Mendele: Yiddish literature and language ______________________________________________________ Contents of Vol. 6.128 December 9, 1996 1) Hermetically sealed communities (Michael Steinlauf) 2) Unions and the demise of the Yiddish theater (Henry Mullish) 3) Nazalaization (Mikhl Herzog) 4) Wallach (Rick Turkel) 5) Wallach (Jota Piasecki) 6) Wallach (David Herskovic) 1)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 8 Dec 1996 11:48:42 -0500 (EST) From: yivo3@metgate.metro.org Subject: Hermetically sealed communities In recent Mendele postings, there's been talk of pre-Holocaust Jewish communities as hermetically sealed from the surrounding non-Jewish world. I beg to differ. This is an especially important point because it plays into stereotypes of pre-Holocaust East European Jewish life that seem prevalent even among us Mendelyaner. First of all, let's remember that by the 1930's, most East European Jews did not live in shtetlekh but in the largest cities. So in Poland, for example, no more than 40% of Jews lived in shtetlekh, while about 1/2 of all Jews lived in the largest cities such as Warsaw, Vilna, Lublin, Lodz, etc. where they made up about 1/3 of the total population. And even in shtetlekh, they were going to Polish public schools, serving on the town council, etc. So to speak of Jews being hermetically sealed off from non-Jews in such situations clearly makes no sense. But even in pre-modern Jewish communities it doesn't make much sense. Look through Max Weinreich's "History of the Yiddish Language" and you will find mountains of fascinating evidence documenting multi-faceted interrelations between Jews and their non-Jewish neighbors. This is important, I think, because it goes to the heart of what allowed Jews to survive for so long, that is, what a successful diaspora culture is all about. Diaspora is about carrying your borders with you wherever you go. But these have to be permeable, that is, you have to let some of what's outside in because if not you will stifle. On the other hand, if you let too much of the outside in you will disappear. The trick, it seems, and one the East European Jews were masters of, was knowing how to let just enough in to adapt, to respond, to remain creative. What was allowed in was then, of course, "faryidisht," so that, in one of endless examples, the Ukrainian peasant song became a holy hasidic nign. So that taking -- just enough but not too much (not to mention giving, a whole other story) from co-territorial cultures was, I would suggest, not just an important aspect of traditional culture, but the key to its success. This then can segue into all sorts of discussions about the multi-cultural world we increasingly live in; that is, once again one can do worse than learn from "undzere yidelekh." Michael Steinlauf 2)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 8 Dec 1996 11:24:47 -0500 (EST) From: mullish@is2.nyu.edu Subject: Unions and the demise of the Yiddish theater In the Sunday New York Times issue dated December 8th, 1996 (page City 3) is an article written by Andrew Jacobs titled "The Last Act" and subtitled "Voices Are Stilled at the Yiddish Actors Union." In an associated side bar titled "The Yiddish Theater" and subtitled "Healthy It Isn't" is a historical summary of the milestones of the Yiddish theater beginning with 1882, when the first Yiddish production in America opened on the Bowery, to 1996, when demolition began on Second Avenue of the last Yiddish theater. While the writer eloquently details the rise and fall of the Yiddish theater, he cites various knowledgeable individuals who clearly place the blame for its demise on the unions who, at a critical time in its history, "kept a new generation of actors from its ranks." I was simply wondering whether the blame can rightfully be laid at the feet of the unions or whether there was simply a lack of the required talent available abetted by a dwindling general interest on the part of the Yiddish speaking public. Henry Mullish 3)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 8 Dec 96 11:52 EST From: zogur@cuvmb.columbia.edu Subject: Nasalization Eliyahu Juni [6.125] is quite right that nasalization in "daanges" (as well as in "yaandes" and "kaansher" has nothing to do with "ayin"). Note that these and other nasalized Hebrew words in Yiddish _except_ for "daanges" have the sequence "patakh-khatef-patakh" which leads Max Weinreich to suggest that Hebrew "d@aga" may well have been originally vocalized with patakh-khataf-patakh as well. Mikhl Herzog 4)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 8 Dec 1996 22:24:19 -0500 From: rturkel@cas.org Subject: Wallach [Regarding Zev Kesselman's query (6.125):] Wallachia was a region that, along with Moldavia to the east, became the modern Rumanian state. A "Wallach" (Slavic Vlach), then, is an ethnic Romanian. Hope this helps. Rick Turkel 5)---------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 8 Dec 1996 17:57:14 +0100 From: jpi@it.lth.se Subject: Walach in Polish No idea about a connection, but 'walach' is a word in Polish, meaning 'gelding'. There is both descriptive (about horses) and contemptous (about humans) usage. Letter `l' in 'walach' is `the Polish l' here, pronounced as English 'w'. I do not know the word's origin. There is a verb, too; to geld a horse: 'owalaszyc'. Jota Piasecki 6)---------------------------------------------------- Date: 09 Dec 96 06:32:37 EST From: 100114.750@compuserve.com Subject: Wallach: vayishkokhayhi The answer to Zev Kesselman's question has to do with the practice of playing poker or blackjack or ayn-in-tsvontsik (a yidish version of blackjack, I am told) on khanike. The rabbis didn't like to see youngsters whiling away their time (bitel toyre etc.) and they probably also smelt haskolishe influences. There are many condemnations of the practice in Chasidic literature accompanied with the warning that there are klipes and other hobgoblins whose sole resting place is on a pack of cards. Shabes khanike almost always falls on Parshes Vayashev, so an acronym was found in the last word of the sedre, 'Vayishkokhayhi'. Velkhe Yid Shpilt Kurten or Kvitlekh KHanike Hayst Vallakh. The last word is changed according to who was the biggest roshe in the area or at the time. Another variation is Vasilyu and another one is plain Vagabond. I have a feeling that the saying originates from the yeshives in the Carpathian/Transylvanian region where there was a strong Chasidic influence, because the saying is popular with people from that area. I have no means of verifying this but perhaps an historian would recognise the names of the villains. David Herskovic ______________________________________________________ End of Mendele Vol. 6.128