מענדעלע

With reference to John Patten's query concerning Anarchism in Yiddish [7.058:6]: He says he has already been in touch with YIVO, so the chances are that he already knows about Rudolf Ro(c)ker and the _Arbayter Fraynd_, so I will make this brief. I notice that he has a UK address. If he is in London, this is the perfect source for him, and it will lead into everything else, Roker's translations of Kropotkin, Johann Most, Emma Goldman, the lot.

Hugh Denman

The 'Night of the Murdered Poets': the truth about August 12, 1952. (Soviet executions of intellectuals and writers). Joshua Rubenstein. The New Republic, August 25, 1997 v217 n8 p25(6). Near the end of his life, Josef Stalin's thinly veiled anti-Semitism overran him, and he ordered a crackdown on Yiddish culture. His execution of five Yiddish poets and writers, along with ten others, is described in detail following unearthing of previously secret Soviet archives.

Anniversary Dateline: World Jewry, August 1997 p4 In Chernovtsy, Ukraine, _Dos Yidishe Vort_, a Jewish radio program, has celebrated its 50th anniversary. The program's mixture of folk music and translations have made it popular among Jews and non-Jews alike.

Ashkenazi is jazzy: Yiddish culture is on a global upswing. Ilona Biro Maclean's, Sep 1, 1997 v110 n35 p79(1) The second annual Ashkenaz festival will be held in Toronto, Ontario,in late August 1997. The festival is part of a worldwide revival of interest in the culture of Ashkenazi Jews, originally from central Europe. Interest in klezmer music and Yiddish are both part of this trend.

Iosif Vaisman

An internatzionale teatergrupe macht in oktober un november a groisn tur durkh Holland mit der muzikteaterproduktzye Tevye der Milkhiker. Di forshtelung iz der rezultat fun a kinstlerisher kooperatzye tzvishn Ukraynishe, Daitshe un Hollendishe aktyorn unter der firung funem rezhisor B.Seidemann, vos iz mit zayn trupe der permanenter shpiler funem Hackishes Hofteater in mizrech Berlin. Di pyese, bearbet un tzugepast fun Sholem Aleichems roman Tevye durkhn dramaturg Andrei Jendrush, vos iz a wikhtiker stimul far yidisher antwiklung in Berlin, wert geshpilt teilwaiz af yidish, teilwaiz af hollendish. Far der produktzye zenen gemacht naye lid-kompozitzyes durkh Dietrich Petzold.

Der rezhisor Seidemann hot tzunoyfgeshtelt a naye, moderne mizanscene, nit keyn farbenktn shprung tzurik tzu der fargangener tzayt, nor a hayntweltike vizye af der fargangenheyt mit a naytzaytikn teatralishn tzugang. A tshikave nekeve iz di farbindung tzvishn nekhtn un haint. Zi inspirirt Tevye tzuriktsutrachtn in zayn zikorn un undz zayn iberlebungen tzu dertzeyln Tevye wert geshpilt durkhn bakantn Ukrainishn zinger un aktior Mark Aizikovitch. Di premyere shpilt zikh op in Breda (Chasse-teater)dem 9.oktober, 20.30 a zeyger. Nokhdem, forshtelungen durchn gantzn land bizn 30.november. Informatzyes: Teaterbiro Schmid, Scherpencamp 19, 3992 RB Houten, Holland (tel: 030-6350629)

Willy Brill

I was most interested in Leonard Prager's introduction to the Mendele Review Vol 01.018 concerning the state of Yiddish book publishing and distribution. One question I would add is, "What about new Yiddish authors?" Not only is it difficult to find already-published Yiddish materials, but how does the unknown Yiddish author, eager to contribute something new, go about finding a publisher for his manuscripts? In particular, I have edited, with four assistants (who are Mendele subscribers) from around the world, a preliminary version of an English-Yiddish chemistry glossary, including a complete list of all the chemical elements, an attempt at nomenclature rules for chemical compounds, and a full list of Yiddish metric-system words. The number of terms in this "khemye-reshime" probably exceeds 4000, and is culled from nearly two dozen Yiddish scientific works (yes, they do exist), plus general Yiddish dictionaries. Without going into detail, when the the "Forverts" every week carries stories about space missions, global warming, medical breakthroughs, the Internet, nuclear proliferation, etc., we Yiddish users need such a list. We cannot accept "speys-shotl" for space shuttle". The idea is similar to Yankl Hapern's list of computer terminology in Yiddish, but much more extensive.

I am not a published Yiddish author, nor am I a world-famous Nobel-prizewinning scientist, just a young (age 34) postdoctoral researcher in chemistry who wants to promote Yiddish for our generation. I have a one-year old son to whom I speak only mame-loshn. Obviously I'd like to be able to describe my work to him, and him to others. Where, dear Mendelists, would I go to publish this list? Dr. Mordkhe Schechter told me he is interested in my work, but he asked me who would publish it?

This is not a rhetorical question. Any specific publishing houses, with names and addresses, would be appreciated.

A sheynem dank in foroys,

Dr. Stephen (Shloyme-Khayim) Cohen

This may have been covered previously, in which case I'd appreciate the reference(s). The Yiddish milieu in which I was raised bore a heavy burden of prudishness. This extended to both language(E.g.: I.B. Singer was too earthy) and behavior. Nevertheless, es zenen dukh du ayntselne gesheyenishn ven men must nitsn shtarke verter. (there are though singular circumstances when strong language is mandatory) Memory almost fails me. I can recall one good example and the grand, histrionic passion that always accompanied its use: PASKUDNYAK (masc), PASKUTSVE (fem). I'm not looking for the Yinglish words like 'alrightnik,' the sexual one's like 'kurve,' or the rest of the scatological menu, but for words used on those rare extremely charged occasions when cutely ironic metaphors and similies just won't do.

P.S.: Shoin a gantz vokh on mendele. An umglik oyf der velt!

marvin engel