Moishe Moskowitz. I anticipate many stimulating years of Mendele, and I'm very happy and excited to be a member. Kenneth Benjamin Moss 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 22 Nov 1995 07:44:31 -0700 (MST) From: wolfthal@asuvm.inre.asu.edu Subject: Illuminated Yiddish manuscripts I am a professor of Art History at Arizona State University who would very much like to work on a Yiddish project. If anyone out there knows of a Yiddish manuscript with illuminations or a Yiddish book with illustrations that no one is working on will you please let me know? I am a specialist in art dating fro m the middle ages through the seventeenth century and so am not interested in pre-seventeenth century material. I would be interested in working collaboratively with someone who is studying the text. Just to introduce myself, I published a book on "The Beginnings of Netherlandish Canvas Painting" (Cambridge) and should complete this summer a book on image s of rape (Princeton). My only publication on a Jewish theme was an article on medieval and Renaissance images of the Wandering Jew, many years ago. Having just moved to Arizona, where there are more missionaries than Jews,has rekindled my interest in things Yiddish. Any ideas? Diane Wolfthal 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 21 Nov 95 08:59:59 -0500 From: mk@usia.gov Subject: The interview with General Powell Vos mer volt men zikh gekont hofn, az der Wall Street Journal hot zikh bamit, zu gebn a bame tsu Mendele? Volt es geven der National Enquirer, iz nisht aroytsunemen fun klal heshben az Mendele zol vern a tsvaig fun vayte planetn-tsivilizatsies. Mir kenen zayn tsufridn az mir zenen bloys farantvortlekh fardem vos Colin Powell hat opgegebn tsu zayn a kandidat oyf tsu vern vern Prezident fun di Varaynigte Shtotn. (A vits? Loz unz nokh zen). In Yisroel vet itst a sakh gefregt ver zenen geheyme agentn in poltishe organizatsies un vvos zay tun dortn? Di emesdike shayle iz: Ver is der agent in Wall Street Journal vos darf zikh shnel aynshraybn oyf a Yiddish-kurs in Yivo? Briderlikhe grisn. Michel Konstantyn 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 21 Nov 1995 11:02:38 GMT+0200 From: davidb@accent.co.il Subject: Lamed-vovnikim There are 36 hidden tzadikim that sustain the world! Of course, 36=lamed-vov. There _must_ be a connection. Maybe because we hear the cricket's song but rarely see him, and when we get to close, the song stops. The singer remains hidden! David Baron 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 21 Nov 95 21:04:31 1000 From: mzylberm@ozemail.com.au Subject: Three weeks left for the Australian Yiddish News The editor of the Oistralisher Yiddishe Nayes announced this week that unless a deficit of A$70000 was met within the next three weeks the only Australian weekly Yiddish newspaper would close. The newspaper has been continuously published since the 1930's. Its first editors included Melekh Ravitch and Pinchas Goldhar. A "friends of the Yiddishe Nayes" Fund has been established and may be contacted at the Australian Jewish News - Yiddishe Nayes Fund P.O. Box 1000 Caulfield South, Australia 3162. The newspaper is not supported by any communal organisation and up to now relied on income from advertising and subscriptions and the goodwill of the english language Jewish News for its existance. The owners of the Jewish News have indicated that they are unable to meet such ongoing deficits. The Yiddish newspaper recently appointed a new editor, John Rosenbloom a younger professional journalist who has been introducing changes so that the paper meets the needs of a younger generation. The newspaper deserves our support. Bobbi and Michael Zylberman ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 5.173