Posted on 06/16/2006 10:43:57 AM PDT by lizol
Learning Yiddish
Before WWII, a third of Warsaw's population spoke Yiddish, the language of Central Europe's Jews. Yiddish culture disappeared along with its speakers, who were wiped out during the Holocaust. But now, young Poles are beginning to learn the language.
Yiddish, the language spoken by Central and Eastern Europe’s Jews before the second world war, now mainly survives in small enclaves in Lithuania, Russia and Belarus, as well as in the US. Those Jews who left countries like Poland for Israel after the end of the war now speak Hebrew, the language of the bible. Very few traces of Yiddish remain in Poland, once home to most of Eastern Europe’s Jews. But with the current interest among young Poles in Jewish culture comes an interest in the language they spoke.
The Polish capital Warsaw may just have a handful of Jews left. But in this classroom in the city’s Jewish Theatre building, a group of young students are learning to speak Yiddish, once the language of millions of European Jews. This Yiddish class is devoted to famous Jewish writers who lived and worked in Poland.
The lecturer, professor Marian Friedman, now in his ‘90s, is one of Warsaw’s few remaining Yiddish speakers. During this class, he ask one of his students how much she could understand from reading the Yiddish original of ‘Dybbuk’, one of the most important books in Jewish culture. The girl proudly replies that she can understand eighty per cent of the Yiddish text. Interestingly, there are no Jewish students in this class, just Poles, mostly university students in their twenties.
‘I’m interested in Jewish literature, and I write my essay about ‘Dybbuk’, written by Anski. And professor Friendman translated ‘Dybbuk’ into Polish many, many years ago.’
Since there’s a bit of an age gap between Warsaw’s only surviving Yiddish teacher and his students, a Yiddish scholar has been recruited from Israel to help out, also to teach classes to aspiring actors at the Jewish theatre.
Lecturer: ‘My name is Jacob Weizner, I’m a professor of Yiddish. I’m going to ask a riddle. (Speaks Yiddish, translates into English). ‘What is this? Stands on the roof. Is doing like this, like a chicken, flaps its wings. And it’s not a chicken.’ Polish student answers in Yiddish. Lecturer: ‘She doesn’t know. A crazy guy.’ Polish student (in English): I’m really interested in Jewish culture and everything connected withy it. It’s a very easy language. It’s very similar to German.’
‘The interest in Yiddish is coming back, but there are a variety of degrees, some people will study, some people will come to a theatre show, some people will come to a lecture. In those terms, yes, there is an interest. And also people are now looking for some European heritage that goes beyond cathedrals and stones and when it comes to that, Yiddish is one can say the only pan-European language, the only language that extended from Moscow to London, and the only language that was born here in European recent history, recent being the last one thousand years.’
Until now, the only institution that kept up the Yiddish tradition in Warsaw has been the city’s Jewish theatre. It puts on new productions each year, mostly musicals showing the vanished life of East European shtetls, or Jewish villages. Sitting in the audience you will notice that practically everyone listens to the running translation into Polish. But the small group of enthusiastic Polish students of Yiddish like Ania make a point of keeping their headphones off.
‘Many people ask me about it why a Catholic girl learns Yiddish and is interested in Jewish culture, but I think that it’s normal. Poland was a country of Jewish people and Polish people, so for me it’s normal. Yiddish is a beautiful language, quite similar to Polish. For me, it’s a language with a soul.’
But professor Marian Friedman is realistic about the fate of his dying language. He admits that it is harder and harder for him to find other original Yiddish speakers to hold a conversation.
‘This language has practically no chance of coming back. For the language to serve as a medium of communication and artistic expression, there must be people who speak it, there must be a society based on this language. Just a handful of Jews are left in Poland and Eastern Europe. It’s important that young Poles should now try to find out about it, as well as young Jews who can’t speak their language, but who are keen to get back to their roots.’
As more and more Israelis, who speak Hebrew at home, decide to visit Poland to explore the traces of Jewish culture, they are curious to find out about Yiddish, the language of their ancestors.
Israeli visitor. ‘We’re going for a trip in Poland to experience the Holocaust. I know that it was very tough living here, there was anti-Semitism here, and a lot of Jews were leaving in fear. Now I think it’s a bit changed. The anti-Semitism has decreased.’
Many, like this Israeli guide, say that they find it inspiring that young Poles are now studying Yiddish. They see it as a sign that the historical prejudice between the two nations is slowly becoming a thing of the past.
Israeli guide: ‘I just told them about Jewish culture, that even in the communist era, the Jewish theatre was still functioning, that actors today are non-Jewish. Polish people come to listen with earphones to listen to Jewish culture. But only as a memorial.’
A must on each Israeli visitor’s trip to Poland is Warsaw’s Jewish cemetery, where you can find the tombstones of Yiddish writers like Anski. Those who are witnessing Poland’s small Yiddish revival are convinced that with learning the language will come a better understanding of the culture of a vanished nation, which once mattered so much in Polish history. The vast Jewish cemetery in Warsaw is a poignant reminder that until the outbreak of the second world war in 1939, a third of the city’s population of 1.5 million spoke Yiddish.
Ping
Oy! Yiddish, he wants to learn. A doctor he could be, but does he listen to his mother? A linguist! Who ever heard of such a thing? It's meshuga.
Why not?
Oy Vey!..........What's next? Schlemiels for World Peace?........
Shvartzers! (Blacks!)
(To Indian raising tomahawk): No, no, zayt nisht meshuge! (Don't be crazy!)
(Raising arms to the heavens in stereotypical Indian pose): Loz im geyn! (Let him go!)
Cop a walk, it's alright. Abi gezunt! (As long as you're healthy!) Take off!
(To other Indians): Hast du gezehen in dayne lebn? (Have you ever seen such a thing?) They darker than us! Woof!
I know one Yiddish word: feh. It's the ultimate expression of scorn and disgust, and I use it whenever necessary.
Ibbergerblibbernis.........
They still teahc it in some of the orthodox hight schools. I know the lubavitchers teach it in their schools as well.
My favorite curse (translated to English): "You should grow like an onion, with your head in the ground and your feet in the air."
Could someone who knows Yiddish ping or freepmail me?
I listen to a lovely song, 'Vilne' that I would like to know what it means in English. I know it is about the town Vilna, and I can pick up a few words, but not a good understanding.
Thanks.
shalom!
here. let me introduce you to another wonderful and philosophical morsel
goyem
shortened.... goy
-PJ
I can't help you with the translation, but I hope you can give me a little more info about the song. I've been hooked on klezmer music--Yiddish folk songs--since I snagged a copy of Perlman's "Fiddler's House." Unfortunately, folk music (with the exception of the protest variety) is hard to come by around here.
I could be wrong, but isn't Yiddish commonly taught in the Amish communities here in the US?
No. Let me introduce you.
The Word doesn't mean what you think it means.
The Word doesn't mean what you intend to solicit by your post.
And the Word is not Yiddish. It's Hebrew.
And it's found in the Bible.
............................................
My very first post on FR many years ago was setting some jerk right about the Word "Goy".
VILNE
vilne shtot fun gaist un tmimess,
vilne idishlech fartracht vu ess murmlen shtile tfiles, shtile ssoides fun der nacht. oftmol seh ich dir in cholem, heyss gelibte vilne mayn, un di alte vilner geto in a nepldiken shayn.
vilne, vilne, unser heymshtot unser benkshaft un bager. ach vi oft ess ruft dayn nomen fun mayn oygt aroyss a trer.
vilner gsslech, vilner taichen vilner velder, barg un tol, epess noyet, epess benkt zich noch di zaitn fun a mol.
It is a slower Klezmer song. I get the feeling it is about what Vilna used to be like when it was a thriving Jewish community.
If you use iTunes or something similar, you can find a lot of klezmer music. Listen to a few clips and buy a few. Support klezmer!
oy veh!
Schmucky Schumer
Meshuga-something.
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