Slingshot 09/10
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Yiddishkayt is
"breaking new ground"
 -- Slingshot 09/10
For the second year, Yiddishkayt is listed as one of the 50 most innovative Jewish nonprofits in North America. |
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Dear Friend of Yiddish,
We hope this first Yidbits of 2010 reaches you in good health and spirit! Thank you -- a sheynem dank -- to all our members who so graciously contributed to Yiddish at the end of the year. If you meant to donate but forgot, it's never too late, you can contribute on our website.
First up, we're very excited to be partnering with the Skirball Cultural Center to present Klezmer Across Borders, two great concerts exploring the transformation of traditional klezmer as musicians around the world continue to fuse, improvise, and innovate. Join us at the Skirball on February 4 for Beyond the Pale (from Toronto) and again on March 25 for Klezmer en Buenos Aires: Lerner Moguilevsky Dúo (from Argentina). More info is below.
In our Kehile (Community) Calendar there are three great events coming up in the next few weeks. Tomorrow night (1/21) the Valley Yiddish Culture Club presents a talk on Yiddish author Y.L. Peretz. On February 7, the LA Yiddish Culture Club and CIYCL present a talk by Professor Miriam Isaacs (University of Maryland). And for those in Northern California, the KlezCalifornia Yiddish Culture Festival is taking place from February 12 to 15. All the info is below.
Last month you may have seen our job posting seeking our next Programming/Communications Director. Below, Cory Fischer (our current staff member) shares his appreciation for the Yiddishkayt community and explains his departure.
This month, the Vortsman has gotten lost in transliteration, or to be more exact, faulty transliteration.
And finally, we share our remembrance of Pinie Plotkin, a Yiddish poet who passed away last November. We have published his poem "Sonnet" in its English translation below.
mit vareme grusn, with warm greetings,
The Yiddishkayt Staff P.S. There's been a fair amount of hoopla recently about the 2010 U.S. Census. Most noteworthy to us, however, is that you can access the Census website in Yiddish, and you can even preview the Census form in Yiddish. We think all our members should participate in the 2010 Census using Yiddish! |
 2/4 & 3/25 - KLEZMER ACROSS BORDERS
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Yiddishkayt is thrilled to join the Skirball Cultural Center in presenting Klezmer Across Borders.
The late-twentieth-century klezmer revival in the United States is well known to many. Few are aware that the renaissance has had major proponents elsewhere in North and South America. This winter at the Skirball Cultural Center, hear two contemporary klezmer acts -- one Canadian, one Argentinean -- whose compositions reflect their national identities and own immigrant heritages.
All the information for both amazing concerts is below and on our website. For directions, parking, and to plan your visit, click here for the Skirball Cultural Center website. (Note: to purchase tickets at the membership rate, you must use the specified promo codes below -- there is a different code for each concert!)
2/4/10 Beyond the Pale
Thursday, February 4, at 8:00 p.m. $30 General; $25 Skirball and Yiddishkayt* Members; $20 Full-Time Students Advance tickets: Available on site at the Skirball, online at www.skirball.org, or by phone at (877) SCC-4TIX or (877) 722-4849 *Yiddishkayt Members, to redeem your discount, indicate promo code 99633 at time of purchase. Limit two discounted tickets per concert. Discount may not be applied retroactively to previously purchased tickets.
"A delightful musical journey." -- San Francisco Jewish News From Toronto, Beyond the Pale is well known for its explosive acoustic sound infused with diverse cross-cultural influences, from klezmer, Balkan, and Romanian music to bluegrass, jazz, reggae, and funk. Executed with high energy and infectious joy by consummate musicians, the band's brilliant live performances have delighted audiences worldwide.  --> listen to Beyond the Pale--> visit their website
Thursday, March 25, at 8:00 p.m. $30 General; $25 Skirball and Yiddishkayt* Members; $20 Full-Time Students Advance tickets: Available on site at the Skirball, online at www.skirball.org, or by phone at (877) SCC-4TIX or (877) 722-4849. *Yiddishkayt Members, to redeem your discount, indicate promo code 99635 at time of purchase. Limit two discounted tickets per concert. Discount may not be applied retroactively to previously purchased tickets. Los Angeles debut!"Surrender yourself to their ecstatic joy...Moguilevsky and Lerner are your hosts, satisfaction guaranteed." -- Contumancia MagazineWorld-class Argentinean duo César Lerner and Marcelo Moguilevsky, also known as Klezmer en Buenos Aires, bring the merriment and pathos of Eastern Europe's spirited music to the Skirball. Drawing inspiration from their Jewish heritage, the pair blends elements of Argentinean folk with jazz, tango, and contemporary sounds. Be mesmerized by the orchestral effect of their stunning virtuosity on flutes, bagpipe, duduk (Armenian reed instrument), clarinets, soprano saxophone, harmonica, accordion, piano, and percussion. --> listen to Klezmer en Buenos Aires
--> visit their website
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KEHILE (COMMUNITY) CALENDAR
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Yiddishkayt is pleased to share announcements of upcoming events related to Yiddish. If you are interested in learning more about any event, please contact the organization listed. If you have an event to share, email us the info.
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1/21/10 Y.L. Peretz: The Father of Yiddish Literature
Presented by the Valley Yiddish Culture Club. Thursday, January 21 at 7:30pm VYCC Members or those under 21 years: no charge, Guests $5 In the David Familian Chapel at Adat Ari El 12020 Burbank Blvd, Valley Village, 91607 ( map)
The Valley Chapter of the Los Angeles Yiddish Culture Club invites you
to a special program with Moshe Melnick, teacher, lecturer, and Yiddishist, speaking about Yehuda Leib Peretz, 'the Father of Yiddish Literature.' Refreshments after the
program.
More info: call Sally at 818.895.0175, or Israel at 818.892.6092.
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2/7/10 Ghosts, Dybbuks, Gilguls and Golems in Yiddish Literature and Lore
Presented by Los Angeles Yiddish Culture Club (LAYCC) and the California Institute for Yiddish Culture and Language (CIYCL).
Sunday, February 7 at 2:00pm LAYCC/CIYCL Members $5; Full-Time Students $3; General Admission $8 8339 W. 3rd Street, 2nd Floor, LA, 90048 ( map)  Special guest Dr. Miriam Isaacs, Professor at the University of Maryland, will be discussing these supernatural themes in Yiddish literature and lore. Program will be in English and Yiddish. More info: 310.745.1190 or miriam@yiddishinstitute.org. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
in Northern California:
Presented by KlezCalifornia and Congregation Etz Chayim.
Presidents' Day Weekend, 2010
in Palo Alto, California
The KlezCalifornia Yiddish Culture Festival is coming up on February 12-15, 2010 (Presidents' Day Weekend) in Palo Alto, at Congregation Etz Chayim. An entire weekend of Yiddish culture and Klezmer music. Singing, dancing, music, language, literature. For all ages, musicians and non-musicians, Yiddish speakers and non-speakers. Invite friends and family to join you for this fabulous, participatory community simkhe! More info: www.klezcalifornia.org, info@klezcalifornia.org, or 415.789.7679.
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A FAREWELL LETTER
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Dear Friends of Yiddishkayt,
I write you with news both exciting and bittersweet.
After working at Yiddishkayt for over four years in various capacities (including filling your inbox with Yidbits!) I have accepted a new job at the Progressive Jewish Alliance, where I will serve as PJA's first Communications Director. I am thrilled to begin a new challenge, but I am truly saddened to be leaving my role, and my many friends, at Yiddishkayt.
I owe a debt of gratitude to everyone at Yiddishkayt -- the staff, the board, and you, the community -- for the incredible opportunities I have enjoyed here. A hartsikn dank, a sincere and heartfelt thank you!
I am excited to begin a new relationship with Yiddishkayt as a member (and having my inbox fill up with Yidbits!) and I look forward to seeing you at future events.
mit frayndshaft,
Cory Fischer
Programming & Communications Director
Pictured at the 2009 LA Times Festival of Books.
Photo: Aaron Paley
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VORTSMAN - LOST IN TRANSLITERATION
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 The Vortsman, meaning "man of his word," brings you the story of a different Yiddish word or phrase each month.
Written by Hershl Hartman, long-time Yiddishkayt Board Member and Education Director at the Sholem Community
We frequently get complaints about our insistence on using the YIVO Standard for Yiddish transliteration. They're usually along the lines of "Why do we need it? Any way you spell it, the meaning is clear."
Well, dear complainers, t'ain't so.
A recent inquiry from a friend sought information about a Yiddish folk dance known as -- I kid you not -- "das tiegel...or das tigele...or die tigele." Letting my imagination run wild, and my fingers doing the same through various Yiddish dictionaries and Der oytser fun der yidisher shprakh -- Nokhem Stutshkof's 932-pp Thesaurus of the Yiddish Language and its 150,000 words -- I could find nothing.
Later, the friend informed me that there was an entry in no less a source than the oh-so erudite Encyclopedia Judaica that explained it all. As my bube would say: Gevald!
The EJ article refers to "Das Tighele" and goes on to give the pronunciation as "(Dahs TSIH-geh-leh)." Get it? You spell it with a "t" but you say it with a "ts."
Just to add confusion to obscurantism, the EJ article further refers to a song which it titles "Dus ladl funem tzigale." Now it's "tz!"
Wouldn't it be fun if English were to be transliterated in the same anything-goes way? Then, we could tell non-English speakers that "goat" refers to a heavy garment, and that "tong" is an organ in the mouths of animals.
Using the YIVO Standard, the dance in question would be known as dos tsigele (the little goat/kid) and the song would be dos lidl funem tsigele (the song of the little goat/kid).
Not only would all be clear, but the disrespect for Yiddish inherent in the quoted distortions wouldn't be getting the Vortsman's goat. I kid you not.
P.S. As a service to our readers, YidBits is reprinting below the Vortsman's easy guide to the YIVO Standard, updated to correct an earlier omission:
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Have a question for the Vortsman? Send him an email and ask the meaning of a favorite, or confusing, word or phrase. (For help with writing Yiddish in English letters, consult the Vortsman's Guide to YIVO Standard, above.) |
REMEMBERING PINIE PLOTKIN
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On Friday, November 27, 2009, Pinie (Pinhus) Plotkin passed away in his Santa Monica home at the age of 94. He was a Yiddish poet. Originally from Bobrusk, Belarus, Pinie and his family emigrated to America in 1992, having lived through two world wars, the communist revolution, and serving as a soldier in the red army. He lived with his wife, Ethul, for 70 years. Pinie is survived by three children and grandchildren who live in Los Angeles. Yiddishkayt sends our sympathy and condolences to Pinie's wife and family.  In 1998, Pinie was a featured during Yiddishkayt's citywide festival. Pinie shared his poetry at "An Enduring Art: Los Angeles Yiddish Writers" at the Central Library in Downtown -- the first time Yiddish was publicly presented at our city's main library branch. His works have been published around the world. Two collections of Pinie's poetry in Yiddish were published by the Yiddish Culture Club in West Hollywood and can be found online. Below is a poem by Pinie, translated into English. Sonnet
by Pinie Plotkin
To mark the frontier, drive a post in there--
Let there be many more brief years to come.
Play on your reed-pipe, free of woe and care,
As you set off into the great unknown.
While still the heart beats sensitively on
And mind is clear, although the hair is grey,
The slender reed, with thin and subtle tone,
Can let the hard-worked soul have its own say,
Echoing all eternity's pure sound,
And dealing with what's transient and vain.
But now the pipe falls from the weary hand
To turn into a green stem once again.
Born of the earth, the earth one more I'll be,
My life--a clear posthumous melody!
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