Guyome's log

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guyome
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Re: Guyome's log

Postby guyome » Wed Sep 28, 2022 10:27 am

Yiddish
I finished reading Lazar Borodulin's Af yener zayt Sambatyen (1929). The first 50 pages or so are more adventure story than SF, while we follow Samuel Hofman on his way to the land of the Red Jews. Once he gets there, we get several chapters mostly dedicated to various explanations about how scientifically advanced the Red Jews are compared to "our" world. It gets a bit repetitive and it's not exactly my cup of tea but Borodulin was wise enough not to overdo it. In the last 40 pages, both the love story and Hofman's quest are wrapped up.

Overall, I was a bit disappointed that not much is said about socio-cultural aspects. Are the Red Jews really the lost ten tribes? What language do they speak? What religion (if any) do they practice? etc.

Some details that stood out, in no particular order:
- there is no light switch in the land of the Red Jews, you just say "Let there be light/Let there be darkness"
- Borodulin has inserted a vibrant anti-colonialist plea to explain why the Red Jews do not want to be discovered
- there does not seem to be any gender inequality in their society
- women can choose the sex of their children during pregnancy
- by eating moderately, the Red Jews can easily get to 120 years old (a wink at 120 years being the traditional ideal lifespan in Jewish culture).

From a language learner point of view, the book is rather easy to read and provides a lot of repetition.

Linguistically speaking, one thing I found interesting. At the beginning of the story, the author introduces an ordinary Jewish couple and the wife, who does all the speaking, says:
- Inz hoben mir gevolt zehn dem hern redaktor.
- Tsulib vos hot ihr gevolt zehn dem redaktor? hot Hofman ihr gefregt
[...]
- Inz hoben mir zikh gevolt baruten mit ihm, hot di idene geentfert.
- Vegen vos hot ihr zikh mit ihm gevolt baroten?
[...]
- Inz hoben mir gevolt mit ihm shmuesen vegen dos royt meydel.


- We wanted to see the editor.
- Why did you want to see the Editor? Hofman asked her [...]
- We wanted to consult with him, answered the woman.
- What did you want to consult with him about? [...]
- We wanted to talk to him about the redheaded girl.
The woman's speech is caracterised by non-standard Yiddish features, maybe most conspicuously by the use of inz hoben mir (=undz hobn mir in standard translitteration). This fronting of undz ("us") was so prevalent in some non-standard dialects that it has led to undz being able to replace mir as the first p. pl. subject pronoun.

Here a few instances taken from recent Hasidic publications:
[...] az mir lebn haynt in a tsveyte sort velt vi amol...unz lebn haynt mit azoyfil 'stres'
[...] that today we live in a different world than in the past...Today, we live with so much 'stress'
(In Idish geredt #81, parasha Nitsavim, September 24th 2022, p. 1)

Nokhdem hot der rosh yeshive zikh arumgekukt af di file onveznde un der rosh yeshive hot gezogt Shkoyeh eybershter far di groyse nes az unz hobn aza sheyne mishpokhe! un der rosh yeshive hot gefregt zayn vayb, gedenkst nokh di khasene ven unz hobn gemeynt az unz geyen nisht hobn keyn kinder? Kuk vi der eybershter hot unz geholfn un unz hobn aza sheyne mishpokhe!
Then, the Head of the yeshiva took a look around at the large number of those who were there and the Head of the yeshiva said: "Thank you, Almighty One, for the great miracle that we have such a fine family!" And the Head of the yeshiva asked his wife: "You remember, after our wedding, when we thought we wouldn't have any children? Look how the Almighty has helped us and we have such a fine family!"
(Kiryas Breslev bletl #140, parasha Reeh, August 27th 2022, p. 26)
Of note is also the use of geyen as a Future auxiliary in the second extract.
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Re: Guyome's log

Postby Lawyer&Mom » Wed Sep 28, 2022 4:41 pm

That Forward article about the translation was really interesting, thanks for sharing.
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Re: Guyome's log

Postby guyome » Thu Sep 29, 2022 2:06 pm

I'm glad you enjoyed the article, Lawyer&Mom!

Yiddish
Read a short story by Kh. Ayalti, Di antdekung fun Tratagvay (The Discovery of Trataguay, 1950). Ayalti has been on my radar since I read this piece about his novel Der hotel vos eksistirt nit (The Hotel that does not exist, 1944) and I was also intrigued by the title.
Turns out The Discovery of Trataguay was written in 1941 and is about Jews trying to obtain visas out of France. Gathered in the café Noay (=Noailles?), in Marseille, they feverishly try to find a way out of France, i.e. a visa to a country ready to welcome them. Enters a man who tells them wonders about the land Trataguay and how easy it is to get a visa thither...
Di antdekung fun Trataguay iz kimat umbakant dem rov fun der mentshhayt. Tsulib di oysergeveynlekhe gesheenishn fun undzer yortsendlik bashteyt afile di gefar, az dos dozike land zol, azoy tsu zogn, ingantsn arunterfaln untern tish un fargesn vern far di kumendike doyres. Veln mir deriber fartsaykhenen, in groys aylenish, oyb nit ale protim, iz lekhol hapokes di hoypt-shtrikhn fun der mayse-Trataguay.

S'iz geven in der tsayt fun der groyser behole, ven yidn fun Holand, Belgye un Frankraykh zaynen antlofn far Hitlers khayoles, zaynen ongekumen in letstn port fun Eyrope, in Marsel, un zikh geklibn aribertsuforn fun dortn mayver leyam. Vi der shteyger, hobn zikh akhinu bney Yisroel gehaltn tsuzamen, vorim moneshekh: veln zikh makhn vizes, to farvos zol der anderer bakumen un ikh nit? — ele vos den, es vet zikh makhn an oblave? — to zol men khotsh zitsn tsuzamen in zelbn kontsentratsye-lager! Tsulib di dozike un andere tamim hot zikh der oylem opgezukht in der fremder frantsoyzisher shtot, zikh bazetst in Kafe-Noay, vos af der barimter "Kanebyer", un in a kurtser tsayt farshtoysn ale gevezene gest.


(my translation)
The discovery of Trataguay is almost unknown to most of mankind. Due to the extraordinary events of our decade, there is even danger that this country could, so to speak, entirely fall under the table and get forgotten for future generations. We will therefore describe, in great hurry, if not all the details, but at least the main characteristics of the Trataguay story.

It was at the time of the great commotion, when Jews from Holland, Belgium and France fled before Hitler's army, arrived in Europe's last harbour, in Marseille, and made preparations to go over, from there across the sea. As usual, our brothers, the Sons of Israel, kept to one another, because either way: if there are visas, why then should the other guy get one and not I? —and then, if there is a police raid, let's at least sit together in the same concentration camp then! For these and other reasons, people sought one another in the foreign French city, settled in the Café-Noailles, on the famed Canebière, and in a short time pushed aside the the previous clients.
Given that the background to the story is obviously a tragic one, the story can come out as surprisingly humorous in tone. Of course, the driving force behind the comical situations is despair and the need for visas (greediness, as well), so...
I really enjoyed the way he writes and I'm looking forward to reading more of his works.
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guyome
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Re: Guyome's log

Postby guyome » Sun Oct 02, 2022 5:42 pm

Yiddish
I read Ibergus a play by L. Malach, published in Buenos Aires in 1926.

The main character is Reyzl/Roza, a Jewish prostitute in Brasilian brothel. She tries to escape her condition, nearly makes it...Her own desires and actions are part of the larger fight between the two Jewish factions of the city: the vitishe (honest/decent ones"), who want to exclude Jewish prostitutes and pimps from Jewish life altogether, and the blote, the "dirt", i.e. the world of Jewish brothels.

The play caused an uproar in the Argentinian community at the time because it basically describes the situation in Buenos Aires in the 1920s, where the organisation Zwi Migdal reigned supreme over the trafficking of young women from Europe and their placement in South American brothels. As in the play, the vitishe parts of the Argentinian community clashed with the pimps, who were especially influential in the theater world.

I don't know where Malach personally stood on this question, but the foreword, by one of his friends, seems resolutely pro-vitishe. Having read the play though, it seems to me that no party comes out unscathed. The brothel and its "madam" do what they can to retain Reyzl, so they're not exactly symphatic, but the vitishe, and their constant looking-down on others, do not look any better to me. Reyzl leaving the brothel is not good enough for them, they see her as tainted by her past occupation and she must still pay the price for it. Despite several doors opening to her, Reyzl is unable to escape, coming out as a tragic figure (and a slightly unhinged one towards the end).

I would not say I "enjoyed" reading the play because it's a sad affair from beginning to end but, for some reason, it somewhat stirred me, more than anything I've read lately, so I guess it's a good work.

You can read some extracts in Yiddish South of the Border: an Anthology of Latin American Yiddish Writing (the translation seems a bit flat to me though).
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guyome
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Re: Guyome's log

Postby guyome » Sun Oct 09, 2022 9:12 pm

Yiddish
Read Y. Shtsharanski (Szczaranski), Yidisher natsizm in Palestine (1938). The provocative title caught my eye while I was browsing the Yiddish Book Center collection.

It's an interesting work. The author tells of his emigration from Poland to British Mandate Palestine in 1935, as a worker in the textile industry. He starts as a hopeful member of Polish Zionist organisations but very quickly becomes disappointed by life in Palestine. Lack of jobs, treatment of Arabs, collusion of workers organisations with company bosses, etc., leave a bitter taste in his mouth. All in all, it is a sobering account, to be set against optimistic, "nation building", narratives.

I couldn't find any information about the second volume (announced at the end of the book) or the author himself. So many misfortunes befall him during his stay in Palestine that I was wondering if his account may not be a fictitious one, published by anti-zionist organisations. On the other hand, the author was a worker, not a professional writer, and may have died during ww2, which would explain that no info about him can be found.

It's been some time since I checked the Yiddish youtube scene and it seems some interesting things took place during the pandemy. For instance, the League for Yiddish has published some lengthy chats with some Yiddish kultur-tuers. I watched the ones with Mendy Cahan and Shane Baker.


Ladino
Ladino has been making a timid comeback in my schedule. I have been spending some time reading in Rashi script but my skills seem to have deteriorated quite a bit so it's taking me forever to read a few pages.
I think it's mostly due to the language being rusty rather than to the script itself. I plan on reading a couple hundred pages in Latin script to refresh my knowledge of grammar and vocab. That should do the trick. Maybe I will also do a quick read through Matilda Koen-Sarano's textbooks.
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Re: Guyome's log

Postby guyome » Fri Oct 14, 2022 5:30 pm

Yiddish
I'm reading G. Makman, Di geheymnise fun yener velt (Secrets from the afterlife). It is a long poem published in 1865 about two neighbours who made a pact: the first one to die has to come back and inform the other one about how things are on the other side...

I'm not that much into poetry, whatever the language, but the title seemed interesting. It's quite enjoyable so far but my reading is rather slower than usual. I'm fine with the non-standard 19th c. spelling (I've read many Hasidic tales from that period) but this book takes it one step further by often adopting a phonetic spelling based on Polish yiddish pronunciation (zat for zayt for instance). The author also uses quite a few of Polish words, most of which don't seem to have made into yiddish dictionaries.

Ladino
I'm rereading a series of seventeen 1930s novellas in Latin script published in Turkey and digitalised by the Alliance Israélite Universelle (see Una madre kruela for instance). I think I mentioned it already on this blog, these are so bad that they're quite funny in the end. And they provide me with what I need now, an easy way to get back into Ladino vocab and grammar.

I also spend some time reading in Rashi script but that's still a slow business. I finished a Nat Pinkerton detective-story, Un Rovo al eshpital, but the story is so bad and the language so utterly Frenchified that I didn't really enjoy it. More interesting to me, both linguistically and culturally, are the edifying stories that can be found in dozens of religious books (re)published the 19th c.

Here is one I read today, in which a pious man (hasid) encounters a giant fish and the Angel of Death. It's taken from the Sefer ma'asiyot published in Saloniko in 1852-1853. Imperfect as it is, I have added my own quick and dirty translation.
MAASE akontesio en hasid uno i su nombre Ben Sabar ke fue akorido todos sus dias detras de la sedaka i gamilut hasidim. Ves una sintio ke era guerfano uno en una sivdad ke ya era pertenesiente para tomar mujer, i no avia en su mano no plata i non oro para puederse kazar. Ke izo Ben Sabar tomo de su kaza mendeles i yastikes i tambien plata i oro i se fue a la sivdad ke estava este guerfano i lo entro a hupa, i se torno Ben Sabar por otro kamino i no por el kamino ke el vino.

A story happened to a pious man, his name was Ben Sabar, who had practiced charity and acts of kindness his whole life. One time, he heard that there was an orphan in a city who deserved to have a wife and had no silver nor gold to be able to marry. What did Ben Sabar do? He took matresses and cushions from his house, as well as silver and gold, and he went to the city where this orphan was and he led him to the chuppah, and Ben Sabar took another path back than the one he took to come.

I enkontro en el kamino kon rio uno ke era su longura kuatrozientas parsaot i su anchura sinkuenta parsaot. I era ayi un peshe muy grande i era azien danyo a todos los ke pasavan i tornavan por ayi, siendo ke ayego Ben Sabar serka de este peshe se izo a se mizmo el peshkado komo una agila i lo paso a Ben Sadar de el rio i no le izo ningun danyo. Siendo ke paso Ben Sabar de el rio enkontro kon ombre uno desfermoziguado de vista en demaziadamente, i era el malah a-mavet, i Ben Sabar no lo konosio ke era el malah a-mavet.

And on the way he came to a river that was 400 miles in length and 50 miles in width. And there was there a large fish and it was harming all those who were passing by. When Ben Sabar came near this fish, the fish turned himself into an eagle and carried Ben Sabar across the river and did not harm him in any way. When Ben Sabar had crossed he river, he met an exceedingly ugly man, and it was the Angel of Death, and Ben Sabar did not know that it was the Angel of Death.

Le disho el malah a-mavet a Ben Sabar "Tu sos Ben Sabar" disho a el "Si", disho a el "De adonde vienes," i Ben Sabar le konto todo el akontesimiento ke le akontesio por el kamino, le disho akel ombre a Ben Sabar "Ke sepas ke yo so el malah a-mavet, i tefter de todo bivo en mi mano, i kon esto sepas agora ke ya ayego tu ora por espartirte de el mundo," en akeya ora se le demudaron sus karas de sintir, en akeya ora alto sus ojos a los sielos i disho "Sinyor de el mundo ken se entremetio en la ley i en gamilut hasidim ke se muera de anyos pokos, esta es la ley i esta es su paga. I mas asente<n>siates sovre mi muerte en medio de el kampo komo la behema, i no muerirme de dientro de mi kaza para ke se entrementa la djente de mi kaza en mi kavod." En akeya ora salio un bat kol de los sielos i disho a el "De sierto ay a ti tiempo asta ke vayas a tu kaza por el gamilut hasidim ke izistes,"

The Angel of Death said to Ben Sabar:
- Are you Ben Sabar?
- Yes.
- Where do you come from?
And Ben Sabar told him everything that had happend to him on the way. That man said to Ben Sabar "Know that I am the Angel of Death, and the register of every living being is in my hand, and with that know now that the moment has come for you to leave this world." At this moment, Ben Sabar's face became pale from hearing this, he lifted up his eyes to the sky and said "Lord of the World, a man who devotes himself to the Law and to acts of kindness should die still young, that is the Law and his reward? And furthermore, you have decided that my death should take place in the fields, like a animal, and that I would not die at home, where my people could honor me." At that moment, a voice of God came out of the sky and said "Surely, you have some time to go home, thanks to the acts of kindness you did,"

siendo ke paso de el lugar ke estava el malah a-mavet, enkontro en una sivdad i(?) la djente de la sivdad salientes de la puerta de la sivdad, les pregunto a eyos Ben Sabar si avia algun talmid haham adientro la sivdad ke keria avlar kon el, disheron a el "Ay aki un talmid haham muy grande i su nombre Shepipon Ben Lish," andovo Ben Sabar serka de el siendo ke lo vido a el Shepipon se alegro alegria grande, i fue traido a su kaza de Shepipon, i lo vido a Ben Sabar ke tenia sus karas demudadas, le disho Shepipon a Ben Sabar "Porke estan tus karas demudadas, kisas a el pan tu as demenester o alguna koza parese ke te manka," disho a el "Ni a el pan yo a demenester ni ninguna koza mi manka," disho a el Shepipon "Siendo ansi i porke estan tus karas demudadas," i rekonto Ben Sabar todo lo ke le akontesio por el kamino ke el vino kon el malah a-mavet, i la gezera ke se asentensio sovre mi(!) disho a el Shepipon "No te espantes ke yo te do avtaha ke el Shem yitbarah te eskapara a ti de la muerte."

When he left the place where the Angel of Death was, he came to a city and the inhabitants were going out through the gate of the city. Ben Sabar asked them if there was a scholar in the city, as he wanted to talk to him. They said to him "There is a truly great scholar there and his name is Shepipon Ben Lish," Ben Sabar went near him. When Shepipon saw him, he rejoiced greatly and Ben Sabar was lead to Shepipon's house. And Shepipon saw that his face was pale, he said to Ben Sabar:
- Why is your face pale? Maybe you need bread or something that you don't have?
- I don't need bread, nor anything else.
- If so, why is your face pale?
And Ben Sabar told him everything that had happened to him on the way with the Angel of Death, and the decree that had been decided about him. Shepipon said to him "Don't be afraid. I can assure you that God, may He be blessed, will save you from death."

I se estuvo serka de el sinko dias, despues de sinko dias vino una nove grande i arodeo a la kaza. Disheron sus talmidim "Rabenu non tu ves esta nove grande ke arodeo a tu kaza," disho a eyos Shepipon "Salid i mirad si a toda la sivdad la nove arodea o a la kaza solo," en lo ke salieron los talmidim afuera a ver a la nove. I el malah a-mavet vino delantre Shepipon, disho a el "Dame el pikadon ke ay a mi en tu mano," disho a el "Kual pikadon ay a mi (>ti) en mi mano," disho a el "Ben Sabar" elguego lo grito a el malah a-mavet i le disho "Vate a tu melakha no a ti en mi mano ninguna koza, i si no te vas ke sepas ke te so gozer,"

And he stayed with him five days. After five days, a great cloud came and surrounded the house. His students said "Master, don't you see this great cloud that has surrounded your house?" Shepipon said to them "Go out and check if the could surrounds the whole city or just the house," so the students went out to see the cloud. And the Angel of Death came in frint of Shepipon, he said to him:
- Give me the deposit, that you have for me.
- What deposit do I have for you?
- Ben Sabar.
Immediately, he shouted at the Angel of Death and said to him "Go away to your business, I have nothing for you. And you don't go, know that I'll cut you into pieces."

elguego andovo el malah a-mavet i respondio a las palavras las estas delantre el santo bendicho el, disho el santo bendicho el a el malah a-mavet "Ken disho a ti ansi", disho a el "Shepipon Ben Lish ke es sadik gamor i baldo tu gezera ke ansi esta eskrito 'sadik moshel be-yirat eloim'", "Presto va i di le a el 'De sierto por tu kavod Shepipon se enyadieron a ti i a Ben Sabar otros setenta anyos mas de vidas', kon esto ke mire el ben adam kuanto grande es la fuersa de la sedaka ke afilu en ora de su muerte lo eskapa sheneemar vsedaka tasil mi-mavet.

Immediately, the Angel of Death went and reported these words in front of the Holy One. The Holy One said to the Angel of Death:
- Who said this to you?
- Shepipon Ben Lish, who is a perfect pious man and has cancelled your decree, because it is written "The pious rules in fear of God" (2 Sam 23:3).
- Go without delay and tell him that for his honor, 70 years have been added to his and Ben Sabar's lives.
From this, let people see how great is the strength of charity, that it saves them even at the moment of their death, as it is said "And charity will save from death" (Pr 10:2).
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guyome
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Re: Guyome's log

Postby guyome » Thu Oct 20, 2022 8:07 am

Ladino
More reading of short, edifying stories in 19th c. publications. I find them quite accessible but there are a few linguistic peculiarities when compared to more recent Ladino texts. Among them:
- demonstratives often parallel Hebrew ha-... ha-... (las palavras las estas)
- articles sometimes do the same (la ley la santa, ombre uno)
- 2nd p. of simple past can be -istes/-istesh (instead of -ites/-itesh)
- the present participle (-an) is still in use
- a lot more Hebrew/Aramaic words
- ubiquitous ke, making articulation between sentences more difficult to see at times
- probably more Turkish words, although I guess that depends a lot on the author

One of the stories in the Sefer maasiyot was the same as the only one I read in the Sefer menorat a-maor. Nice coincidence since reading both versions helped.

To the dismay of one of his students, a scholar has been buried without proper honors, his coffin having been mistaken for that of a bad merchant who was to be buried on the same day. The scholar appears to his student be-halom (in his sleep) to reassure him.
Sefer menorat a-maor
i te amostrare a akel komerchero komo esta en geinam i el batedes(?) de la puerta di geinam arrodea en su oreja. [...] le demando a el el talmid "I asta kuando se djuzgara este kon esta pena de tener su oreja en el eskisio(?) de la puerta de geinam

"and I will show you this merchant, the way he is in hell and the ? of the gate of hell rotates in his ear" [...] The student asked him "And how long will he be judged with this punishement, i.e. having his ear in the ? of the gate of hell?"

Sefer maasiyot
i akel roshe de el komerchero esta en geinam [...] i agora esta por tokmak en la puerta de geinam." I le demando el talmid "I este komerchero asta kuando tiene ke yevar este mal?", le disho "Asta ke muera Shimon ben Shatah i lo van a meter en su lugar in geinam." Le disho a el "Ke peko Shimon ben Shatah ke lo van a meter por tokmak in geinam?" Le disho "Por siba ke en la sivdad de Ashkelon ay ochenta echizeras i no perkura de kitarlas de el mundo i no les aze su din i su mishpet."

"and this evil merchant is in hell [...] and now he is the door knocker of the gate of hell." And the student asked him "And this merchant, how long will he have to endure this?" He said "Until Shimon ben Shatah dies and they'll put him in his place in hell." He said to him "In what did Shimon ben Shatah sin for him to be put as door knocker in hell?" He told him "For the reason that in the city of Ashkelon there are 80 witches and he does not try to bother them and he does not judge them."
I couldn't find batedes, nor eskisio (assuming these are the correct spellings since Rashi script doesn't differentiate between i and e), in Ladino dictionaries but the Sefer maasiyot had Turkish tokmak instead, somewhat clearing things up.
To me, batedes and eskisio look like they might come from the Iberian peninsula rather than from Hebrew/Turkish/etc. Maybe checking Spanish/Portuguese/Catalan/etc. dictionaries would help.

Image
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Re: Guyome's log

Postby guyome » Sat Oct 22, 2022 10:47 am

Yiddish
Started reading R' Simkhe Plakhte, a popular work by Y. Morgenshtern (1820-1890). The work is described as an anti-Hasidic satire but it's too soon for me to tell. So far, the village rabbi has found a husband for the orphan girl he raised. It's no match in Heaven though: the bride is 30 and not a beauty, while the groom is a poor water carrier aged 40 and goes around town barefoot, wrapped only in a bedsheet.

Ladino
More edifying stories from 18/19th c. musar works.

Some interesting resources that cropped up:
- La Boz de Bulgaria (vol. 1, 2014), six ladino plays from early 20th c. Bulgaria
- El Amigo del Puevlo, the entire 1896 run of a Ladino weekly from Bulgaria
- Amor Ayala, Los sefardíes de Bulgaria (2017), contains a detailed study and a transliteration (160p.) of M. Tadjer's Notas istorikas sovre los djudyos de Bulgaria i la komunita de Sofya (1932) which is not (yet) available online as far as I know.
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Re: Guyome's log

Postby guyome » Wed Oct 26, 2022 8:44 pm

Ladino
Ladino in Sarajevo is fading further away. Moris Albahari one of the very few last speakers passed away last Saturday.

https://sarajevotimes.com/moris-albahar ... -sarajevo/
https://globalvoices.org/2022/10/25/one ... ssed-away/
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Re: Guyome's log

Postby guyome » Wed Nov 02, 2022 9:03 am

Ladino
I am still reading edifying stories from various works. I just finished reading the סיפורי מעשיות. It is mostly stories about King David and King Salomon. Can't say I've been much impressed by their wisdom but I enjoyed it.

I have also read a bit from the תולדות אדם. I find the extra-Biblical stories interesting (what were Cain and Abel really fighting about? etc.) so maybe I will read more of it.
I may also go for a combined Ladino-Yiddish reading project by working my way through the Shivchei ha-Besht, a collection of tales about the founder of Hasidism.

Yiddish
Finished R' Simkhe Plakhte, which did indeed turn out to be a satire of Hasidism and how gullible the masses can be. Some of it was quite funny so I think I'll read some other works by Y. Morgenshtern.
7 x


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