Friday, Ja nuary 17, 1964—THE DETR OIT JEWIS H NEWS-40

Prof. Liptzin's Study of Development
of Yiddish Literature Traces Birth of
Language, Its Press, Theater, Literature

History of Harper Hospital Shows
Prominent Physicians' Pioneering

Not only members of the
medical profession but laymen
from all spheres of activity in
Detroit will find material of
immense historical interest in
"Harper of Detroit—Origin and
Growth of a Great Metropoli-
tan Hospital," by Frank B.
Woodford and Philip P. Mason,
published by Wayne State
University Press.
The two authors are eminent-
ly qualified. to
review this
history on the
occasion of
the Harper
Centen-
nial. Dr. Ma-
son presently
is the Wayne
State Univer-
sity Archivist.
Woodford, a
former Detroit
newspa-
perman, is the
Dr. Freund
author of sev-
eral volumes relating to De-
troit's history.
"Harper of Detroit" traces
the hospital's beginnings, tells
of the activities in the move-
ment to establish the hospital
by the Rev. Dr. George Duf-
field, and gives an interest-
ing account of the gifts by
Walter Harper and Nancy
Martin that made possible
the establishment of the hos-
pital.

The stories compiled about
the two donors read like novels.
The two authors leaned a great
deal upon important Detroit
historical records, many of them
by the late George B. Catlin.
"The Obscure Man" and "The
Market Woman" reveal the
backgrounds and excentricities
of Harper, in whose name the
hospital was established, and
Mrs. Martin.

Dr. Sol Liptzin, who for 40 Maase," the "Tkhines," the Yid- his review of the activities and
years was a member of the dish prayers composed for wom- achievements of Abraham Gold-
faculty of the College of the en, and its counterpart, the f aden is most impressive. He
City of New York and headed "Tseno-Ureno," f o r in interest- evaluates also the contributions
its department of Germanic and ing backgrounds to the develop- to Yiddish literature via the
theater by David Pinski, Jacob
Slavic languages from 1943 to ment of Yiddish literature.
Lovers of Yiddish will be Gordin, Peretz Hirshbein, Sho-
1953, now
.especially enchanted by Prof. lem Asch and others.
in Israel and i
Among his most effective
Liptzin's work b e cause it
The names of some of De-
Fulbright Lec-
evaluations is the chapter de-
gives
a
fairly
detailed
account
troit's most prominent medical
turer in World
voted to the Yiddish press.
of the earliest Yiddish writers
pioneers pass in review in this
Literature a t
It is a specific contribution to
and their creations, including
book.
the Haifa
the history of Jewish journal-
the works of the Hassidic rab-
Technion and
There are those of Drs. Louis
ism. It traces the earliest
bis, of Eliakum Zunser, the
the Tel Aviv
Hirschman,
Hugo Freund, Max
newspapers in several coun-
bard of Vilna, and the others
University. He
Bailin, William S. Reveno, and
tries, gives an account of the
who
pioneered
in
Yiddish
is author of a
many, many others. A large
rise of the American Yiddish
creative writing.
number of
number of the younger men is
press,
its
high
point
in
circu-
Thus, the chapter on Men-
books about
listed in the appended record
lation
and
readership
in
1916
dele Mojher Sforim (Sholem
Jewish per-
of the Harper Hospital Centen-
Yakob Abramovitch, 1836-1917), and its most recent decline,
sonalities, and
nial Staff.
and tells how, in its heydey,
"the
grandfather
of
Yiddish
his latest
it "b e c a m e the medium
The names of many promi-
literature,"
is
significant
both
_w o r k , "The
nent leaders in the Detroit Jew-
as part of Yiddish literary his- through which literary men
Flowering o f
ish community—the Butzels, the
tory as well as in relation to most easily reached their pub-
Yiddish L i t -
Winemans, Ossip Gabrilowitsch,
the history of Eastern Euro- lic."
erature," just
Dr. Liptzin deals in his book
the Benjamin Siegels—are in
pean Jewry.
published by Prof. Liptzin.
the list of contributors towards
It stands to reason that Dr. with the Yiddish lyricists, with
Thomas Yoseloff (11 E. 36th,
the hospital's expansion in 1927.
NY 16), enhances his status as Liptzin devotes his study to authors of sentimental novels
Many references are made to
a student of language develop- such. eminent Yiddish authors that became very popular, with
Dr. Hirschman, and there are
ments and of Yiddish 'authors. as Sholom Aleichem, Yitzkhok numerous other aspects which
most interesting sketches of
As an introduction to his very Leibush Peretx, Sholem Asch, elevated Yiddish to a position
Drs. Bailin and Freund in the
informative work, Dr. Liptzin H. Leivick and a score of other of unquestioned leadership in
appended section "Biographies
traces the history of the Yid- literary giants who wrote in literature. The eminent author,
a
linguist
of
note,
has
truly
and Profiles."
dish dialect and points out that Yiddish.
Because he covers the entire enriched our literature with his
the Yiddish language came into
"Harper of Detroit" is a valu-
being nearly a thousand years Yiddish -literary field, there is exceptionally evaluative book,
able addition to Detroit's his- -
"The
Flowering
of
Yiddish
great
significance
in
his
evalua-
ago and the history of the
torical records.
literature of the language dates tion of the Yiddish theater, and Literature."
back to the very birth of Yid-
dish.
Yiddish has had "the widest
vogue in space and time"
among the dialects that were
in the chapter "To Zion." The
spoken by Jews during 2,000
Ruth Rubin, who for two de- his t or y, Hassidic melodies,
most popular of Zionist tunes
years of dispersion, Prof. cades has done research in the poverty and toil, Haskalah and
in Yiddish will be found here.
Liptzin states. Other lan- field of Yiddish folk songs and other literary elements, Am-
The Jewish News Commenta-
Because, as Mrs. Rubin ex- tor's column on "The Fine Life
guages spoken by Jews in- has compiled hundreds of texts erican, Zionist and Soviet-
plains, the Yiddish songs did of Herbert H. Lehman" was in-
cluded, during the dispersion of such songs, has made a valu- originated ditties.
millenia, Ladino, Judeo-Per- able contribution to Jewish
The completeness of her work not survive and were absorbed serted in the Congressional Rec-
sian, Greek, Aramaic and historical data by offering the is indicated by the fact that the in Eretz Israel into Hebrew ord by Congressman John D.
Arabic. results _of her efforts in her concluding section is devoted to translations—many others be- Dingell.
This may well be considered book "Voices
' oices of a People," just "The Struggle to Survive" and ing forgotten—the songs of
Commending the article in an
a centennial of the period of published by Thcmas Yoseloff contains the ghetto, concentra- Zion find their perpetuation introductory statement, Rep. Din-
the emergence of Yiddish into (11 E. 36th, N.Y. 16).
tion camp and paryisans' songs in this volumnious work.
its era of highest achievements.
The Soviet Yiddish folk song Bell stated:
Jewish archives are enriched and those of the Warsaw Ghet-
"The excellent article sets
As Dr. Liptzin indicated: "Since by this- collection, and even the to Uprising.
also will be found of extreme
The guide to transliterated historical importance as an in- forth very well the reasons why
the founding of the first in best informed historians and
fluential Yiddish periodical Kol folklorists will be amazed by texts will be found.very helpful, dication of a creative Jewish this distinguished public servant,
Mevasser in 1862 and since the the amount of material she has and the general and song in- spirit that continues to function former Governor of New York,
long term U. S. Senator, and be-
decision of the highly gifted acquired to indicate the wealth dices are equally important for behind the Iron Curtain.
loved fighter for deserving and
Hebrew writer Mendele Wokher of the Yiddish folk songs' field. those who will wish to trace
Similarly, the songs that de- humanitarian causes, was so
Sforim in 1863 to turn from the In her preface, Mrs. Rubin as- songs and authors.
pict the struggle for survival, much held in the affection of all
revered sacred tongue to the sects that the Jewish folksong
The prologue, an effective the defiant tunes that were sung
vernacular in order to reach treasure is "richer and more explanation of "Ancestors of in the concentration camps, are Americans everywhere. His great
humanity, rich contribution to
a wider audience Yiddish has
varied that is generally sup- the Yiddish Folk Song," is part offered here as part of a vast the welfare of the American
experienced a century of liter-
posed, and she makes this ob- of the over-all scholarly effort developing history of the folk people, and dedication to the
ary growth, efflorescence and
which elevates Mrs. Rubin's song.
servation: -
public welfare will long be re-
decline."
Included are the folk songs work to the status of a classic
Mrs. Rubin makes this in- membered."
The constant growth of Yid-
of the Oriental Jews (Yemen- in its field.
teresting concluding observation
dish since its initial formation,
Congressman Dingell also in-
In her prologue, Mrs. Rubin at the end of her "Struggle to
ite, Sephardic, Persian, Dagh-
from the years 1000 to 1250,
serted in the Record The Jewish
reviews the development of Survive" section:
estanian, Babylonian, Moroc-
is explained as having had
the Jewish musical art, trac-
"Taken as a whole, Yiddish News story relating to the ad-
can), the Ladino songs of the
a chronological distinction be-
memory
ing the status after the des-
folk song of World War H and dress in tribute to the
Spaniolic
Jews
with
their
tween Old Yiddish, from 1250
of President Kennedy delivered
truction of the Second Tem-
large
collection
of
liturgical
the
German
occupation
com-
to 1500: Middle Yiddish, from
by Rabbi Moses Lehrman and
ple, when everything of a
prised a remarkable documen-
1500 to 1750, and Modern Yid- melodies (piyutim), the Yid-
the fact that it was inserted by
secular
nature
—
including
tary
chronicle
and
testament
dish folk songs and Hassidic
him in the Record.
dish from then on.
instrumental music for re-
of the creative ability of a
tunes, with and without
There has been no uniform
ligious purposes — was sup-
people
who
demonstrated
their
words,
of
the
Eastern
Euro-
spelling for Yiddish, although
pressed; the status of the bard
capacity for suffering, their Jewish Leader Gets Post
pean Jews."
the YIVO Institute for Jewish
endurance, their ingenuity and
Her book deals entirely with —the paytan—in the eighth
in Morocco Parliament
Research had a profound im-
and ninth centuries in North
resourcefulness under the most
(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
pact on such efforts with rec- the Yiddish folk songs, and she Africa and in Spain; the prom-
inhuman conditions. The songs
to The Jewish News)
ommendations it made at a points out that the East Euro- inence of the zemiroth and
CASABLANCA—Meyer Obad-
reveal the burning will to live
conference of linguists in pean Yiddish song "is the
Sabbath hymns; the nigunim
as human beings in dignity ia, president of the Casablanca
1936. Dr. Liptzin states that youngest offspring of Jewish
that developed in more recent
and self-respect and the de- Jewish Community and member
some newspapers adhere to folk music and one of the rich-
times.
termination and ability to or- of the chamber of represena-
est
stores
of
popular
music
in
the older spelling, that Soviet
She describes the secular folk ganize and fight unto death tives, was nominated Tuesday
modern
times."
publications "abandoned the
to serve -as rapporteur of the
Richly annotated, Mrs. Rubin's songs in their modern Yiddish for that life—in freedom."
traditional spelling of Hebrew
vernacular and states:
The selection of illustrations, Moroccan parliaments finance
words in Yiddish," and he ex- work is a veritable history of
commission.
"Contrary to the type of Yid-
presses the view that the ap- Jewish music. In order to ex- dish songs of the earlier ar- some from classic sources, was
There are three Jews in parlia-
also
done
most
wisely,
adding
to
plain
fully
the
emergence
and
pearance of the "Great Yid-
chaic period, these folk songs the • great significance of this ment, Obadia, a Deputy, and
dish Dictionary" in 1961 and evolution of the Yiddish folk
were almost completely anony- very valuable story of the Jew- David Amar and M. Sedbag, who
as a result of YIVO efforts song, she has traced the story
mous. They reflected the light ish folk song.
are Senators. -
"will before long result in a of the Jewish song through the
and shadow of many generations
ages.
universally accepted spelling
The contents of her book indi- of Jewish life in the Eastern
standard."
European communities, a life Border Fire Exchanged by Syrians, Israelis
Dr. Liptzin states: "The oldest cate the many avenues through
TEL AVIV (JTA) — Syrian tractor team returned to its
which included both the old
dated work in Yiddish goes which she has traveled and the
work. There were no casual-
and the new—the old patterns
back to 1382, a manuscript thoroughness with which she to which the people had clung gun posts located across Israel's
ties on the Israeli side.
has
gone
into
her
subject.
fire
border
Monday
opened
found in Egypt and containing
The exchange was the first on
for generations and even cen-
There
are
the
lullabies
in
four epic poems based on Bibli-
against an Israeli tractor team the Syrian border after several
turies
and
the
new
forms
emerg-
the
first
chapter
devoted
to
at work near the settlement of weeks of relative calm. The
cal and post - Biblican Aggadic
themes. However, Yiddish Bibli- children's songs, and she pro- ing under the influences and Notera, on the northern section Syrian attack took place at the
pressures
of
the
surrounding
cal glosses and glossaries can ceeds to give the texts — in
of the Israeli-Syrian frontier.
very time the 13-nation Arab
transliterated Yiddish accom- Slavic culture and history."
be traced back still further.
The fire came from Syrian summit meeting was being held
Students
of
the
Zionist
ideal
panied
in
parallel
columns
The works of early Yiddish
in Cairo, with Syria's president
will be compensated for their positions at Darbashiyh.
writers, the "Yiddish heroic with their English translations
of the National Revolutionary
border
patrol
re-
An
Israeli
studies
and
research
in
their
epic "Bovo-Bukh" by Eli Levita —of love and courtship songs,
turned the fire. After an ex- Council, Maj. Gen. Amin El-
use of this volume as a text
(Eliyahu Bakhur, 1469-1549), the tunes dealing with marriage,
change of shots, the Israeli Hafez, among the participants.
by the revealing texts offered
"B o v o -M a a s e" and "Bobo- customs, humor, dancing,

Mrs. Ruth Rubin's 'Voices of a People'
Reveals Wealth of Yiddish Folk Songs

Dingell Inserts
J. N. Lehman
Tribute in Record

