Rosh Hashanah: New Year, New Hope
v
Nit
wrinkled, while shtolts stiffened my
spine. A few trerm found their veg
Each month in this space,
down my bakn, as my genius
L'Chayim will present a Yiddish
performed on the bine.
lesson entitled, "Du Redst Yiddish?
Consequently, I got a violin teacher
(Do You Speak Yiddish?)," whose
and a fidl from a friend, whose child
aim is to encourage further study of
hot gefaln from musical grace. All I
Yiddish. The lesson will include a
oysgefelt was a player. I did get the
brief story utilizing the Yiddish
white hor and the wrinkles but the
words to be studied and a
ayntsiker tears shed were my son's.
vocabulary list with English
"Richard," I pleaded, "we are only
translations. Two books which may
redn about one halb hour. I will
be helpful for beginning Yiddish
farnemen you 15 minutes to take
students are Yiddish for Beginners
out the violin, tune it, tighten the
by Dr. Joffen and Der Yiddisher
horsehair on the smitshik. It will
Lerer by Goldin. Weinreich's
also take you 10 minutes to put it
English-Yiddish Dictionary also may
avek, so we are talking vegn five
be useful.
minutes of practice." He said, "The
Following is this month's
scraping sound tut vay my ears."
lesson:
His tone was that of a political
I've never heard anyone zoyn
prisoner undergoing physical,
"happy nei year" without smiling.
peiriikung.
There is something zis about the
Although I failed in my
prospect of a new yor, like the
objective, I look oyf the experience
apples we dip in honik on that
as a positive one. Such frayd as I
occasion.
knew, when I hob geklert I had
I glayb that there is epes about
reason tsu hope. Did I learn
the word "new" that conjures up
anything from it? No, hope springs
images of hofenung. Hope strong
eternal. I look at my ayniklech and
genug to compensate for the pain of think "maybe."
the velt and make life worth living.
At new year we cholemen of neie
satisfactions. As a Sunday school
say
zoyn
teacher, I oft perceive the kinder as
new
nei
new persons. The hope they
sweet
zis
* brengen with them is boundless.
year
yor
Efsher one of them will be president
honey
honik
of the United States. No
believe
glayb
consideration is given to the
something
epes
mundane arbet of fund-raising,
hope
hofenung
buying tseitung of TV ads,
enough
genug
farmatishe trips and repititious
world
velt
redes. But instead, there will be a
dream
cholemen
burst of heavenly licht and Moisele
new
neie
or Sarah would be arumegetrogen
often
oft
in that light to the presidency.
children
kinder
One of the shiler told me
bring
brengen
confidently that she would be the
perhaps
efsher
first Jewish woman richter on the
task, work
arbet
United State Supreme Court.
newspaper
tseitung
reality,
in
a
vert
the
hope
mol
A
tiring
farmatishe
mentsh still young enough to be
speeches
redes
considered new. One of my ,10-year-
light
Iicht
alt students went to Rusland to
carried in/on
arumgetrogen
engage in a gymnastic competition.
students
shiler
Another was the only child in a
judge
richter
at
the
Hilberry
shpil
Shakespearian
sometimes
a
mol
and
bruder
teater. Two children, a
becomes
vert
shvester, won recognition as a
person
mentsh
gifted cellist and violinist.
old
alt
when
I hob gehat dem gedank
Russia
Rusland
my son was zayer young that he
play
would be a groys violinist. His music shpil
theatre
teater
teacher at school had geshikt a
brother
bruder
note home. It said he had talent and
sister
shvester
should be given private lektsies. My
hob
gehat
dem
gedank
fantazie immediately transported mir
had the thought
to a box seat in Carnegie Hall.
very
zayer
I
sat,
veis-haired,
slightly
Dortn
By MARY KORETZ
Vocabulary
great
sent
lessons
imagination
me
there
white
pride
tears
way
cheeks
stage
violin
had fallen
needed
groys
geshikt
lektsies
fantazie
mir
dortn
veis
shtolts
trerm
veg
bakn
bine
fidl
hot gefaln
oysgefelt
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
0
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
L-5