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Yiddish is rich and soulful, thick with pathos, full of humor and self-deprecating wit and sarcasm -- as a language it uniquely captures the essence of what, or who, it describes. If you've ever noshed on a bagel, or yelled at the schmuck who had the chutzpah to cut you off at the traffic light, you've been enriched and empowered by Yiddish.
Beautifully designed and illustrated, Meshuggenary is a deeply researched and eclectic introduction to Yiddish language, culture, and history. It explores the basics of Yiddish vocabulary and grammar; proverbs, expressions, blessings, curses, and insults; and even the difference between Yiddish, Yinglish (Yiddish-origin words now part of English), and Yiddlish (words that sound Yiddish but aren't). There are chapters on Yiddish humor, literature, theater, and music; a who's who of Yiddishluminaries; and a captivating glimpse of the contributions of women to its literature and culture. So you shouldn't go hungry, there's a chapter on food with a tempting selection of family recipes. And if this little taste isn't enough to satisfy you, there's information on a host of books and Yiddish Web sites and Internet links.
Erudite, accessible, highly informative, and enormously entertaining, Meshuggenary is an irresistible pleasure.
| Preface | ix | |
| A Note on Yiddish Words | x | |
| General Jewish-English Glossary | xii | |
| Introduction: A Language, a People, a Culture | 1 | |
| Shtetl Life | 8 | |
| Hasidism and Kabbalah--The Yiddish Connection | 11 | |
| A Yiddish Hall of Fame | 13 | |
| Yinglish 101: Yiddish-English for Everyone | 14 | |
| Instant Yinglish--Google.com's Top Hits | 17 | |
| The Jaws of Yinglish | 21 | |
| Y2B: Yiddish to Business | 23 | |
| Jewbilations: Yidishe Nakhes from Things Jewish | 29 | |
| Do You Schlep or Shlep--Schmooze or Shmooze? | 35 | |
| Yiddishkeit and Yiddishism: What's the Difference? | 39 | |
| S-Words of Yiddish: Put-downs Without Peer | 40 | |
| Insulting Expressions | 43 | |
| Insulting Names of People You'd Rather Avoid | 45 | |
| Yiddish Curses | 48 | |
| When the Mob Spoke Yiddish | 50 | |
| The Genius of Yiddish Humor: A Schtick for Every Occasion | 52 | |
| Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Make Me a Match | 59 | |
| Yidisher Kop: Goldwynisms and Other Mind-Benders | 62 | |
| Yiddlish--Words That Sound Yiddish (But Never Were) | 65 | |
| The Heart of Yiddish Vocabulary: What Every Lover of Yiddish Needs to Know | 66 | |
| Misconceptions About Yiddish | 70 | |
| Jewish Daily Forward: The Voice of Yiddish in America | 76 | |
| YIVO Institute for Jewish Research | 85 | |
| The National Yiddish Book Center | 87 | |
| Weather-Prophets (Veter-Neviim)--A Glimpse of Contemporary Yiddish | 90 | |
| Frumspeak: The Yiddishized English of the Orthodox | 93 | |
| Yiddish Literature: Out of the Shtetl to World Renown | 94 | |
| Glikl bas Yehuda Leyb--An Early Yiddish Woman Writer | 98 | |
| Golem, the Yiddish Frankenstein | 100 | |
| Fiddler on the Roof | 110 | |
| The Yiddish Nobel: Isaac Bashevis Singer | 116 | |
| Body of Golden Rings: Women Yiddish Poets | 120 | |
| A Catskills Recommended Reading List | 125 | |
| Yiddish Proverbs and Sayings: For Fools and Wise Mentshn | 126 | |
| Yiddish First Names: From Alter to Yentl | 134 | |
| Vishniac and Riis: Photographers of Shtetl and Slum | 137 | |
| When the Labor Movement Spoke Yiddish--The Bund | 142 | |
| Yiddish Expressions: Abi Gezunt! and More | 144 | |
| Blessings in Yiddish | 150 | |
| Tkhines--Yiddish Women's Prayers | 158 | |
| A Modern Tkhine for Easy Labor | 159 | |
| Yiddish Food and Cooking: For Noshers and Fressers | 166 | |
| Bialy--the Other Kukhen | 169 | |
| Hebridish: Yiddish in Israel | 188 | |
| Se Habla Yiddish | 189 | |
| The Story of Yiddish Theater: From Purimshpil to The Dybbuk | 190 | |
| Dybbuks--Evil Spirits of the Shtetl | 202 | |
| Ida Kaminska--Star of the Yiddish Theater | 204 | |
| A Yiddish Bestiary | 207 | |
| Yiddish Music: Klezmer and Beyond | 208 | |
| Yiddish Radio in America | 215 | |
| Klezmography | 217 | |
| Yiddish-Theme Painters: Chagall and Soutine | 218 | |
| Yiddish Movies | 220 | |
| Reference Section | 224 | |
| Yiddish Basics | 224 | |
| Yiddish vs. Hebrew | 225 | |
| The YIVO Transcription Scheme | 227 | |
| Virtual Yiddishdom on the Web | 229 | |
| Bibliography | 237 | |
| Index | 240 |
Anonymous
Posted September 8, 2002
I'm from India and I love this book because I love words. The Yiddish language with its potent and expressive words adds greatly to our human vocabulary and supplies those words that uniquely describe aspects of the human condition. MESHUGGENARY provides a marvelous and necessary ingredient to the masala of human expression. The book is rich in humor and offers a great introduction to Yiddish culture. As an English teacher from another country, I marvel at how language continually expands by incorporating words and expressions from other cultures. This is just what we need to create global village communication.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted November 2, 2002
Nearly everybody in the business world uses Yiddish. This is because in the past most businessman were Jewish themselves or worked with Jewish people. Learn what terms businessman use so you don't look like a schmuk!!! Also learn about Jewish History and Yiddish History. They are not the same! This book is written by a real Mensch!!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 13, 2002
The authors have produced an informative and very lively academic book (which may be an oxymoron expression). Early Yiddishists would marvel if they could now see what impact Yiddish (and Yinglish, etc.) have had and continue to have on America and American culture. Only in America could a language developed over a thousand years abroad and left for dead (until relatively recent times) be adopted and adapted to fit the American psyche and temper. Meshuggenary is a landmark success. In the years to come its depth, insight and completeness will not be easily challenged.
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Overview
Rumors that Yiddish is a dead language are greatly exaggerated. In fact, both the Yiddish language and culture are alive and well in America and elsewhere. English speakers take note: The Random House Dictionary and the Oxford English Dictionary both contain almost 100 Yiddish words that are now considered part of the English language. The impact of Yiddish culture is strongly felt in the films of Woody Allen, in Broadway shows like The Producers, and in television sitcoms such as The Nanny and Seinfeld in the ...