As ti V`'`' Do. 6isW‘ Celebrating Chanukah In Christmas' Shadow s4 By MARY KORETZ Each month in this space, L'Chayim will present a Yiddish lesson entitled, "Du Redst Yiddish? (Do You Speak Yiddish?)," whose aim is to encourage further study of Yiddish. The lesson will include a brief story utilizing the Yiddish words to be studied, a vocabulary list with English translations and a family activity which involves using the new words. Two books which may be helpful for beginning Yiddish students are Yiddish for Beginners by Dr. Joffen and Der Yiddisher Lerer by Goldin. Weinreich's English-Yiddish Dictionary also may be useful. At the conclusion of each lesson will be a suggested list of books for persons who wish to further their knowledge. • The lessons were prepared by Mary Koretz of Oak Park. She has taught both children's and adult classes in Yiddish at the Workmen's Circle. Following is this month's lesson: Warm — that's the word that comes to zinen, whenever I think of Chanukah. It was not bloyz the comforting warmth of the house in spite of the winter kalt in droysn. Or even the heat thrown off by the hot boyml, in which the golden latkes were fried. The cold smetene, lent by contrast, a special appreciation of the hayse latkes. Even the Chanukah licht contributed to their delicate warmth. The special holiday glow of family and friends, expressed in good will and gelechter brought a varemkeit of its own. One thing diminshed the holiday. It was the event of Christmas at the zelbiker time. That was a period when the whole outside velt turned into a glamorous karnival, from which I was oysgeshlosn. Many of the shop windows displayed frayleche, ho-ho-ho Santas. They also showed matones made more desirable by shayn wrappings. The nodlbaymer, which presented themselves from the fensters of our gentile neighbors were tinselled and baputst. In the streets masn moved, happily burdened, with glantsik packages. In school, we sang Christmas songs not so happily. Despite the fact that, with getsaylte exceptions, all the students were Jewish, there were no Chanukah lider, only Christmas songs. Some were acceptable. I had no problems with "Jingle Bells," but when we were asked to sing religiez ones such as "Oh Come Let Us Adore Him," it was shyer. I thought oyb I sang them, God would strike me toyt and if I didn't the lerer would. I pretended to sing zay, by mouthing the verter. But, on the whole, I wished that I could be a tayl of the national yom-tov. To be an outsider felt like a hungerik child, pressing her face against a bakery fenster, where beautiful cookies and cakes were oysgeshtelt. I remembered this feeling, when I was parenting my yungvarg. Determined that they would not feel left out, an all-out effort was gemacht to hype Chanukah. The hoyz was decorated; Chanukah gelt came in the form of shokolad. Parties were arranged. Gifts were given each of the acht days, wrapped in special Chaunkah paper. Obviously, other eltern had felt the zelbiker way because this practice became kimat universal tsvishn my Jewish contemporaries. The competition with Christmas finally dergraycht to a point where some Gentile children envied Jewish ones their eight teg of presents. Still, when I think back on Chanukah, I recall a memory of the holiday in simpler times. I cradle this memory in my hent like a precious jewel. It warms my heart. Vocabulary zinen bloyz kalt droysn boyml latkes smetene hayse licht gelechter verem keit zelbiker velt karnival oysgeshlosn frayleche matones shayn nodlbaymer mind just, only cold outside oil pancakes sour cream hot candles laughter warmth same world carnival excluded jolly gifts beautiful evergreen trees fensters baputst masn glantsik getsaylte lider religiez shyer oyb toyt lerer zay verter tayl yom toy hungerik fenster oysgeshtelt yungvarg gemacht hoyz gelt shokolad acht eltern zelbiker kimat tsvishn dergraycht teg hent windows decorated crowds shiny few songs religious difficult if dead teacher them words part holiday hungry window displayed youngsters made house money chocolate eight parents same almost among reached days hands Artwork by Jaime Seal, age 10, of Southfield. Parents are Wendy and Abe Seal. THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS L-3