Vt,t, 41C1 o fio

Rosh Hashanah: New Year, New Hope

By MARY KORETZ

Each month in this space,
L'Chayim will present a Yiddish
lev8on 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.
Following is this month's
lesson:
I've never heard anyone zoyn
"happy nei year" without smiling.
There is something zis about the
prospect of a new yor, like the
apples we dip in honik on that
occasion.
I glayb that there is epes about
the word "new" that conjures up
images of hofenung. Hope strong
genug to compensate for the pain of
the velt and make life worth living.
At new year we cholemen of neie
satisfactions. As a Sunday school
teacher, I oft perceive the kinder as
new persons. The hope they
brengen with them is boundless.
Efsher one of them will be president
of the United States. No
consideration is given to the
mundane arbet of fund-raising,
buying tseitung of TV ads,
farmatishe trips and repititious
redes. But instead, there will be a
burst of heavenly licht and Moisele
or Sarah would be arumegetrogen
in that light to the presidency.
One of the shiler told me
confidently that she would be the
first Jewish woman richter on the
United State Supreme Court.
A mol the hope vert reality, in a
mentsh still young enough to be
considered new. One of my 10-year-
alt students went to Rusland to
engage in a gymnastic competition.
Another was the only child in a
Shakespearian shpil at the Hilberry
teater. Two children, a bruder and
shvester, won recognition as a
gifted cellist and violinist.
I hob gehat dem gedank when
my son was zayer young that he
would be a groys violinist. His music
teacher at school had geshikt a
note home. It said he had talent and
should be given private lektsies. My
fantazie immediately transported mir
to a box seat in Carnegie Hall.
Dortn I sat, veis-haired, slightly

wrinkled, while shtolts stiffened my
spine. A few trerm found their veg
down my bakn, as my genius
performed on the bine.
Consequently, I got a violin teacher
and a fidl from a friend, whose child
hot gefaln from musical grace. All I
oysgefelt was a player. I did get the
white hor and the wrinkles but the
ayntsiker tears shed were my son's.
"Richard," I pleaded, "we are only
redn about one halb hour. I will
farnemen you 15 minutes to take
out the violin, tune it, tighten the
horsehair on the smitshik. It will
also take you 10 minutes to put it
avek, so we are talking vegn five
minutes of practice." He said, "The
scraping sound tut vay my ears."
His tone was that of a political
prisoner undergoing physical,
peinikung.
Although I failed in my
objective, I look oyf the experience
as a positive one. Such frayd as I
knew, when I hob geklert I had
reason tsu hope. Did I learn
anything from it? No, hope springs
eternal. I look at my ayniklech and
think "maybe."

Vocabulary

say
zoyn
new
nei
zis
sweet
year
yor
honey
honik
believe
glayb
something
epes
hofenung
hope
genug
enough
world
velt
cholemen
dream
new
neie
often
oft
children
kinder
bring
brengen
perhaps
efsher
task, work
arbet
newspaper
tseitung
tiring
farmatishe
speeches
redes
light
licht
carried in/on
arumgetrogen
shiler
students
richter
judge
sometimes
a mol
vert
becomes
mentsh
person
old
alt
Russia
Rusland
play
shpil
theatre
teater
brother
bruder
sister
shvester
hob gehat dem gedank
had the thought
very
zayer

groys
geshikt
lektsies
fantazie
mir
dortn
veis
shtolts
trerm
veg
bakn
bine
fidl
hot gefaln
oysgefelt

great
sent
lessons
imagination
me
there
white
pride
tears
way
cheeks
stage
violin
had fallen
needed

hor
ayntsiker
redn
halb
farnemen
smitshik
avek
vegn
tut vay
peinikung
oyf
frayd
hob geklert
tsu
ayniklech

hair
only
talking
half
take
bow
away
about
hurts
torture
upon
joy
thought
to
grandchildren

Famous Facts

Q. Were any Jews with
Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie
at the Alamo?

A. A number of Jews were
among the Texan settlers that
rose against the repressive rule
of Mexican President Antonio
Lopez de Santa Anna in 1835. At
least one, English born Antony
Wolfe of Nagadoches, was with
the illustrious company of about
183 frontiersmen that died
fighting to the last man at the
Alamo in March, 1836. Another
Edward Isaac Johnson, was killed
when Santa Anna massacred 300
Texans of Colonel James Fannin's
command at Goliad, three weeks
later. Three other Jews in Fannin's
company escaped the slaughter.
Surgeon Moses Levy of
Richmond, Virginia, had led a

company of 66 Americans to
Texas. In a letter home, Levy
credits himself along with Colonel
Ben Milam of Kentucky, with
organizing the assault which first
captured the Alamo in December,
1835, after it seemed that the
Texan force must disband for
want of both equipment and
spirit. Fewer than 300 Texans
took San Antonio and the Alamo
from 1,400 Mexicans under
General Cos in five days of
house to house fighting. Levy
tended the wounded and fought
too. He was later captured and
escaped after several months in
Mexican prisons.

Compiled by Dr. Matthew Schwartz

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

L-5

