eO c t r Growing Up Jewish In Chelsa, Massachusetts By MARY KORETZ Mary Koretz of Oak Park has taught both children's and adult classes in Yiddish at the Workmen's Circle. Etleche years ago, I hob gezen a motion picture entitled Gentlemen's Agreement. In es, a character, a Jewish scientist, zogt that he doesn't know farvos he identifies zich as a Jew. Since he is a non-believer, he can't farshtayn. Why he elects to endure the anti-Semitism that is so farshprayt. I don't recall the exact verter, but that is the eindruk as I remember it. That a Jew would even entertain the idea of not being bavust as a Jew blew my mind. For me, who am oych a non- believer, the inyen is simple. If one's eltern are Jewish, then one is Jewish. It is simple, an indisputable fact. It is as immovable as a mountain, as batempt as corned beef oyf rye. Shpeter, I was to antdekn that there were those who by omission or commission led or permitted andere to assume az their origins were quite andresh. I was incredulous when I met azelche people. Locally, there were advantages to be dergraycht by being considered a gentile. There were no quotas, not in universities, shteles or housing. There was not the civilized balaydikung. "Well, of course, they zeinen people, but you wouldn't want to have lunch mit them." Why then did I persist so tenaciously in my Jewish identification? Why did I, according to a tayl of my gentile acquaintances, "flaunt" my Jewishness. I didn't flaunt it; I simply didn't behaltn it. My self-searching led me tsurik to Chelsa, Massachusetts, vu I was born and spent the ershte six years of my lebn. Chelsa was a shtetl to which we came ariber from Eastern Europe, steerage class, of course. I carry the image that it ongekumin like its inhabitants with a perene under its arm. That was its ayntsik prized possession. In Chelsa, everyone was Jewish, or so I thought. The exception was the policeman, who I hob gekenf to be Irish. He was hoych, blue-eyed pleasant and an imposing figure but did not seem to be a real person. I never heard him talk. He would shmaychl at me as passed him by. The residents of the shtot were L-12 FRIDAY, JANUARY 18, 1991 immigrants in farshaydine stages of being "green horns." Those who were not "grin" paraded their superior visenshaft of the American way of life. They hob oysgedrikt a fine contempt for the newer arrivals. Chelsa was vibrant, lebedik with sound. Arguments, gossip, gelechter, cries of anguish were expressed in loud, unrestrained fashion. My father hot farmogt a restaurant, which served the same med each day. They were roomers. That is, they rented rooms where meals were not provided. Other men and all froyen were boarders. They took their moltseitn where they lived. No woman every ate in my father's restaurant. When I started school, I was astonished to discover a strange new langauge — English. It wasn't biz we moved to Detroit that I learned that the new langauge was not confined to school. Jewishness is home to me. It is my father's anger and amusing stories. It is my mother's good-natured cursing and easy laughter. It is all the ups and downs of life; it is life itself. Vocabulary etleche hob gezen es zogt farvos zich farshtayn farshprayt verter eindruk bavust oych inyen eltern batempt oyf shpeter antdekn andere az andresh azelche dergraycht shteles balaydikung zeinen mit a tayl bahaltn tsurik vu ershte lebn shtetl some, a few saw it says why himself understand prevalent words —impression known also matter parents delicious on later discover others that different such achieved jobs insult are with some hide back where first life town across arrived featherbed only knew tall smile town various ariber ongekumin perene ayntsik hob gekent hoych shmaychl shtot farshaydine green knowledge expressed alive laughter owned women meals until grin visenshaft hobn oysgedrikt lebedik gelechter hot farmogt froyen moltseitn biz Tamarack Camps Presents Bubbie-Zadie & Kinder Camp Three Days of Fun for Grandparents and Grandchildren (Sorry, no parents allowed!) Friday, June 6 - Sunday, June 8 At the beautiful Butzel Conference Center in Ortonville • experienced staff • crafts • child care at night • pioneer skills • warm, family Shabbat • games • delicious kosher meals • talent show Space is limited! Send application below with $50 deposit to: Bubbie-Zayde & Kinder Weekend 1991 HOW TO APPLY? Fill out application and send with the designated deposit to Fresh Air Society, 6600 West Maple Rd., West Bloomfield, MI 48322. If you cancel within ten days of a program, and your space can be filled, your cancellation fee will be 50% of the deposit. If your space cannot be filled, you will lose your entire deposit. Confirmation and further details will be sent to those accepted. Payment in full is due within 10 days of notification of acceptance. Refunds will be sent to all others after the program takes place. In the event of a cancellation, families on the waiting list will be notified. Bubbie-Zadie & Kinder Weekend 1991 Bubbie/Zadie Family Name Zadie: Bubbie: Bubble & Zadie's Address Street Number State City Bubble's Business Phone Home Phone Child's Name Child's Name Last First Number Grade Age Grade Street Zip State City Home Phone Age Attach additional sheet if necessary Crib(s) needed Child's Address Zadie's Business Phone Last First Zip / / Mother's Business Phone Father's Business Phone • We (have/have not) attended a Butzel Family Camp Program before. O We would like to be in the same guest house as FEES: S128 per adult @ = • S80 per child 3-18 years old @ = S45 per child 2 years or younger @ Total Application must be accompanied with a deposit of $50.00 'If sharng rom with adult, otherwise price will be adult fee.