מענדעלע

With this issue Mendele starts its tenth year, a remarkable longevity on the Internet time scale, keyn eyn hore. We are older than Netscape and Yahoo, and eBay or Amazon could have been Mendele's grandchildren. The number of Mendele subscribers has reached 2,300. We live in at least 36 countries on six continents. The exact geographical distribution is unknown, because it is difficult to attribute correctly addresses in .com, .net, and .org domains. The table below reflects only the respective country domains -.ca, .il, .de, .it, etc. The actual number of subscribers from some countries is significantly higher.

1993 1998 2000

Canada 19 73 88 Israel 8 61 88 Germany 3 45 64 Italy - 10 31 UK 4 22 28 Netherlands 2 26 27 France - 12 26 Australia 3 17 22 Argentina - 11 15 Russia - 4 13 Switzerland - 9 12 Hungary - 11 11 Japan 1 7 11 Poland 3 7 9 Austria - 5 8 Brazil - 6 7 South Africa - 3 7 Sweden - 6 5

Total 319 1700 2300

Country domains with less than 5 subscribers include Belgium, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hong Kong, Iceland, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, and Uruguay.

In the last few months Mendele issues appeared less frequently than usually; hopefully we will soon resume the normal operating mode. Enjoy the new Mendele volume!

Iosif Vaisman

Should a Yiddish book, when being reissued, conform to the author's spelling or to the rules generally followed today?

At the outset: I have nothing against YIVO spelling; quite the contrary, I like it a lot. But I'm bothered that my choice rests on unexamined grounds and I suspect that this is true for most of us.

Somewhere there's a letter from S.A. Abramovitch, the zeyde, to his publisher in which he says in effect: "print it my way or forget the whole thing". And the zeyde's way? A spelling that from our perspective hewed to German orthography wherever possible. Not particularly strange when we consider the high prestige of German language and culture throughout the 19th century, particularly among maskilim (and virtually all Yiddish writers were products of the haskole). More than that, one might argue that a Germanized spelling scheme implicitly placed Yiddish in at best a subsidiary position vis-a-vis German, and that was--if not conscious and deliberate--entirely in keeping with the maskilic contempt for Yiddish as opposed to Hebrew, not to mention that of bourgeois worldly intellectuals for the rubes and boobs of Yiddishland.

Nothing new here surely. In any event, the interesting question for me lies elsewhere. Even though most of us today reject the maskilic scorn for Yiddish, even though many of us actually feel uncomfortable reading the standard editions of Mendele Moykher-Sforim or Sholem Aleykhem (I do for one), might there not be for that very reason a point in keeping the Germanic orthography intact? Not because they're sacred texts, not because the spelling is of interest to scholars, but because reading them in their original spelling adds a dimension to our understanding. The same argument applies of course to Soviet Yiddish. Uneasy as many of us might feel at the respelling of Semitic words and so on, it is better to be reminded that neither writing or reading ever occurs in an ideological vacuum.

As readers none of us is truly passive; whether we change the spelling or not we modify our relation to the text. Changing spelling reduces dissonance, leaving it alone makes it if anything greater. But doesn't reducing the dissonance brings today's readers into the same relation with the text as was the case when it was written? Maybe. Still, we owe those earlier readers --our grandparents-- the same respectful but unsentimental treatment that we accord their writers. Is it even possible that readers loved, say, Sholem Aleykhem but didn't share his ambivalence?

But by far the most important potential benefit is that retaining older styles stimulates a self-conscious attitude toward the YIVO standard--and therefore toward ourselves and where we stand, to examine to the limited extent possible our own sensibilities. I'd be delighted if someone could convince me to go with the flow; I'm no more in favor of hair shirts than most Mendelistn. Just the same, if discomfort is needed to maintain the critical stance that goes with (our accursed) modernity, so be it.

*****

An afterword. I wrote what's above a couple of months ago but neglected to post it. Having more recently read Mordkhe Schaechter's fascinating account (_fun folkshprakh tsu kulturshprakh_) I see that the issues are even more complicated than I had thought. But the basic question remains and I'll let it stand as written. I hope it's understood that I'm not advocating khos vekholile the abandonment of standarized spelling and I hope a useful discussion will ensue.

Noyekh Miller

Di Medem-Bibliotek un der yidisher kunst- un geshikhte-muzey organizirn An INTERNATSYONALN SIMPOZYUM Arum der teme BAY DER YIDISH-ARBET , HAYNT. Paris, 4-5-6tn yuni 2000 In oyditoryum fun yidishn kunst- un geshikhte-muzey

Visnshaftlekhe organizatorn : Yitskhok Niborski un Gilles Rozier

PROGRAM ZUNTIK DEM 4TN YUNI 2000 14 az : derefenung fun simpozyum durkh Laurence Sigal (direktorshe funem yidishn kunst- un geshikhte-muzey) un Gilles Rozier (direktor fun der Medem-bibliotek)

14:30 - 16:00 az Runder tish : vi vert yidish ibergegebn in der traditsyoneler yidisher svive? Problemen baym ibergebn yidish inem veltlekhn sektor. Yidish tsvishn nit-yidn Miryam Isaacs (Universitet fun Meriland, Fareynikte shtatn), Yitskhok Niborski (Institut far mizrekh-shprakhn, Frankraykh), Armin Eydherr (shrayber un iberzetser, Estraykh) Forzitserin : Miryam Anissimov, shrayberin

MONTIK DEM 5TN YUNI 2000 10:00-12:00 az Universitet-limudim un forshung Jean Baumgarten (Melukhe-rot far vinsnshaftlekher forshung, Frankraykh), "Di yidish-limudim in di yisroeldike universitetn" Shimen Neuberg (Trierer universitet, Daytshland), "Antviklung un oryentatsye fun di yidish-limudim in Daytshland" Dov-Ber Kerler (Oksforder tsenter far hebreishe un yidishe shtudyes, England), "Di zumer-programen, indzelekh fun yidishland" Forzitser : Alexandre Derczanski (Melukhe-rot far vinsnshaftlekher forshung, Frankraykh)

14:30-16:00 Runder tish : hayntike literarishe shafung Lev Berinski (fareyn fun yidishe shrayber un zhurnalistn, Yisroel) Hirshe-Dovid Katz [Meynkes] (Vilner universitet, Lite) Moyshe Lemster (shrayber, Moldavye)

Rokhl Ertel (universitet Paris 7, Frankraykh), " iberzetsn fun yidish - a teyl fun der yidish-shafung ? Forzitserin : Mike Szulsztein (mitarbeterin fun di " yidishe heftn ")

16:30-17:30 retsitatsye tekstn fun haynttsaytiker yidisher literatur, geleyent oyf yidish un in frantseyzisher iberzetung durkh Basye Baum (iberzetserin un retsitatorin, Frankraykh)

DINSTIK DEM 6TN YUNI 2000

9:30-11:00 yidish bay yingere, in shul un in lebn Dvoyre Kosman (lererin, Yisroel), " yidish in di yisroeldike dertsiungs-sistemen " Benyomen Schaechter (koordinator fun der " yidishvokh ", Fareynikte shtatn), " di bavegung fun yunge yidishistn in Amerike " Andrey Bredstein (Melukhe-bibliotek, Rusland), " yidish-vidervuks in mizrekh-Eyrope " Forzitserin : Louisette Kahane (gezelshaft farn yidish-limed)

11:15-12:30 oyf der yidisher gas Nadia Dehan-Rotschild (lererin un iberzetserin, Frankraykh), " dos lernen yidish in a yidishn kultur-tsenter " Detlef Hutschenreuter (muziker, onfirer funem " Rockteater ", Daytshland), "yidish teater - far vos far an oylem ? " Jacques Grober (mekhaber fun zinglider, zinger, Frankraykh), " tsum lid durkh yidish - tsu yidish durkhn lid " Forzitser : Henri Minczeles (historiker)

14:30-15:30 Medyums Boris Sandler (shef-redaktor fun " Forverts ", Fareynikte shtatn), " Der Forverts un zayn leyener) Iosif Vaisman (shmuesplats oyf internets " Mendele ", Fareynikte shtatn), " internets, an alveltlekh shtetl " Forzitser : Claude Hampel (redaktor fun di " yidishe heftn ")

17:00-17:30 Hemshekh fun di yidishistishe institutsyes Dovid-Helyohu Fishman (Yidisher teologisher seminar un Yivo, Fareynikte shtatn), " Der Yivo un di hayntike forshung fun der yidishvelt " Gilles Rozier (Medem-bibliotek, Frankraykh), " di Medem-bibliotek un ir kultur-shlikhes " Norbert Engel (Strasburger shtotrot, Frankraykh), " di grindung fun an eyropeishn tsenter far yidish-kulturn in Shtrasburg : farmestn un perspektivn " Forzitser : Henry Bulawko (zhurnalist un shrayber)

17:45-18:30 Opshlus Claude-Gerard Marcus (prezident fun yidishn kunst- un geshikhte-muzey) Yitskhok Niborski (vitse-prezident fun der Medem-bibliotek)

redes oyf yidish oder frantseyzish mit glaykhtsaytiker iberzetsung.

adres tsu bashteln (shraybt oyf frantseyzish oder english): reservations@mahj.org Musee d'art et d'histoire du Judaisme Hotel de Saint-Aignan 71, rue du Temple 75003 Paris Tel : (00 33) 1 53 01 86 48

La culture yiddish aujourd'hui

Colloque international 4 - 6 juin 2000

organise par le Musee d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaisme et la Bibliotheque Medem

Organisateurs scientifiques : Yitskhok Niborski et Gilles Rozier

Bazukht undzer vebort : http://www.yiddishweb.com/ Ir zukht yidishe bikher tsu koyfn ? Tut a kuk oyf undzere dubletn-listes : http://www.yiddishweb.com/dubletn/

Gilles Rozier Paris (France)

Current versions of the popular Microsoft's browser and email client are able to handle Yiddish correctly (significant portion of thanks for this should go to Mark David and several other enthusiasts from the Understanding Yiddish Information Processing group, http://www.uyip.org). Since both MS Internet Explorer and MS Outlook are free programs that are currently bundled with the most popular operating systems and are available for several other operating systems, for the first time we have an environment that is favorable for the mass electronic communications in Yiddish.

Shtetl's software developers decided to help Microsoft and created an alpha version of the first Yiddish message board (http://metalab.unc.edu/yiddish/forum/wwwboard). The message board is supplied with the visual Yiddish keyboard, which means that there is no need to worry about the keyboard layouts and drivers. All what you need is a copy of Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or 5.01, or AOL 5.0 installed on your Windows (95, 98, NT, or 2000) computer. The message board may not work on other platforms or in other browsers. There are several other outstanding technical issues with the program, but it works! You are welcome to join the first Internet discussion forum in Yiddish. Two other applications for sending email in Yiddish and for creating Yiddish web pages are coming soon. Watch this space!

Iosif Vaisman

"daled omus" iz a mos erd, dakht zikh mir fir eyln, un dos heyst a kleyn shtikl eygns, take bagrenetst nor bakant. glatshteyn, in zayn vey -lid a <a gute nakht velt> ruft dos folk tsurik fun zayn farton in der breyter velt vos hot derlozt dem hitler khurbn, tsurik tsu eygene "daled omus"

"daled omus" is a measure of ground, I believe it's four cubits, meaning a small something of your own, limited but familiar. In his pained poem, <a gute nakht velt> (good night world) Glatshteyn calls our people back from its involvement with the wide world that allowed the Holocaust, back to "daled omus.

vegn etimologishn yikhes fun "khoyzek makhn" ken ikh zikh nit oprufn, nor s'iz kiday tsu bamerkn az di vos farmestn zikh yo mit di inyonim af an ernstn oyfn megn visn az mikhl herzog iz a shem dover, mit gvaldike fardinstn in der velt fun yidisher lingvistik.

I can't comment on the etymological yikhes of the expression "khoyzek makhn" but it's worth mentioning that those who undertake to deal with these issues in a serious manner might be aware that Mikhl Herzog is a name of renown with enormous contributions in the field of Yiddish linguistics.

a teyl fun der muzik tsu di peysakh lider ken men gefinen in der yidisher hagode, dakht zikh mir s'heyst "di naye hagode" aroysgegebn fun arbeter ring in nyu york.in bildungs opteyl zaynen faran mentshn vos veln visn vu me ken gefinen di muzik tsu di iberike lider.

di yidish veltlekhe shuln in amerike, fun ale rikhtungen: farband, shloem aleykhem institut, arbeter ring un orden, hobn ale aroysgegebn farshidene yidish-veltlekhe hagodes ongepikevet mit oytsres fun der yidisher literatur. teyl greser shuln hobn aleyn geshafn hagodes tsugepast tsu di feyikaytn fun zeyere kinder. azoy hobn mir geton ven ikh hob ongefirt mit a greserer sholem alyekhem zuntik shul af long aylend n"y in di friye zekhtsiker yorn. s'volt geven interesant makhn an oyshtelung fun azlekheno hagodes, vifl me ken nor tsunoyfklaybn. tsi zukht efhser der yivo a nayem proyekt.

some of the music to the peysakh poems can be found in recent Yiddish Hagodes., published by the Workemn's Circle in N.Y. The folks in their Education Dept will likely be able to tell you where to find music to the rest.

The various Worldly Yiddish School movements in America: Farband, Sholem Aleichem Institute, Workmen's Circle, IWO all published a variety of Yiddish-cultural haqgodes, jam-packed with treasures from Yiddish literature. Some of the larger Shules created their own hagodes suited to the abilities of their children. So we did when I directed a larger S"A Sunday School on Long Island N.Y. in the early 60's. It would be interesting to mount an exhibit of as many of these kinds of hagodes as can be gathered. Maybe the YIVO is looking for a new project.

aykh alemen a zisn, gezuntn un koshern peysakh.

elye palevsky

In Vol 09.077, Martin Green asks for information about Yiddish-Hebrew hagodes suitable to be used at a regular Passover seder. I was recently in Eichler's in Boro Park (13th Avenue and 50th Street), where I saw at least four editions of the Passover hagode with Yiddish translations and commentaries. Most of them were about $15-20 (more expensive, leather-bound versions were also available), and all of them seemed pretty interesting and "user-friendly," provided that one could read Yiddish in non-YIVO orthography. I asked more than one man who worked at the store for advice in distinguishing between the four, but nobody seemed to have a clear opinion as to which was the best among them. So I thumbed through the four, and settled on one quite at random (I'm not at home right now so I don't know the name of the edition I finally chose, and I haven't had a chance yet to read it). Anyway, these bilingual hagodes--as well as many other sforim with/in Yiddish--are readily available among the khasidim (as was at least one Yiddish-only hagode), and I look forward to returning to Eichler's, B"H, next year to add to my collection.

By the way, for those not living in the New York area, Eichler's has a web site (www.Eichlers.com, if I'm not mistaken); I don't know if they sell the Yiddish sforim on line, but it certainly seems worth the effort.

A freylekhn pesekh, alemen,

Marc Caplan

Nokh eyn vort iber di hagode far Martin Green - ikh hob gefinen eyns azelekhe t'vishen meyn andere hagodes! S'iz geveh gedrukt bay di Hebrew Poblishing Companye in Nyu York, ober un a yor. Es hayst: Sidur Hagada Shel Pesakh -im- y"kh melut v'pirushim b'ivri-taytsh Ba-utyot Gedolot im Tsyurim Ravim v'yfim. That's the best I can do - my ivrit transliteration is not too good , I'm afraid. There is no indication of who translated.

In any case, there are 3 different Yiddish texts plus the traditional Hebrew text, all on each page of the hagode. One of the Yiddish texts (called sefuri ha-felaot) is a straight translation in Yiddish, while the other two are commentaries in Yiddish on the text (sefuri yetsiot matzrim and meshali ya'akov). Only the last few pages, with the shir hashirim additional section of the hagode, does not have the Yiddish -- even khad gadyo has them! A guten yontef tsu alemen,

Bernard Katz

A question about Sholem Aleykhem's use of "orl" as a synonym for a non-Jew. This term appears many times, in context, in the story "Oylem habe," which just appeared in The Mendele Review. For those who might not know, "orl" is a foreskin, (though spelled without the "hey"at the end of the word when the actual foreskin is meant).The term seems to us now humourous at best, perhaps somewhat derogatory at worst. I was wondering whether a native yiddish speaker, especially at the time Sholem Aleykhem was writing these stories, before 1916, would find this term amusing, or was it the matter-of-fact term used in a non-derogatory sense?

By the way, it was no surprise that orl was not to be found in Weinreich. Nor was "foreskin." Weinreich avoided many "sensitive" words in his dictionary. I have heard that he was rather prudish in this matter, but perhaps there is some other reason for these omissions. I did find "orl" in Harkavy's dictionary.

Aside from "orl," if you understand yiddish, reward yourself by reading Oylem Habe in the latest The Mendele Review (Vol.4 No. 5). This is the first of 4 parts.

Itsik Goldenberg

Ershtens vil ikh vintshen ale meyne teyre mendeleyers a zisen und freylikhen Pesach. yetz di frages, s'iz mir mer bakvem english.

Does anyone recall the following expression. "Koved ligt af mist, s'iz nisht umzist" I remember my Mother saying something like that but it seems wrong somehow. My Mother came from Shvir, close to Vilna. Would appreciate some imput.

I have just come across a book by Ludwig Lewisohn "The Island Within" a very interesting presentation of the misnagdim vs the khasidem. I am wondering why he is never mentioned among Jewish writers. Is it because he wrote in English. Seems to me he is worthy of our attention, How do we classify him?

Mendele und the Mendele Review hot mir bareykht meyn leben. A hartziken dank to unzere shameysim.

Diana Wilner