[Mendele] Mendele Vol. 21.009

Sun Jan 1 17:32:06 EST 2012

Mendele: Yiddish literature and language
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Contents of Vol. 21.009
December 25, 2011

1) I.B. Singer's "Shadows on the Hudson" (Alice Dazord)
2) Israel Rosenberg (Helene Courtois)
3) zhulikes (Dina Lvias)
4) zhulikes (Khane-Faygl Turtletaub)
5) (h)alevay (Gale Kissin)
6) shtetl nicknames (Miriam Holmes)
7) kirzhner (Martin Jacobs)
8) patsher/fatsher (Martin Jacobs)
9) liser sider/siddur (Martin Jacobs)
10) kheshbn (Maurice Wolfthal)

1)----------------------------------------------------
Date: November 28
Subject: I.B. Singer's "Shadows on the Hudson"

Does any one knows whether it is possible to get the original Yiddish 
version of  "Shadows on the Hudson," which was published in 1957 in the 
New York daily Forverts  under the name of Yitskhok Varshavski or perhaps 
D.Segal?

Sincerely,
Alice Dazord

2)----------------------------------------------------
Date:  December 23
Subject: Israel Rosenberg

Hello,

My name is Helene, I'm French, and I have been learning Yiddish for a few 
months (by  myself). I'm currently making a new website of Yiddish songs, 
in French, and I  subscribed to this mailing list thinking you could 
sometimes help me with difficulties in  translations (Yiddish to English, 
at least...). The site address: http://rama01.free.fr/yidlid

For the moment, I've got another kind of question:  I found this 
information - obviously copied from a record cover - on a Youtube post for 
the song "Vu iz dos gesele": Du bist  mayn harts/herts, mayn glik and Vu 
iz dos gesele from the Musical Mashe, oder Margarita Ros. no. 10677 Copr. 
no. E637791; Mar. 1/May 15, 1926 Mus.: Samuel Secunda Lyr.: Israel 
Rosenberg Prop./pub.: Samuel Secunda; Hopkinson Theater Piano and voice. 
Two songs: "You are my heart, my happiness" and "Where is the little 
street (where you live)" from "Mashe or Margarita (heroine's both names)." 
Libretto: Israel Rosenberg. Sheet music: sold as souvenir at the theater; 
cover design (unsigned), with photos of Rosenberg, Secunda, and perf. Lucy 
German and Misha German; cast roster (in Heb./Yid. char. and Eng.) and 
verses in Heb./Yid. char., all on back cover.

When I looked for information about Israel Rosenberg, I only found a 
Wikipedia page about an "Israel (also Yisroel or Yisrol) Rosenberg (ca. 
1850-1903 or 1904)" who "founded the first Yiddish theater troupe in 
Imperial Russia." Although a very young Secunda could have met this 
Rosenberg during one of his tours in Kherson Gubernia, I suppose it 
couldn't be the same man who wrote "Mashe oder Margarita"? Or could 
Secunda have brought the play with him when he travelled to America?
So, my question is: has anyone got any information about the Israel 
Rosenberg who actually wrote this song, "Vu iz dos gesele?" (or part of 
it, as it seems to come from an old Polish or Russian folk song), and the 
musical? Or else, do you know where I could look for such information?

Thanks,
Helene Courtois

3)----------------------------------------------------
Date: November 27
Subject: zhulikes

In answer to Martin Jacobs,

"Zhulikes" is based on the Russian "zhuliki," meaning cheaters, petty 
swindlers, rogues.
Sorry, I can "t help with the other words.

Dina Lvias

4)----------------------------------------------------
Date: November 27
Subject: zhulikes

As far as I know, "zhulikes" were crooks. Interestingly, Crooks is also a 
not uncommon American name.

Khane-Faygl Turtletaub

5)----------------------------------------------------
Date: November 27
Subject: (h)alevay

I want to know the derivation of  "Alevay."  It may start with a "hey." 
Is it related to "Inshallah" and/or the Spanish  "Ojala"?

A sheynem dank,

Gale Kissin aka Gishe Reyzl

6)----------------------------------------------------
Date:   November 28
Subject: shtetl nicknames

For Martin Jacobs:

Tsigeln - cradles; cribs.  Nicknames were also used in my mother's 
hometown, Chrzanow (near Cracow).  I don't think they all had meanings.
My grandfather's was Skutch. We knew of Pipek, and Zhimnovotska (variation 
of cold water in Polish).
Strange that use of nicknames was not necessarily regional.  I don't think 
towns neighboring Chrzanow used them.

Best,
Miriam Holmes

7)----------------------------------------------------
Date: November 13
Subject: kirzhner

The dictionaries give "cap-maker," "hat-maker," and "furrier" for this 
word. Does anyone know which meaning was most prevalent in the vicinity of 
Pinsk, Belarus?
I need it for an article I am translating on the history of the Jews in 
Ivanova (Janow) near Pinsk (not to be confused with other towns named 
Janow).

Martin Jacobs

8)----------------------------------------------------
Date: November 14
Subject: patsher/fatsher

What is the meaning? The old-fashioned orthography makes it impossible to 
know if the word is patsher, fatsher, potsher, or fotsher. It would seem 
from the context that this is some sort of teacher, but what sort? Then 
again, maybe this is not a word for a sort of teacher, but an additional 
title this particular teacher has. From the history of Ivanova (Janow), a 
list of teachers in the local Jewish school: "Alter der melamed un Khayim 
der patsher - onfangers, nokh zey - Zalmen der lerer, Berl der melamed un 
Mordkhe Hersh der melamed. In di shpetere yorn zenen shoyn geven lerers, 
vos hobn  fartaytsht ivrit af ivrit un men hot oykh ongehoybn lernen 
rusish."

Martin Jacobs

9)----------------------------------------------------
Date: November 21
Subject: liser sider/siddur

The word "liser" looks, from its form, to be an adjective based on the 
name of a city (Lis/Lys/Li se/Lyse?). "Sider," of course, means a prayer 
book.  I have two questions:
1. What does "liser" mean?
2. Is there a city of this name?
3. What is so special about a "liser sider" that it should get a special 
mention?

"loynt nisht dem altn balebos uftsuheybn di oygn fun altn liser sider." 
"the old man did not consider it worth his while to raise his eyes from 
the old liser sider."

Martin Jacobs

10)----------------------------------------------------
Date: November 27
Subject: kheshbn

Alan Shuchat asks about regions where "kheshvn" vs. "kheshbn" were used. 
I don't know the answer, but I can add that my parents pronounced it 
"khezhm," meaning calculation or accounting, both literally and 
figuratively. They were from Buczacz, formerly Galitsiye, then Poland, now 
Ukraine.

Maurice Wolfthal

______________________________________________________
End of Mendele Vol. 21.009

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