The 'Yiddish Voice' Podcast Yiddish Voice ייִדיש קול

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

This week, interview with Holocaust survivor Nathan Gipsman, originally from Będzin (Bendin), who recently celebrated his 99th birthday; Alona Bach and Sarah Biskowitz cover Farbindungen 2024, the third annual Farbindungen Yiddish Studies Conference, taking place online from February 18 – 19th, 2024; Kolya Borodulin announces the Yiddish classes offered by Workers Circle/Arbeter Ring, starting next week; and a little -ליבע (love-) related music in honor of Valentin-Tog (Valentine's Day).

Important links mentioned in this episode:


https://circle.org
https://farbindungen.com


Music:


Masha Roskies: Kum Leybke Tantsn (from CD accompanying book Yiddishlands by David Roskies)
Mayya Korsunskaya: Ikh Hob Dikh Tsu Fil Lib (piano acc. by Hankus Netsky)
Dudu Fisher: Sheyn Vi Di Lovone
Dudu Fisher: Bay Mir Bistu Sheyn
Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz

Air date: February 14, 2024

Last week, we learned the sad news that David (Dovid) Lenga has died at the age of 96. He was buried in Los Angeles on Jan. 28, 2024. Los Angeles survivor and community leader Harry Davids said of him, "David was a survivor of Dachau and Auschwitz. He frequently spoke at the museums, synagogues and schools, and his presentations were known for their oratory and inspirational style."In his memory, we're airing his interview recorded and originally aired on Jan. 4, 2023. Link to original podcast. כּבֿוד זײַן אַנדענק!‬

Music:


Wolf Krakowsky: Yeder Ruft Mikh Ziamele
Leahke Post: Yidish Redt Zikh Azoy Sheyn
Yugntruf: Youth for Yiddish: Yiddish (Vaserl)
Tzimmes: Oyfn Pripetshik
Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz

Air date: February 7, 2024

In observance of International Holocaust Rememberance Day (Jan. 27) we're listening to and discussing Silent Tears: The Last Yiddish Tango, the acclaimed 2023 CD with new music and songs based on poetry and other writing by several women who are, or were, Holocaust survivors in Toronto. These songs recall their terrible and traumatic experiences during the Holocaust, including sexual abuse and torture. Some of the songs were collected and adapted by Dr. Paula David, a social worker, from a group of survivors in the Terrace Holocaust Survivors Group at the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care in Toronto who wrote poetry together to deal with their trauma. Others were adapted from the diary of Molly Applebaum, a Holocaust survivor in Toronto. The music, which is mostly new for this CD, is performed by Toronto's Payadora Tango Ensemble along with several soloists. Our guest to discuss Silent Tears is Vicky Ash-Shifris. She lives in Jerusalem and works as a Yiddish teacher and translator. She translated four of the songs on the CD into Yiddish. For additional info on Silent Tears, visit Executive Producer Dan Rosenberg's website: https://danrosenberg.net/silent_tears_the_last_yiddish_tango_info_and_press or, to audition and purchase the CD, visit its Six Degrees Records album page: https://payadoratangoensemble.bandcamp.com/album/silent-tears-the-last-yiddish-tango

Music:


Aviva Chernick with Payadora Tango Ensemble: Silent Tears (Words: Terrace Holocaust Survivors Group, Paula David, Dan Rosenberg; Music: Rebekah Wolkstein)
Aviva Chernick with Payadora Tango Ensemble: The Numbers on My Arm (Words: Terrace Holocaust Survivors Group, Paula David, Dan Rosenberg; Music: Rebekah Wolkstein)
Aviva Chernick and Olga Avigail Mieleszczuk with Payadora Tango Ensemble: Don't Let Us Starve (Words: Molly Applebaum, Dan Rosenberg; Music: Artur Gold)
Lenka Lichtenberg: A Victim Of Mengele (Words: Terrace Holocaust Survivors Group, Paula David, Dan Rosenberg; Music: Rebekah Wolkstein)
Henry Carrey: Tu Beshvat (Music and Lyrics by Beyle Schaechter-Gottesman)
Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz

Air date: January 24, 2024

Last week, we received via Facebook the sad news that Avrohom Fuchs has died at the age of 99. He was buried in Jerusalem on Jan. 15, 2024. In his memory, we're airing part of an interview recorded in Jerusalem on Jan. 2, 2015, and originally aired Jan. 21, 2015. Fuchs, who survived the Holocaust, including Auschwitz and Ebensee, was a scholar of the Jewish history of the Carpathian Mountains, as well as a travel agent and guide who led over 35 tours to the Carpathians for former residents and their descendents. He wrote a book on the city of Chust (now Khust, Ukraine) and surrounding towns, as well as a book on his hometown Shandriff (now Oleksandrivka, Ukraine) and numerous articles. ‫כּבֿוד זײַן אַנדענק!‬

From our archives: Miriam Libenson Z"L: a talk in honor of the holiday Tu Bishvat, the holiday of the trees, originally broadcast in 1994.

Music:


Cantor Bela Herskowitz: Szól A Kakas Már (Der Hun Kriet Shoyn)
Victor Berezinsky: Tu Bishvat
Ruth Levin: A Hoykher Boym (Lyrics Shike Driz, Music by Leibu Levin)
Hilda Bronstein: Afn Veg Shteyt A Boym (Lyrics by Itzik Manger)
Dudu Fisher: Unter Beymer (Lyrics by Alexander Olshanetsky, Music by Moishe Oysher)
Pharaoh's Daughter/Basya Schechter: Mayn Lid (My Song) and Ikh un Du (Lyrics by Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, Music by Basya Schechter)
Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz

Air date: January 17, 2024