PURELY COMMENTARY
'Yiddish Folksongs': Treasures Are Being Preserved
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Editor Emeritus
R
espect for the publishing ini-
tiative and gratitude for the
the appearance of the four-
volume Anthology of Yiddish Folksongs.
The deep appreciation is for the Hebrew
University in Jerusalem for having
undertaken the sponsorship of this im-
mense work. We welcome it, with
gratitude to Emma Schaver for the
determination with which she pursued
the task of having the four volumes
Emma Schaver
published, and to Sinai Leachter who
is co-chairman of the committee that
made the preservation of the 380 Yid-
dish folksongs a reality.
Abba Kovner, who as leader of the
resistance in the Vilna Ghetto also
became its historian, adds impressive-
ly to these volumes with his perceptive
comments, his poetic enthusiasm em-
bodied in the introductory chapters, and
the guidance he gave to their
publication.
The songs that were heard in the
homes of the Yiddish-speaking com-
munities for perhaps two or more cen-
turies, especially the music of the
shtetl, now become the treasures of the
surviving generations. They are
presented in these large-format
volumes trilingually, in the Yiddish
original, in the Hebrew text and in the
English translations.
For a fuller appreciation of the great
values incorporated in the four volumes
of Anthology of Yiddish Folksongs,
perhaps "Die Shvue" ("The Oath") will
serve the desired purpose. In its tril-
ingual presentation, it is preserved in
the Hebrew University-published
works.
Several periods of musical dedica-
tion are represented in the collected
works. They are echoes of centuries of
devotion as well as suffering. They lead
up to the most recent responses to the
attempt to destroy and to terrify surviv-
ing Jews. The memories of the most re-
cent era of horrors are in the fourth
volume which contains the songs of the
Holocaust.
This is an especially moving portion
of the anthology because its chief spon-
sor, Detroiter Emma Schaver, sang
them in survivors' camps.
There are several subdivisions in
these anthological collections. They in-
clude songs of a vanished era — love
songs and cradle songs.
With the publication of the assembl-
ed folksongs and their preservation for
future generations and mankind, Em-
ma Schaver has added another land-
mark to her many achievements. As
opera and folksinger she enriched the
musical arts. She has to her credit the
publishing of important Jewish books
by Wayne State University Press with
the aid of the Morris and Emma
Schaver publishing Fund. Now she has
added to her publishing devotions the
issuance of the Yiddish folksongs by the
Hebrew University. It is one of
numerous accomplishments she has en-
couraged, aided by the Hebrew
University.
In the biographical sketch about
her in the Anthology of Yiddish
Continued on Page 40
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However distant love and peace may be, sooner or later they will surely come,
for it is no dream!
I hear the song of love and joy, the mighty sound of every note proclaims the
rising of the sun.
The night is long, but the world is full of hope and cheer and yearning. I
hear a voice calling in the air for a blissful, joyous dawning.
How Parents Learn When Sharing Children's Books
B
ooks for young readers attain
high merit when they are infor-
mative, and planned to provide
factual data. Responsibly prepared,
they gain value as texts to be shared
with parents who read and study with
children and enrich knowledgeability.
In that fashion a volume for young
readers about Israel and her people
earns a high rating. In one of the newest
works for young readers issued by the
Jewish Publication Society, A Kid's
Catalog of Israel, the author, Chaya M.
Burstein, illustrates the record of
achievements, life in the land, the dai-
ly activities and the related humor with
commendable skill.
Author Burstein is anthologist and
artist. Her new JPS volume is filled
with illustrations which add delight to
2
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1988
the historic facts and biographical sket-
bearded Jews in black coats
ches which dominate her historic collec-
and hats who study Bible and
tive sense.
pray all the time
A young tourist making his way
• Israel is a land of history,
through Israel will find A Kid's Catalog
filled with ruins, holy places,
of Israel is an indispensable guide. The
and archaeologists.
author's few lines of introduction are
All those strange ideas are
valuably descriptive. She points out:
true. Israel is all of those things
— and much more.
People have some strange
ideas about Israel, ideas like
Ibpography is treated illuminative-
these:
ly in this fact-filled volume. Here is how
• Israel is a land of deserts,
Burstein shares the assembled data
camel caravans, and Arab
with the reader:
sheiks riding white horses.
• Israel is 6,000 miles from
• Israel is settled by brave
New York City and 9,000 miles
pioneers who drain swamps all
from Los Angeles.
day and sing Hebrew songs and
• It sits in the middle of the
dance the hora (round dance) all
Middle East, in southwest Asia.
night.
• It has an area of about
• Israel is the home of pious,
8,000 square miles, as big as the
state of Massachusetts.
• It contains one big river —
Continued on Page 40
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Vol. XCIV No. 4
September 23, 1988