THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Friday, November 4, 1977 27
Boris Smolar's
'Between You
. .. and Me'
Editor-in-Chief
Emeritus, JTA
.
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(Copyright 1977, JTA, Inc.)
JERISH ROOTS; A young man. an officer in one of the
largest American banks in New York, asks me :
"Did you see the Yiddish film 'A Brivele Der Mamen'
now being shown as the first of a series of pre-war Yiddish
moving pictures at the Yiddish Filni Festival? I saw it and
was greatly impressed. I intend to see the entire series."
I look at him in surprise.
He sees my puzzlement and explains smilingly: ."I took a
course in Yiddish at Columbia in a program sponsored
jointly by the university and the Max Weinreich Center of
the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. My Yiddish may
not be fluent, but I work to improve it. I find my Jewish
roots in it. My parents do not speak Yiddish, but my grand-
parents did, and I discovered that a rich literature was cre-
ated in Yiddish during the current century. I want to know
more about it; I want to be able to read it in the original."
PROGRESS OF YIDDISH; The sentiments of my young
intellecutal friend reflect the sentiments of many young
Jewish men and women who have been ignorant of Yiddish
culture. I know some who are deeply involved in American
intellectual life and who suddenly became active students
of Yiddish language and literature.
Minorities in this country are now seeking to find their
national roots, and this phenomenon is also noticeable more
and more in Jewish life; especially among the academic
youth. The number of American colleges and universities
introducing Yiddish courses is growing and so is the num-
ber of students.
Altogether, there are today about 40 American schools of
higher learning where Yiddish can be studied. The most
popular textbook in the study of Yiddish is Dr. Uriel
Weinreich's "College Yiddish," published by YIVO. Used
on the campus with good results is also Dr. Jean Jofen's
"Yiddish Beginners." There is also Dr. Weinreich's "Mod-
em Yiddish-English and English-Yiddish Dictionary," and
record-albums and cassettes with lessons in Yiddish.
But the center of Yiddish knowledge is the YIVO. It main-
tains courses in Yiddish, provides material to instructors of
Yiddish in various universities throughout the country, has
the largest Yiddish library in the world, maintains valuable
archives open to students of Yiddish and of history of East
European Jewish communities, and issues special pub-
lications devoted to the problems of standard Yiddish.
The YIVO gets grants from the U.S. government for vari-
ous projects through the Natiopal Endowment for the
Humanities and from Jewish federations through the Joint
Cultural Appeal. However, it depends to a very great extent
on private contributions and membership dues.
YIDDISH IN MUSIC: A great stimulant for Yiddish in
Jewish homes in this country—provoking nostalgia among
elderly Jews and evoking interest to Yiddish among
younger, American-born members of the family—is now
being given by a book of Yiddish songs entitled "Mir Trogn
A Gesang," published by the Workmen's Circle. The book,
a comprehensive anthology of Yiddish folk songs and other
popular Yiddish songs, is the work of competent com-
pilation by Eleanor Gordon Mlotek. In addition to the music
and Yiddish text, it carries transliteration in Latin charac-
ters, a synopsis in English, and background notes to the
more than 100 selections.
Israelis Occupy New Settlements
1 ✓L AVIV (JTA)—Three
groups of settlers corn-
prising 65 families moved
) into the Beth El army camp
north of Ramallah and into
the abandoned Nabi-Saleh
police compound northwest
of Ramallah on the West
Bank Tuesday. It was
indicated that these will be
the last settlements for the
time being in the Judaea
and Samaria regions
because the government
wants to avoid further fric-
tion with the U.S.
Meanwhile, the Israeli
newspaper Maariv, pre-
viously a strong supporter
of the Gush Emunim move-
ment. took the organization
to task in a recent editorial.
The paper claimed that
Gush Emunim had lost its
popular support because it
has not established new set-
tlements in proper coordina-
tion with the Begin adminis-
tration, which generally has
favored settlements in the
administered territories.
Pro-Israel Rally.
Held in Paris
PARIS - (JTA )—Over
50,000 people -assembled
'here Monday for a 12-hour
mass demonstration of sol-
idarity with Israel. Tens of
thousands listened to public
debates, ate Israeli and
Jewish food, subscribed to
Jewish publications and just
stood and sang Israeli songs
in a sign of solidarity and
support for the Jewish state.
Storms pass, but their
driftwood remains.
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Golda, Vance, Dinitz Speak
at CJF General Assembly
NEW YORK—Former
Israeli Prime Minister
Golda Meir, U.S. Secretary
of State Cyrus R. Vance and
Israel's 'Ambassador to the
United States Simha Dinitz
will be among the featured
speakers at the 46th general
assembly of the Council of
Jewish Federations (CJF)
Wednesday—Nov. 13, in
leS
&Ss,
Dallas.
They will join CJF Presi-
dent, Jerold C. Hoffberger,
UFA's General Chairman
Leonard R. Strelitz and
David de Rothschild of
France in addressing an
audience of over 2,000 lead-
ers representing 215 Jewish
Federations in the United
States and Canada.
ADL Hits Teather Placement Plan
NEW YORK—The Anti-
Defamation League of Bnai
Brith called upon the U.S.
Department of Health, Edu-
cation and Welfare to can-
cel the new plan for teacher
placement by race and eth-
nic background in New
York City schools on the
grounds that it is "a clear
misrepresentation of federal
requirements" and is
unconstitutional and
undemocratic."
In a letter to HEW Secre-
tary Joseph Califano, Jr.,
the ADL said that the Sept.
7 agreement between
-
Philly Jewish Unit
Gets Jobs Grant
PHILADELPHIA (JTA)-
Federal grants totalling
more than $350,000 have
been received by Jewish
Employment and Voca-
tional Service for job.assist-
ante programs.
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541-2505
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HEW's Office for Civil
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NEW YORK—"The
Thought of Martin Buber''—
a centenary conference, will
be held Jan. 3-6- in Beer-
sheba to honor the 100th
anniversary of the birth of
the philosopher.
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General Directors
Jean Nash
Jack Beardsley
A.S.1.D
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the garden concourse level
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phone 644-5880