Part 31

[46] The love for songs is very old with the German Jews. Steinschneider's catalogue in the _Serapeum_ mentions a very large number of songs. See also L. Löwenstein, _Jüdische und jüdisch-deutsche Lieder_, in _Jubelschrift zu Ehren des Dr. Hildesheimer_, Berlin, 1890, pp. 126 ff., and under the same title, in _Monatschrift für Geschichte und Wissenschaft des Judenthums_, Vol. XXXVIII. pp. 78-89; A. Neubauer, _Jüdisch-deutsches Weingedicht_, in _Israelit Letterbode_, Vol. XII. 1. p. 13 ff. But the most thorough work is by F. Rosenberg, _Ueber eine Sammlung deutscher Volks-und Gesellschafts-lieder in hebräischen Lettern_, Berlin, 1888, 8vo, 84 pp. That the modern songs are set to music is generally indicated in the title-pages or the introductions to the printed collections, as, for example, Lieder zu singen mit sēhr schoene Melodien; Schoen zum Singen un' zum Lesen; Mit sēhr schoene Melodien. In one of his books Zunser (see pp. 90 ff.) informs us:

Ōb ihr lejent in Büchel meine Lieder, Un' die Melodie hāt män euch nit übergegeben, Is' dās wie a photographische Bild, liebe Brüder,-- Dacht sich, Alles richtig, nor es fehlt Leben. INTRODUCTION TO HAMNAGEEN.

While another, B. Z. Rabinowitsch (in _Disput vun a Schüler mit a Klausnik_), thinks he must offer an apology for not having composed a tune for his poem:

Mit wās far a Melodie ihr wet spielen, Wöllen die Wörter gewiss nāchtanzen!

Zunser, who did not scruple to make use of other people's property (see p. 92), objects, in _Kol-rina_, to the people's appropriation of his songs in the following words:

Wie me hāt mich gehört a Māl zu zwēi, Is' schōn gewe'n auf morgen geschrieben bei see: Es hāt mir vardrossen sejer Müh', 'chleben, Un' hāb' see besser a fartigen, a gedruckten gegeben.

[47] _Voschod_, 1886, No. 5.

[48] The only collection of Judeo-German poetry accessible to those who do not read the Hebrew type is G. H. Dalman's _Jüdisch-deutsche Volkslieder aus Galizien und Russland_, Zweite Auflage, Berlin, 1891, 8vo, 74 pp.; unfortunately there are a number of errors in it that destroy the sense of some lines. See also L. Wiener, _Popular Poetry of the Russian Jews_, in _Americana Germanica_, Vol. II. No. 2 (1898), pp. 33-59, on which the present chapter is based.

[49] His poems have been printed in the following periodicals: _Kolmewasser_, Vol. I. Nos. 4, 5, 6 (_Dās Gräber-lied_) _et seq._; _Warschauer jüdische Zeitung_; _Jisrulik_, No. 13; _Jüd. Volksblatt_, Vol. II. No. 10; _Wecker_, pp. 26-29; _Jüd. Volksbibliothēk_, pp. 148-153.

[50] Katzenellenbogen, _Jüdische Melodien_ (_q.v._), p. 55, note.

[51] This I merely surmise, from the statement in the _Sseefer Sikorōn_, that he wrote it in 1863, in Kiev, though it is probable that he did not print it before 1869. For biography of Linetzki, see pp. 161 ff.

[52] For short notices of Gordon and his work, see B. Woloderski, _A kurze Biographie vun Michel Gordon_, in _Hausfreund_, Vol. II. pp. 147-149, and necrology in _Hausfreund_, Vol. III. p. 312.

[53] Other poems by M. Gordon than those contained in his collective volume are to be found in _Jüd. Volksblatt_, Vol. VIII. (Beilage) pp. 93, 94, 362, 363; Vol. IX. No. 16; _Hausfreund_, Vol. I. pp. 39-43; Vol. II. pp. 73-75, 261-264; _Familienfreund_, Vol. I. pp. 3-6.

[54] In this conjunction a few of the very many cradle songs will be mentioned here as an offset to the statement, frequently heard, that the Jews have no songs of that character; in the chapter on the traditional folksongs there have been mentioned a few such; add to these the one given in _Mitteilungen der Gesellschaft für jüdische Volkskunde_, Heft II. p. 49. Of the literary cradle songs, the best are Abramowitsch's _Alululu, bidne Kind, Wēh is' der Mame, wēh und wünd_ (in _Dās klēine Menschele_, p. 121); Linetzki's _Varschliess schōn deine Äugen_ (in _Der bœser Marschelik_, p. 66); Goldfaden's _Schlāf' in Freuden, Du wēisst kēin Leiden_ (in _Die Jüdene_, p. 6); S. Rabinowitsch's _Schlāf', mein Kind_ (with music, in his _Kol-mewasser_, col. 25, 26).

[55] Some of Goldfaden's poems may be found in: _Kol-mewasser_; _Jisrulik_; _Wecker_, pp. 7-15, 56-62; _Der jüdischer Handelskalender_, pp. 114-118; _Familienfreund_, Vol. I. pp. 27-35, Vol. II. pp. 57-59; _Hausfreund_, Vol. II. pp. 5-7; _Volksbibliothēk_, Vol. II. pp. 188, 247, 267, 268; _Dās hēilige Land_, pp. 25-29; _New Yorker Illustrirte Zeitung_.

[56] A song expressive of this sentiment, under the title _Unsere liebe Schwester un' Brüder_, appeared in _Jüd. Volksblatt_, Vol. I. (1881), No. 2. Other poems were printed in the same year in Nos. 1 and 5; another poem was printed in _Jüd. Volksbibliothēk_, Vol. I. pp. 295, 296. A review of his collected poems is given in _Voschod_, Vol. VI. (1886), Part. II. pp. 26-31. For necrology see _Hausfreund_, Vol. III. p. 312.

[57] Cf. Abrahams, _Jewish Life in the Middle Ages_, pp. 198 ff. It is not uncommon in Judeo-German literature to meet with the description of the old-fashioned badchen and his craft, but probably the best illustrations of his performances are to be found in the following works: Linetzki, _Dās chsidische Jüngel_, pp. 94 ff.; Gottlober, _Dās Decktuch_, pp. 43 ff. (2d act, 2d scene); _Der krummer Maschelik mit a blind Äug'_, Es is' sēhr schoen zu lejenen die Lieder, wās der Marschelik hāt gesungen, un' wie er hāt Chossen-kale besungen, un' see sennen noch kēin Mal nit gedruckt gewor'en: Kukariku! Der Marschelik is' dā, Warsaw, 1875; U. Kalmus, _Geschichte vun a seltenem Bris un' a genarrte Chassene_, _Theater in vier Akten_, Warsaw, 1882, pp. 65-72.

[58] In addition to the large number of collective books of poetry, Zunser has published his poems in: _Jüd. Volksblatt_, Vol. V. pp. 51, 67; Wecker, pp. 74-88; _Familienfreund_, Vol. I. pp. 6-27; _Hausfreund_, Vol. II. pp. 99-108; Spektor's _Familienkalender_, Vol. IV. pp. 94-103; _Jüd. Volksbib._, Vol. I. pp. 273, 274; _Dās hēil. Land_, pp. 134-141.

[59] Other works by Zweifel than those given in the Bibliography are: _Hausfreund_, Vol. I. pp. 73-78, Vol. II. pp. 143-145; Spektor's _Familienkalender_, Vol. II. pp. 82-87; _Jüd. Volksbibl._, Vol. I. pp. 48-61, Vol. II. pp. 132-135.

[60] For note on Abramowitsch, see pp. 148 ff.

[61] Mordechai Suchostawer, _Der wōler Eeze-geber_, in _Jüd. Volksblatt_, Vol. V. p. 310.

[62] Several of the poems contained in the volume of his poetry had appeared before: _Jüd. Volksblatt_, Vol. I. No. 12, Vol. V. pp. 239, 357, Vol. VI. pp. 83, 717 ff.; _Familienfreund_, Vol. I. pp. 86-93. The Astor Library of New York possesses a manuscript of Ettinger's fables.

[63] Vol. IV. p. 175.

[64] This is also true of the poets who contributed to '_Der jüdischer Wecker_,' a similar volume published in the same year at Odessa.

[65] His poems were printed in: _Jüd. Volksblatt_, Vol. V. p. 515; Vol. VII. No. 36; Vol. VIII. No. 10; Beilage No. 3 passim; Vol. IX. No. 3 passim; _Hausfreund_, Vol. I. p. 44; Vol. III. pp. 172-175 (_On the death of M. Gordon_); _Jüd. Volksbib_, Vol. I. pp. 260-263; Vol. II. pp. 1-6, 120-125, 139-141, 167-168, 195-204; _Jüd. Volkskalender_, Vol. III. pp. 117-124.

[66] _Jüd. Volksbib._ Vol. I. pp. 148-158; better than this is his own edition of the ballad in a separate pamphlet (_q.v._).

[67] _Jüd. Bibliothēk_, Vol. II. pp. 170-180.

[68] _Ibid._, Vol. III. pp. 123-155.

[69] _Ibid._, Vol. I. pp. 246-257.

[70] _Ibid._, Vol. I. pp. 276-285.

[71] _Jontew-blättlech_, _Zweite Serie_, _Ōneg Schabes_, pp. 27-31, _Chamischo Osser_, pp. 22-31.

[72] His legend _Ophir_, printed in _Jüd. Volksbib._, Vol. I. pp. 211-224.

[73] His poems appeared in _Jüd. Volksblatt_, Vol. I. Nos. 10, 11; Vol. II. Nos. 9, 46; Vol. III pp. 402; Vol. IV. p. 94; Vol. V. pp. 565, 664; Vol. VI. pp. 190, 195; Vol. VII. pp. 277, 759; _Hausfreund_, Vol. III. pp. 304-306; Spektor's _Familienkalender_, Vol. V. p. 71; _Lamteren_, col. 26.

[74] B. Lesselroth, _Polnische vollkommene Grammatik in jüdisch-deutscher Sprache, für solche, die diese Wissenschaft ohne Hilfe eines Lehrers erlernen wollen_, Warsaw, 1824, 16mo, 76 pp.

[75] This is the name given by Gottlober in his _Sichrōnes_, in _Jüd. Volksbib._, Vol. I. p. 255, for the author of the 'Columbus,' but it appears that it was Günsburg who wrote it in Hebrew; and as in the Judeo-German translation the translator speaks of having translated this work from his Hebrew form, it is likely that Günsburg ought to be substituted for Hurwitz. There are four copies of that work in the Harvard Library. Two of them are late remodellings; the other two have no title-pages and seem to have had none, so that I cannot ascertain the dates of their printing.

[76] J. B. Levinsohn, _Die hefker Welt_, in _Jüd. Volksbib._, Vol. I. pp. 133-147. His biography is given in the same place, by B. Natansohn, on pp. 122-132. Both together are to be found in Natansohn's _Die papierne Brück'_ (_q.v._).

[77] For review of his works see O. Lerner, _Kritičeskij razbor pojavivšichsja nedavno na evrejsko-německom žargoně sočinenij I. Aksenfelda_, etc., Odessa, 1868, 8vo, 15 pp.

[78] She was very fond of Jean Paul Richter, and it is not at all impossible that the peculiar humor contained in her husband's books is due to a transference of that author's style to the more primitive conditions of the Judeo-German novel. His was a gifted family: one of his sons became an artist, the other a famous professor of medicine at Paris.

[79] A. M. Dick, _Der erster Nabor_, etc., Wilna, 1871.

[80] Short biography in _Sseefer Sikorōn_, p. 97.

[81] For fuller information on the life and works of Abramowitsch see his autobiography in _Sseefer Sikorōn_, pp. 117-126; see also the references in the _Sistematičeskij ukazatel'_, p. 286, Nos. 4663-4669, of which No. 4665 is the most important.

[82] Translated into Russian by Petrikovski.

[83] Reviews of this work are in _Jüd. Volksblatt_, Vol. VIII. (Beilage), pp. 1385-1396, by J. Levi; and _Voschod_, 1889, Nos. 1, 2, 4, by M. G. Morgulis.

[84] Translated into Polish by Klemens Junosza.

[85] Translated into Polish by Klemens Junosza.

[86] His shorter stories have appeared in _Hausfreund_, Vol. I. pp. 128-134; Vol. III. pp. 1-9; Vol. IV. pp. 3-25; _Jüd. Volksbib._, Vol. II. pp. 7-93; _Jüd. Volkskalender_, Vol. III. pp. 53-64.

[87] Short notice of his works in _Sseefer Sikorōn_, pp. 59, 60; cf. also notices mentioned in _Sistematičeskij ukazatel_, p. 286, Nos. 4670-4672.

[88] Shorter stories have appeared in _Familienfreund_, Vol. I. pp. 84-86; _Hausfreund_, Vol. I. pp. 121-128; _Jüd. Volksbib._, Vol. I. pp. 62-92; Vol. II. pp. 98-119; _Volksfreund_, pp. 14-16.

[89] _Jüd. Volksbib._, Vol. I. pp. 62 ff.

[90] His name does not appear on any of the editions of his comedy. Early in the seventies he had turned his work over to Wollmann for publication; the latter surreptitiously published it over his own initials.

[91] Short mention in _Sseefer Sikorōn_, p. 26; necrology in _Hausfreund_, Vol. III. p. 312.

[92] _Der Schiwim-māhlzeit_, p. 10.

[93] Cf. S. Rabinowitsch, _Schomer's Mischpet_, and Seiffert's _Dās Tellerl vun 'm Himmel (Ein Entwer auf M. Schaikewitsch's Taines)_, in _Die neue Welt_, No. 5, pp. 11-21. To his detractors Schaikewitsch answered in his pamphlet _Jehi Ōr_. Other reviews in _Jüd. Volksblatt_, Vol. VIII. (Beilage), pp. 335-361, 455-467, 707-714, 738-743, 763-773.

[94] Cf. _Sseefer Sikorōn_, p. 80. Reviews of his works in _Voschod_, Vol. VII. No. 12, pp. 18-21; Vol. IX. No. 7, pp. 30-37.

[95] In addition to his separate works the following periodicals contain Spektor's stories: _Jüd. Volksblatt_, Vol. III. and following (very many); _Hausfreund_, Vol. I. pp. 109-121, Supplement; Vol. II. pp. 1-5, 116-143; Vol. III. pp. 9-28, 38-101, 149-172, 277-294; Vol. IV. pp. 81-95, 107-131; Vol. V. pp. 123-136; _Familienfreund_, Vol. II. pp. 66-91; Spektor's _Familienkalender_, Vol. II. pp. 51-54; Vol. III. pp. 81-85; Vol. IV. pp. 63-93; Vol. V. pp. 45-51, 52-58; _Widerkol_, pp. 19 ff.; _Jontewblāttlech_, I. Series, No. 3, 4, 9; _Klēiner Wecker_, pp. 43-48; _Literatur un' Leben_, pp. 67-89. Reviews by him, under the pseudonym _Emes_, in _Hausfreund_, Vol. I. pp. 143-160; Vol. II. pp. 170-176; Vol. III. pp. 251-260.

[96] In _Hausfreund_, Vol. I. p. 67; Vol. II pp. 108-116; _Jüd. Bibliothēk_, Vol. I. pp. 41-74.

[97] Other articles by him: _Jüd. Volksblatt_, Vol. V. pp. 329 ff.; Vol. VIII. (Beilage), pp. 33-43; _Hausfreund_, Vol. I. pp. 1-21; Vol. II. pp. 75-99; _Jüd. Volksbib._, Vol. I. pp. 244-248; _Jüd. Bibliothēk_, Supplements.

[98] _Hausfreund_, Vol. II. pp. 75-99.

[99] His stories, dramas, and poems have appeared in _Jüd. Volksblatt_, Vol. III. p. 387, hence continuously up to the ninth volume of that periodical; _Familienfreund_, Vol. I. pp. 73-84; _Hausfreund_, Vol. I. pp. 45-63; Vol. III. pp. 321-326; Vol. IV. pp. 63-81; Vol. V. pp. 97-123; _Jüd. Volksbib._, Vol. I. pp. 1-47, 241-243, 351-378; Vol. II. pp. 205-220, 304-310; _Wecker_, pp. 88-91.

[100] _Voschod_, Vol. VII. No. 6. Reviews of his other works are in _Voschod_, Vol. VII. Nos. 7, 8; Vol. VIII. No. 10, and in later numbers; of _Sender Blank_, by J. J. Lerner (unfavorable), in _Jüd. Volksbib._, Vol. VIII. (Beilage), No. 29, pp. 864-876, under the title _Lebendige Meessim_. Short mention of his works in _Sseefer Sikorōn_, p. 105.

[101] Other articles by Rabnizki in _Wecker_, pp. 62-74, 115-122; _Hēilige Land_, pp. 13-25.

[102] In his _Kol-mewasser_, col. 31-34.

[103] _Lokschen_ and _A Flōh vun Tischebow_; see Bibliography, under Frischmann.

[104] Frischmann's stories, reviews, and poems may be found in _Jüd. Volksblatt_, Vol. VIII. (Beilage), pp. 92, 93; Vol. IX. Nos. 23, 30, 32, 51, 52; _Familienfreund_, Vol. II. pp. 47-49; _Hausfreund_, Vol. II. pp. 22-25, 66-73, 151-170; Vol. III. pp. 175, 176; Vol. IV. pp. 167-176; Vol. V. pp. 7-21, 159-161; _Jüd. Volksbib._, Vol. I. pp. 211-224; _Handelskalender_, pp. 100-104.

[105] His stories appeared in _Jüd. Volksbib._, Vol. I. pp. 183-210; Vol. II. pp. 225-246; _Jüd. Volkskalender_, Vol. III. pp. 70-81.

[106] In addition to the very large number of stories, etc., in his own publications, Perez has contributed to _Jüd. Volksbib._, Vol. I. pp. 148-158; Vol. II. pp. 126-129, 136-138, 142-147, 167, 168, 195-204; _Hausfreund_, Vol. III. pp. 111-113, 179-181; _Handelskalender_, pp. 79-83, 105-113; _Klēiner Wecker_, pp. 25-29; _Jüd. Volkskalender_, Vol. III. pp. 105-111.

[107] In _Hausfreund_, Vol. V. pp. 136-145; Spektor's _Familienkalender_, Vol. V. pp. 45-51; _Widerkol_, pp. 5-18; _Jüd. Bibliothēk_, Vol. III. pp. 89-94; _Literatur un' Leben_, pp. 89-95; _Jontew-blāttlech_, No. 16.

[108] In _Hausfreund_, Vol. III. pp. 231-241, 265-277; _Jüd. Bibliothēk_, Vol. III. pp. 84-89; _Literatur un' Leben_, pp. 23-47, 163. _Jontew-blāttlech_, Nos. 1, 3, 20, 22, 24, 29; 2d Series, Nos. 1, 2, 5.

[109] In addition to his own publications see _Hausfreund_, Vol. III. pp. 294-304; _Jüd. Bibliothēk_, Vol. I. pp. 90-98; _Jontew-blāttlech_, Nos. 7, 8, 18.

[110] Since writing this, both the _Neuer Geist_ and _Die Zeit_ have ceased appearing.

[111] For the bibliography of the older plays see Steinschneider, in the _Serapeum_ (1848, '49, '64, '66, '69); _Ahasuerus_, Nos. 11 _a_, 387; _Purim-play_, No. 417; _Acta Esther_ (Ahas.), No. 17 (cf. _Litteraturblatt des Orients_, 1843, p. 59, and _Jüd. Litteratur_, in Ersch und Gruber, § XX. Anmerkung 36); _Action von König David und Goliath dem Philister_, No. 18; _Mechiras Josef_, No. 146. On the ancient theatre, see Abrahams, _Jewish Life_, pp. 260-272.

[112] pp. 36 ff.

[113] Part of the _Ahasuerus-play_, as given at present on the day of Purim, may be found in Abramowitsch's _Prizyw_, pp. 62-65.

[114] Cf. Dienesohn, _Herschele_, pp. 47 ff.

[115] Cf. Abramowitsch, _Prizyw_, p. 64: "Heunt is' Purim un' morgen is' aus, Gi't mir a Groschen un' stupt mich araus!"

[116] In _Die Jüdene_, _q.v._

[117] Cf. Abramsky, _Bomas Jischok_, which gives an account of that period.

[118] See _Die Jüdische Bühne_. (_The Jewish Stage._) _Herausgegeben zum 20 jährigen Jubiläum vun dem jüdischen Theater._ Publisher, J. Katzenellenbogen, New York, 1897; about 800 pages, irregularly marked. In this volume the most important contribution, though far from exhaustive, is by M. Seiffert, _Die Geschichte vun jüdischen Theater_, _In drei Zeit-perioden_, 47 pp. For the condition of the theatre at its beginning, in Roumania, see Abramsky, _Bomas Jischok_. For its later development cf. J. Lifschitz, _Dās jüdische Theater un' die jüdische Schauspieler_, _Rezensie über dās jüdische Theater in Warschau_, in _Jüd. Volksblatt_, Vol. VIII. (Beilage), pp. 773-784 (No. 26); Meisach, _Dās jüdische Theater_, in _Hausfreund_, Vol. I. pp. 160-165; _Unser Theater_, in _Jüd. Volkskalender_, Vol. III. pp. 81-86; Rombro, _Der jüdischer Theater in America_, in _Stādt-anzeiger_, No. I. pp. 5-9; No. II. pp. 8-13; J. Jaffa, _Der jüdischer Theater wie er is'_, in _Jüd.-Amer. Volkskalender_, 1895-96, pp. 60-63. See also the bibliography in _Sistematičeskij ukazatel'_, p. 211 (Nos. 3137-3149), and pp. 286, 287 (Nos. 4675 and 4676).

[119] This is a common saying for an impossible thing.

[120] Published by Copeland and Day; with permission of the publishers.