--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- January 2011 Vol. XXI No. I --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- th Der Bay Reaches Its 20 Anniversary – January 1991-2011 As Der Bay grew beyond North America, it soon That first little sheet of Der Bay in 1991 could not became apparent that with the high cost of postage, possibly foretell that 20 years later it would be an we would need to have an online version. The free, international Anglo-Yiddish newsletter that would abbreviated online version of this newsletter is spawn a network of contacts in every state and 35 growing rapidly, albeit mainly overseas. countries. Our policy has been to maintain the same cost and This has been a love and intense passion that has not accept any paid advertising. Thus we are doing served as a tribute to my Mama and the many a service as well as not having to compromise our yidishe mames who made the unbelievable standards in reviewing books, CDs, DVDs and transition to far-off lands where the language and other events. customs were foreign and tested their mettle. In this issue we travel down “memory lane” and As part of this journey, offshoots sprouted, and sample some of the articles that received much have made all the effort personally rewarding in attention by readers, especially in the most popular the many wonderful friendships and experiences column, Oystsugn fun briv in der redaktsye. during these two decades. Included in this issue are articles that were part of a Thanks to the effort of Dr. Harold Black, o”h and series including; Ed Goldman’s comic bible scenes the Yiddish of Greater Washington, the forerunner that have been very popular in club programming. of the International Association of Yiddish Clubs Then there is Goldie A. Gold’s Shayles un Tshuves in (IAYC) was established. After 13 wonderful “Hilkhes Libe”, and one of the 90 stories of Mama conferences, our treasurer, Jerry Gerger is chairing from the book, Hrabina of Hunterdon. the next conference, August 26-29, 2011 in Novi, Michigan, an upscale Detroit suburb. We cannot predict the future, but Der Bay has seen scholarly publications pass from the scene and we IAYC has 100 members mainly in the US and keep rolling along—with your help. Canada, but also in Israel, South Africa and Spain. The Board of Directors and Advisory Board are from academia, Yiddish club leaders, teachers, translators, and klezmer musicians. About the same time that the premiere online list, Mendele was hitting its stride, Der Bay developed its website under the tutelage of Ari Davidow of Klezmer Shack fame. Found at www.derbay.org Der Bay’s website has the only international calendar of Yiddish events. The world is divided into fourteen regions and updated regularly. It has the date, time, location, contact phone number as well as the title of each event. Our briv fraynd list numbers over 460 worldwide. Thanks to the early efforts of Frida Cielak of Mexico City and Dr. Allan Blair of Columbus, OH, this free service matches Yiddish lovers by level of proficiency and hobbies. They communicate online and in hardcopy, and use Romanization or the Yiddish/Hebrew alphabet. The Jewish Communities of Cuba – Sept. ’98 Issue From: [email protected] HAVANA: It is the capital of Cuba. There are three women’s group which plans to encourage and communities that share the aid and work together teach Sefardic traditions to its members. to educate and strengthen themselves. Dr. Jose Miller is the leader of the entire Jewish SANTIAGO DE CUBA: Eugenia Farin Behar, is Community, as well as President of the All-Island President of the Communidad Hebrea Hatikvah de Community Council. Adela Dworin is the Vice Santiago de Cuba. There are 26 member families President of the All-Island Community Council having 102 people, and their affiliation is with the and librarian at the Patronato. Conservative movement. The youth group (Atidim) ranges from the ages of 15-23 years. There GRAND SYNAGOGUE - BETH SHALOM: is also an Israeli Dance group. The congregation It is the largest one of the synagogues and its was re-established in 1993. They have transliterated affiliation is with the Conservative Movement. The prayer books. Patronato is the center for distribution of aid to all the needy Jews in Cuba and for development of In December of 1996 They had a celebration for two educational, social, and cultural programs B'nai Mitzvah—first since the revolution. Their throughout the Island. building was returned by the government in 1995. A Hebrew school is held Saturday afternoons — Most of the 300 families participate in one way or emphasis is on classes and discussion for adults. A another. Sabbath services—Kabalat Shabbat is a youth group meets Sundays for programs and youth led service, while Shabbat morning is adult Israeli dancing. led. Also there is a group ranging from youth to young adult. Religious school - JDC bus to bring GUANTANAMO: David Mizrachi is President of students of all ages on Sunday morning. Simcha the group of about 40—mostly descendants of one Group - Active seniors have formed a group led by couple from Turkey whose family name is a member of the community council and supported Mizrachi. There’s a small religious school and an by JDC. adult Israeli dance troupe. Building has been maintained best in the most used MANZANILLO: This is a very new group areas, like the social hall, office, and small estimated at 100. They are not fully organized. sanctuary. Main sanctuary - birds, broken ceiling and windows, many seats broken, termites, CAMAGUAY: This generally is a poor community makeshift classrooms behind the balcony, on of 28 families. Recently the government allowed entryway floor and social hall the purchase of a house. In 1995 it became a sister city with the Jews of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Organizations using this are: Hadassah, Havana Jewish Women's group, Simcha (with members SANTA CLARA: A new community of about 40 who are over 55) Maimonides Chapter of B'nai that meets in private homes on erev Shabbat. It is B'rith the physical center for four very small groups, within a 60 mile radius of Santa Clara. ORTHODOX CONGREGATION ADATH ISRAEL: Mr. Tache is President in the old city, and CIENFUEGOS: Six or eight families are here and receives support from Lubovitzers. It is a small, but they are seemingly in good shape, but have no active community of all ages that holds daily building. Liaison is being developed with Santa services, and has small English classes. The total Clara which has the nearest cemetery. restoration of the building has been sponsored by the City Restoration Office under the supervision of SANCTI ESPIRITU: It is a very small community the City Historian. The Havana mikvah is located with no activity. here. June Safran, Executive Director SEPHARDIC CENTRAL SEFARDI: Mr. Jose Levy The Cuba-America Jewish Mission Tur is president of this small community that holds 444 34th St., Oakland, CA 94609 Shabbat morning services in their large building in The Cuba website Vedado area (near the Patronato). They also have a http://www.mindspring.com/~menorah Yiddish in Finland From Helsinki: Johnny Mangaard (TYN) Contact* March 1995 Issue The first record that we know of Jews in Finland 1930s, because after the revolution there came are of Sefardim from Hamburg, Germany at the more Jews from Russia. end of the 17th century. They were magicians who were allowed to perform. At that time Finland One by one Jews switched to speaking Swedish belonged to Sweden and no Jews could settle here, because it was much easier to learn than that if they had not converted to Protestant Christians. difficult and strange language of the majority, Finnish. But still, officially Swedish speaking, Jews During the 18th century at least two German Jews as multilingual people—like so often before in who had converted are known to have settled in other countries—adopted the majority language. I Finland, one was in Oulu, the largest city in must point that Swedish was the official language Northern Finland. He was the grandfather to one —with Russian—till the last half of 19th century, of our most famous authors and cultural Gestalts, and still quite strong until the independence. Zacharias Topelius, who lived during the 19th century. At that time Finland was part of Russia, a After Finland became independent in 1917 Jews Grossfurstentum [grand-princedom]. got full citizenship. One reason why so many so quickly changed their language into Finnish was During the 19th century the first Ashkenazim the growing “fennomanism”, the strengthening came to Finland to serve in the Russian army. All Finnish nationalism, which was at its worst during of them came from the Pale of Settlement, i.e. from the thirties. The other reason must have been that Poland ruled by Russia, White Russia, the Baltic Jews already were capable to use Finnish as well and that St. Petersburg area which was inside the as Swedish. During only nine years (from the Pale. No Jews were allowed to settle outside the beginning of the 30s till the beginning of 40s) The Pale, with the exception of those Jewish soldiers Jewish School completely changed its language who had fulfilled their service in the army -- they from Swedish into Finnish. were allowed to stay in those places where they had been based and while still serving in the army. It looks like Jews today are not very much interested in Yiddish. It never was taught in The When Russia had taken over in Finland, the New Jewish School, only Hebrew, but it is quite Crown didn't want to change too much thus to understandable with the background of special have the Finnish people pleased with the new Finnish circumstances.