The Beauty, Shelter And Strength Of 'Dees
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 and a
vocabulary list with English
translations. 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.
The lessons were prepared by
Mary Koretz of Oak Park.
Following is this month's
lesson:
The first references I have
found pertinent to the usefulness of
trees is in Deuteronomy XXI, "thou
shalt not destroy the trees ... for
thou mayest eat of them" and
Leviticus XIX, "and when ye shall
come into the land and shall have
farflantst all manner of trees for
food." So we have one notsn of
trees.
There are asach others. Trees
are used for haytsvarg, for boyen
homes and other edifices. They are
used in the manufacture of papir,
mebl, shiflech, bleiers. One has but
to look about to appreciate the
almost endless use of baymer. As a
vald, they absorb carbon dioxide
and give off oxygen, thus
maintaining an essential tayl of life
itself. As forests they also provide
recreational fraydn.
But none of these vichtig
contributions to living, derklern my
personal love affair with trees. To
me, zay are a source of koyech,
shaynkeit and security. One can
lean against them, ven one needs
support and be zicher that they will
not einbaygn with the weight. You
can zitsn beneath a tree and be
sheltered fun the blazing hits and
light of the zun. In the zumer, their
beauty is lush with bleter. In the
vinter, leafless, they stand like
sculptures provided by natur. No
tsvay are alike and each is a
developed a desperately unhappy
association with trees. But zay
provided her with security,
nonetheless. While the soyne made
several forays in the forest, ven they
discovered vu the Jews and
partisans were bahaltn, they
retreated quickly. For the bullets
ricocheted off the trees and oft
made the attackers into victims. As
vaytikdik as the forest zikorn was to
my aunt, I was grateful for it. I
would kayn mol have known this
gallant woman and her lovely
tochter, my shvesterkind, who were
the only remainders of my mother's
European family.
Dreadful — how war has the
power to destroy everything — afile
the innocent beauty of nature.
I started with the Bible; I would
like to end with it. From the prophet
Isaiah, "and they shall beat their
swords into plowshares, and their
spears into pruning hooks; nation
shall not lift up sword against
nation, neither shall they learn war
anymore ... Like the days of a tree
shall the days of my people be."
Let it be. Bitte, zol es zein.
Vocabulary
farflanst
notsn
asach
haytsvarg
boyen
papir
mebl
shiflech
bleiers
baymer
vald
tayl
fraydn
vichtig
derklern
zay
koyech
shaynkeit
ven
zicher
einbaygn
zitsn
planted
use
many
fuel
building
paper
furniture
boats
pencils
trees
forest
part
joy
important
explain
they
strength
beauty
when
sure
bend
sit
fun
hits
zun
zumer
bleter
vinter
natur
tsvay
vunder
mume
libe
fir
tseit
plats
zay
soyne
ven
vu
bahaltn
oft
vaytikdik
zikorn
kayn mol
tochter
shvesterkind
afile
bitte
zol es zein
from
heat
sun
summer
leaves
winter
nature
two
wonder
aunt
love
four
time
place
they
enemy
when
where
hiding
frequently
painful
memory
never
daughter
cousin
even
please
let it be
New Editions
Such a noise! retold by Alina Brodmann. Kane/Miller Book Publishers, 1989. $11.95.
The retelling of a favorite Jewish folktale about a man who seeks the advice of his rabbi because his
house is too noisy. Ages 3-6.
One-Minute Jewish Stories adapted by Shari Lewis. Doubleday, 1989. $7.95.
A collection of very short stories based on biblical stories and Jewish folktales. A perfect book for
bedtime reading! Ages 3-8.
Justin's Hebrew Name by Ellie Gellman. Kar-Ben Copies, 1988. Paperback $4.95.
Justin's search for the perfect Hebrew name helps him learn more about himself and his friends. Ages
4-7.
The Boy From Over There by Tamar Bergman (translated from Hebrew). Houghton Mifflin, 1988. $12.95
A young Holocaust survivor must adjust to Kibbutz life in the days just prior to the war of Independence.
Ages 10-14.
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. Houghton Mifflin, 1989. $12.95. Ages 9-13. Lisa's War by Carol Matas.
Charles Scribner's Sons, 1989. $12.95. Ages 12 and up.
Both of these books are about the Jews of Denmark during the Nazi occupation and the heroic efforts of
non-Jews who helped save the lives of thousands of Jews. Number the Stars is told from a young Danish
girl's point of view as she helps save her best friend from the Nazis. This book would be particularly good for
a first-time reader about the Holocaust. Lisa's War, narrated by a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl, is a much
more vivid account of the Nazi brutalities. For the more mature young adult reader.
The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen. Viking/Kestrel, 1988. $11.95.
Winner of the National Jewish Book Award, 1989. A young girl, on the first night of Pesach, is
transported back in time to Poland just prior to the town's deportation to a concentration camp. Descriptive
scenes of the Holocaust are included. Ages 12 and up.
vunder.
So I have accounted for their
strength and beauty, now for the
security they offer. My mume,
Nachamke, did not share my jibe of
trees. She spent fir years in the
forests of Poland, during the Nazi
plague. At that tseit and plats, she
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THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
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