The 'Yiddish Voice' Podcast Yiddish Voice ייִדיש קול

This week we have a new interview with Marvin Zuckerman, who grew up in the Yiddish-speaking milieu of Jewish Labor Bund in Bronx, New York. He became a professor of English at a Los Angeles college and created the well-regarded Yiddish primer Learning Yiddish in Easy Stages and several other books in the field of Yiddish. He translated from the Yiddish the memoir of the prominent Bundist Bernard Goldstein (Twenty Years with the Jewish Labor Bund: A Memoir of Interwar Poland, Perdue University Press, 2016). In the interview he talks about his childhood in his secular-socialst-Yiddishist milieu of the 1930's and 40's; about Bundism's history and place in Jewish history; the bundist perspective, past and present, and in contrast to Communism and Zionism; about his translation of Bernard Goldstein's Bundist memoir; about teaching Yiddish and his Yiddish-language primer; and about Yiddish language and culture generally. The interview was conducted at Zuckerman's home in Pacific Pallisades, CA, on February 22, 2024.

Music/recordings:


Klepfisch Folkskhor: Di Shvue (anthem of the Jewish Labor Bund)
Lazar Weiner and Workmen's Circle Chorus: Di Shvue
Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz

Air date: May 15, 2024

This week we observe Yom HaAtzmaut (Israel Independence Day) talking with Mike Burstyn, Miriam Trinh, Eli Sharfstein and Avremi Zaks.

Mike Burstyn is a distinguished actor and singer known for his roles in Yiddish, Hebrew, and English theater and film across Israeli, American, and international stages. Recently, he starred in the German comedy drama The Zweiflers, awarded Best Series at the 7th annual Canneseries festival in April 2024. Burstyn first gained prominence in Israel as a child actor with his family's troupe, The Four Bursteins, and later through significant roles in The Megillah of Itzik Manger (1965) and Two Kuni Lemel (1966).

Miriam Trinh is the editor-in-chief of Afn Shvel, teaching Yiddish language and literature at Hebrew University and online platforms like Workers Circle and YIVO. She has written for the Yiddish Forward (Forverts), including the interview with Tzili Venkert described on our show and a recent article published post-show, "לכּבֿוד יום-הזכּרון זאָל דער געדענק־פּלאַקאַט פֿון קיבוץ בארי נישט לאָזן פֿאַרגעסן." Trinh moved to Israel after high school and resides in Jerusalem with her family.

Eli Sharfstein is a contemporary poet and writer living in the Israeli kibbutz Ma’agan Michael. Born in Vilna and moved to Israel in 1972, he is a veteran of the Yom Kippur war. He has published two books of Yiddish poems, פּלוצעם ייִדיש and מײַן ווילנער זאַוווּליק.

Avremi Zaks the host and producer of the weekly Israeli Yiddish radio program "Kan Yidish." He was born in Israel and lives in Jerusalem with his wife and children.

Links mentioned in this episode:


Beit HaLochem (Los Angeles): https://www.israeliwoundedveterans.org
The Zweiflers TV series starring Mke Burstyn, home page
League for Yiddish: https://leagueforyiddish.org
Afn Shvel Issue #400-401 at League for Yiddish
Yiddish Forward (Forverts): https://forward.com/yiddish/
Forverts Article on Interview with Tzili Venkert, grandmother of hostage Omar Venkert
Yiddish Branzhe: https://yiddishbranzhe.com
Kan Yiddish (כאן יידיש) archive (Avremi Zaks's Yiddish radio show)

Music/recordings:


Dovid Esheth: Yerusholayim Shtot fun Gold
M...

This week, for Yom HaShoah, which falls this year on May 6, we present past interviews with survivors of the Holocaust in Hungary as we mark the deportation of Hungarian Jews to Auschwitz in the spring of 1944, 80 years ago. After a brief intro and announcement of Boston's 2024 community Hazkure, we hear:



Mel Mermelstein ז״ל


We had a short but memorable interview with Mel in 2008. Mel lived in Munkacs until May 1944, when he was deported to Aushwitz. He passed away in January 2022 at age 95. See also: Mel Mermelstein Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Mermelstein



Zoli Langer and Rokhl Zicherman: repeat of our 2020 Yom HaShoah broadcast: Zoli lived in Ungvar and Rokhl in Tybava until they were deported to Auschwitz in the spring of 1944. A long interview of Zoli is presented with a short interlude of Rokhl singing songs about the Holocaust. Both were interviewed in 2019 and currently (2024) reside in the Los Angeles area.

This week, Pesach greetings and words of wisdom from Rabbi Yitzchok-Boruch Teitelbaum, Rabbi Moshe Kesselman, and Holocaust survivor Naftali (Tuli) Deutsch, as well as greetings from many of our cohosts, friends, and sponsors, as follows:


Israel Book Shop (Eli Dovek ז״ל recorded Mar 28 2007)
American Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors of Greater Boston (member and Holocaust survivor Tania Lefman, and member and Holocaust survivor Mary Erlich), co-sponsor of Boston's 2024 In-Person and Virtual Community Holocaust Commemoration of Yom HaShoah, Sunday, May 5, 2024, at 10:30 AM Eastern. (Registration required.)
League for Yiddish, New York, NY, (Gitl Schaechter-Viswanath, Chair of the Board)
Leah Shporer-Leavitt, Newton, MA, co-host of The Yiddish Voice / דאָס ייִדישע קול
Dovid Braun, Leonia, NJ, co-host of The Yiddish Voice / דאָס ייִדישע קול
Yankele Bodo, Tel Aviv, Israel, actor and singer (from 2016)
Eli Grodko, New Millford, NJ, friend of the show
Boston Workers Circle, Brookline, MA (Yiddish committee member Linda (Libe-Reyzl) Gritz)

We wish all our cohosts, sponsors, and friends a Happy and Kosher Pesach.

מיר ווינטשן אַלע אונדזערע אונטערשטיצער, פֿרײַנד און באַטייליקטע אַ פֿריילעכן און כּשרן פּסח

Links for this episode:


JCRC Boston's registration for Yom Hahoah 2024: jcrcboston.org/register-for-yom-hashoah-2024
Israel Book Shop: israelbookshop.com
Rabbie Moshe Kesselman's Neros Lehoir website: neroslehoir.org
League for Yiddish: leagueforyiddish.org
Boston Workers Circle: circleboston.org

Music:


Malavsky Family: Ho Lakhmo Anyo and Fir Kashes
Moyshe Oisher: Dayenu, Chad Gadyo, and Kiddush for Pesach
Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz

Air date: April 17, 2024

This week, Cantor Herschel Fox, long-time chazzan at Valley Beth Shalom Synagogue in Los Angeles and veteran of the Cantorial world as well as the Yiddish stage, and even Yiddish radio. The interview is filled with stories and anecdotes covering many aspects of his life and his illustrious career, including close working relationships with such legends as Molly Picon, Cantor Dovid Koussevitzky, and many others. He also treats us to many insights into Yiddish song and khazones, with many demonstrations featuring his still-strong voice, with wonderful musical phrasing and beautiful Yiddish and Hebrew diction.

The interview was recorded at the home of Herschel and Judy Fox on Mar. 21, 2024. Special thanks to Judy Fox for audio technical assistance.

Links related to Cantor Fox:


Honorary Doctorate fitting cap to cantorial career of Herschel Fox", article in Canada's Jewish Post and News
Judy & Herschel Fox at FAU Sound Archive, digitized versions of commercial recordings of Herschel Fox, as well as his wife, fellow cantor, Judy Fox
Herschel Fox's Oral History, interview by Christa Whitney from 2018 for the Wexler Oral History Project of Yiddish Book Center

Music:


Moshe Koussevitzky: Sheyiboneh Beys Hamikdosh
Herschel Fox: Sheyiboneh Beys Hamikdosh
Herschel Fox: Dem Milners Trern
Herschel Fox: Abi Gezunt
Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz

Air Date: April 10, 2024

Happy Purim !! אַ פֿריילעכן פּורים



Part 1: Jokes and humor for Purim told by Libby Pollak, Sholem Beinfeld, Sheila (Sheyndl) Lieberman-Reich, Sheldon (Shulem) Londner, and Hy Wolfe.



Part 2: Arele Schaechter Viswanath discusses his Google Doc "אַ בלעטל פּורים־מאַטעריאַלן", which the פֿאָרווערטס/Forverts/Yiddish Forward described as "Lively Yiddish Purim materials for teachers, students and parents".



All guests were recorded, by phone or Zoom, Mar. 19-20, 2024.

Links mentioned in this episode:


Arele's Google Doc: אַ בלעטל פּורים־מאַטעריאַלן פֿאַר עלטערן פֿון ייִדיש־רעדנדיקע קינדער און פֿאַר ייִדיש־לערערס און תּלמידים


Music:


Di Purim Shpiler [Spotify]: Mishpokhe Lustik, Tsu Feter Aron,Khelemer Rov
Megilla of Itzik Manger (The Bursteins/Israeli cast album) [Spotify]: Der Nigun Fun Der Megille
Mine-Lifshe Viswanath: Purim Iz A Shpil Aza [Youtube]
Bina Landau: Purim Lid
Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz

Air date: March 20, 2024