THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Friday, March 21, 1980 11 Peretz's View of Shtetl Women Examined in Volume By ALLEN WARSEN The photograph of Ciechanow, a shtetl once famous for its piety and Hasidic rebbes, commences Ruth Adler's study "Women of the Shtetl Through the Eyes of I.L. Peretz" (Far- leigh Dickinson University Press). Dr. Adler, a humanistic scholar, bases her study, as its title indicates, on the works of Isaac Loeb Peretz. Born in Zamoshch (Zamosc) in 1852, Peretz, the father of modern Yid- dish literature, was influ- enced by the spiritual and intellectual milieu of his native town and Warsaw, his residence for over a quarter of a century. Peretz began his liter- ary career in Hebrew, but switched to Yiddish. His first Yiddish work, "Monish," a long narra- tive poem, originally pub- lished in Sholem Aleichem's The Yid- dishe Folksbibliotek," in 1887, was soon followed by more poems and stories, some of which described the shtetl's in- stitutions, people, includ- ing the women. Peretz's interest in the Jewish woman is mirrored in the stories "A Woman's Wrath," "The Mate," "A Disturbed Sabbath," "In Basement," and others. In the story "An Idyllic Home," Hayim the porter becomes perturbed on learning that "the world-to-come" (oylem habe) is reserved for "the scholars, the just and those who serve the learned." Angry that women too are unjustly treated in heaven Carter, Bush Favorites of Jewish Voters • NEW YORK — President Carter and George Bush are the favorite candidates among Jewish voters ac- cording to a poll conducted by "Jewish Living maga- zine. The poll will be pub- lished in the magazine's April issue. According to the poll, the showing of the six major candidates still in the race is as follows: Carter (D) 26.1 percent, Bush (R) 25.2 per- cent, John Anderson (R) 16.1 percent, Edward Ken- nedy (D) 14.6 percent, Ronald Reagan (R) 6.2 per- cent, Jerry Brown (D) 4.9 percent. Housing Shortage JERUSALEM (ZINS) — Israel's housing shortage is growing. During the past eight years, Israel com- pleted an average 47,000 units each year. In 1979, only 29,000 units were com- pleted. There are now only 17,800 units presently under construction. Israel needs approx- imately 26,000-28,000 new units each year to house young couples, and an addi- tional 26,000-28,000 for new immigrants. I.L. PE RETZ and forced to serve as their husbands' footstools, he de- fiantly promises his wife to share in the paradise his seat with her, and assures her that "The Holy One Blessed Be He will agree with this." Peretz's liberalizing atti- tude toward the aggrieved, including the women, un- doubtedly reflected the then social and cultural philosophies of the Haskala (the Jewish cultural move- ment of the 19th Century) and Jewish socialism. To fully understand Peretz's treatment of the Jewish woman, the author devoted separate chapters to an examina- tion of the shtetl wife, mother and daughter. In Peretz's descriptions of the wife, three types emerge: the passive wife, the shrew and the ideal mate. The passive wife is sub- jected to innumerable injus- tices, including humilia- tion, neglect and exploita- tion. The shrew is a loud, ill- tempered and tyrannical woman. Yet, in the story "The Messenger," she is portrayed as a woman with "a golden heart . . . who is seemingly hell to her hus- band." The idyllic home is blessed with a kind, thoughtful wife and a re- sponsible husband. Both have mutual regard and affection for each other, and both "retain their in- dividual uniqueness and separate identities." Peretz perceives the mother as a complex and multifaceted individual, and his stories about her portray these types: the nurturing mother, the over- solicitous mother, the per- missive mother, and the non-nurturing mother. The nurturing mother is the child's ally, protector, advocate and confidant. She is righteous, tender and compassionate. The oversolicitous mother reflects the shtetl's social, religious and ethical mores. Unlike Philip Roth's caricatured mother, who is concerned about her son's physical well-being, Peretz's mother worries about her daughter's joie de vivre and purity. The permissive mother is inept, ineffectual and is not able "to bring material or emotional satisfaction to her chil- dren." The non-nurturing mother, often the bread- winner and overburdened with a multiplicity of tasks, Peretz viewed with under- standing and sympathy, and regarded as a victim of circumstances. Peretz's portrayal of the shtetl daughter reveals an attitude of ambivalence: either she is portrayed as a heroine "treasured for re- soluteness and resilience," or she is "disdained for fick- leness." The author concludes as follows: "Peretz's treatment of women is in the main a positive one — compassion- ate and empathic — but not without an element of con- trasting detraction." "Women of the Shtetl Through the Eyes of I.L. Peretz" is a valuable con- tribution to a better corn- prehension of Peretz's shtetl women and their milieu. The author, Dr. Adler, is an assistant professor of Color PASSPORT PHOTOS Hebrew and Yiddish lan- guage and literature at Baruch College of CUNY. She received her PhD de- gree in Jewish studies from New York University in 1974, where she was the re- cipient of various fellow- ships, including one from the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture. 2 for $ 6 Ready while you wait bet-crest photo STUDIO AND CAMERA SHOP 6698 Orchard Lake Rd. West Bloomfield Plaza 851-5840 INSTANT PASSPORT & I.D. PHOTOS 1W) t.)Pel) EGYPT KOSHER TOURS ISRAEL Extensions • In Living Color • 10 Min. Del. • Professional Quality • Call Today For Info • Another Leo Knight FIRST Available Plus Low Low "2 Countries for the Price of 1" AIRFARE LEO KNIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY 26571 W. 12 Mile Rd. 352-7030 TRIP2MASTERS 1140 Broadway, N.Y. (212) 689-7600 Toll Free 800-223-7676 EL AL is ISRAEL on wings. 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