The 'Yiddish Voice' Podcast

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

Highlights: Mikhl Yashinsky discusses his new Yiddish-language plan די בשׂורה לויט חיים (The Gospel According to Chaim / Di Psure Loyt Khaim), which is based on the true-life figure Chaim Einspruch, who translated the New Testament into Yiddish. When Einspruch tried to publish his book during the early 1940's, he was refused by every Yiddish printer, so learned how to do his own printing and published his work himself in 1941. The play is being performed under the auspices of New Yiddish Rep and is set to run through Jan 7, 2024. Tickets and info: https://www.newyiddishrep.org Yashinsky was previously interviewed on the The Yiddish Voice when he performed in Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish in 2018. That interview is available here: https://podcast.yv.org/episodes/daniel-kahn-michael-yashinsky-yiddish-fiddler-on-the-roof See also Yashinsky's website and Twitter/X Sholem Beinfeld, cohost of The Yiddish Voice and Professor of History, Emeritus, of Washington University, St. Louis, gives an analysis of Israel's war with Hamas in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 massacre. (Note: repeated from previous broadcast of The Yiddish Voice, Dec. 21, 2023) Highlights from Kann Yiddish, the Israeli national broadcaster's weekly Yiddish radio show, presented by cohosts Avremi Zaks and Mikhoel Felsenbaum. Thanks to Kann Yiddish. Visit Kann Yiddish / כאן יידיש for archived broadcasts. You can also subscribe to their podcast via their RSS feed. Music: Moshe Stern: Undzer Eygn Land Moshe Stern: A Gezang Tzu Yisroel Rina Gordon: Far Nakht In Yerusholayim (words: Zalman Shazar) Moshe Stern: Ver Bistu Mentsh Uri Zifroni: A Briv Fun Tel Aviv Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air Date: December 28, 2023

Highlights: Sholem Beinfeld, cohost of The Yiddish Voice and Professor of History, Emeritus, of Washington University, St. Louis, gives an analysis of Israel's war with Hamas in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 massacre. Hershl Hartman passed away last week, Monday, December 11, 2023, a few days after his 94th birthday. In his memory we are reairing our interview with him, discussing his work as a Yiddish journalist, an educator in secular Yiddish-oriented schools, and a translator from Yiddish to English. Hershl Hartman was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1929. The interview was originally aired July 28, 2021. For the original broadcast/podcast, including more extensive notes, visit: https://podcast.yv.org/episodes/hershl-hartman Music: Moshe Stern: Undzer Eygn Land Moshe Stern: A Gezang Tzu Yisroel Rina Gordon: Far Nakht In Yerusholayim (words: Zalman Shazar) Moshe Stern: Ver Bistu Mentsh Uri Zifroni: A Briv Fun Tel Aviv Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air Date: December 21, 2023

Interview with Berele Messinger, an Israeli member of ZAKA who was on the scene in Kibbutz Be'eri the day after the October 7 massacre. We reached him by WhatsApp on Nov. 29, 2023. Music: Moshe Stern: A Gezang Tzu Yisroel Rina Gordon: Far Nakht In Yerusholayim (words: Zalman Shazar) Moshe Stern: Undzer Eygn Land Moshe Stern: Ver Bistu Mentsh Moyshe Oisher: Broches far Khanike Pripetshik Singers: S'iz Khanike Haynt Essential Voices USA: Borukh Ate Zingt der Tate Pripetshik Singers: Kinder, Haynt Iz Khanike Seymour Silbermintz & The Boys: Haneiros Hallolu - Chanuko Martha Schlamme: Khanike Oy Khanike New England Conservatory Chorus: Al Hanisim Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air Date: November 29, 2023

Highlights of this week's show: Interview with freygl gertsovski, who founded Queer Yiddish Camp, on the upcoming cabaret fundraiser to benefit Queer Yiddish Camp taking place Sun., Dec. 3, 2023, 2 PM Eastern, on Zoom. Info and tickets online here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/radyiddish/1025964 We spoke via Whatsapp on Nov. 6, 2023. Interviews with four Holocaust survivors about Israel and antisemitism in the wake of the Oct. 7 terror attack and the current war in Israel. Gitu Cycowitz, Jerusalem Naftali Deutsch, Los Angeles Irene Zisblatt, Boca Raton, FL Judy Altmann, Stamford, CT All happened to be born in Subcarpathian Ruthenia in Czechoslovakia before WWII. We spoke with them all by phone on Nov. 8, 2023. The interviews are interspersed with Yiddish song recordings from and mostly about Israel from various performers. (See credits below.) Music/recordings: Dovid Esheth: Yerusholayim Shtot fun Gold Dovid Esheth: Tsu Sholem Mir Shtreben Richard Inger: Israel Leo Fuld: Vi Ahin Zol Ikh Geyn Yakov Sandler: Tel Aviv Dovid Esheth: Shrayb a Brivl Mayn Kind Dovid Esheth: Adurkh in Oysgus fun Tiran Richard Inger: S'vet Zayn Gut Dovid Esheth: Der Krigs-Shofer Dovid Esheth: Halt Mir dem Finger Mazldik Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air date: November 8, 2023

‫מיר טרויערן נאָך די מער ווי 1,400 מענטשן שוידערלעך אומגעבראַכט פֿון דער טעראָר-גרופּע כאַמאַס אין ישׂראל דעם 7טן אַקטאָבער 2023. מיר זאָרגן זיך זייער וועגן די פֿאַרוווּנדעטע, זאָלן זיי אַלע האָבן אַ רפֿואה־שלמה, ווי אויך וועגן די פֿאַרכאַפּטע, זאָלן זיי אַלע צוריקקומען אַהיים בשלום.‬‬ ‫ ‫הערט אינטערוויוען מיט ישׂראלים וועגן דער טעראַר-אַטאַקע און דער איצטיקער מלחמה אין ישׂראל:‬ אלי שאַרפֿשטיין Eli Sharfstein (Spoke by WhatsApp Thursday, Oct. 26, 2023) בעלאַ בריקס-קלײַן Bella Bryks-Klein (Spoke by phone Monday, Oct. 30, 2023) וויקי שיפֿריס Viki Shifris (Spoke on Zoom Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023) מרים טרין Miriam Trinh (Spoke on Zoom Monday, Oct. 30, 2023) ‫ We mourn the more than 1,400 people horribly murdered by the terror group Hamas in Israel on October 7, 2023. We are deeply concerned for the wounded -- may they all be restored to health, and the captives -- may they all get home safely. Hear interviews with Israelis about the terror attack and the current war in Israel. Music: Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air date: November 1, 2023

‫מיר טרויערן נאָך די מער ווי 1,400 מענטשן שוידערלעך אומגעבראַכט פֿון דער טעראָר-גרופּע כאַמאַס אין ישׂראל דעם 7טן אַקטאָבער 2023. מיר זאָרגן זיך זייער וועגן די פֿאַרוווּנדעטע, זאָלן זיי אַלע האָבן אַ רפֿואה־שלמה, ווי אויך וועגן די פֿאַרכאַפּטע, זאָלן זיי אַלע צוריקקומען אַהיים בשלום.‬‬ ‫ ‫הערט אַן אינטערוויו מיט דניאל גלאי וועגן דער טעראַר-אַטאַקע און דער איצטיקער מלחמה אין ישׂראל. גלאי איז אַ קאָמפּאָזיטאָר, דראַמאַטורג,כּלל-טוער פֿאַר ייִדיש, ייִדיש-פּעדאַגאָג און -שרײַבער, און פֿאָרזיצער פֿון לייוויק-הויז אין תּל-אָבֿיבֿ. ווײַטערדיקע אינֿאָ אָנלײַן:‬ https://www.leyvik.com Leyvik House on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leyvikmail/ FORUM 21 On behalf of the Ashkenazi Heritage and Identity - English ‫רעקאָרדירט דורך טעלעפֿאָן און וואָטסאַפּ דעם 25סטן אָקט׳ 2023.‬ We mourn the more than 1,400 people horribly murdered by the terror group Hamas in Israel on October 7, 2023. We are deeply concerned for the wounded -- may they all be restored to health, and the captives -- may they all get home safely. Hear an interview with Daniel Galay about the terror attack and the current war in Israel. Galay is a composer, playwright, Yiddish activist, educator, and writer, and Chairman of Leyvik House Yiddish Cultural Center in Tel Aviv. Additional info online: https://www.leyvik.com Leyvik House on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leyvikmail/ FORUM 21 On behalf of the Ashkenazi Heritage and Identity - English Recorded via phone and Whatsapp on Oct. 25, 2023. The interview is interspersed with Yiddish recordings from and mostly about Israel from various performers. (See credits below.) Music/recordings: Dovid Esheth: Yerusholayim Shtot fun Gold Dovid Esheth: Tsu Sholem Mir Shtreben Richard Inger: Israel Leo Fuld: Vi Ahin Zol Ikh Geyn Yakov Sandler: Tel Aviv Dovid Esheth: Shrayb a Brivl Mayn Kind Dovid Esheth: Adurkh in Oysgus fun Tiran Richard Inger: S'vet Zayn Gut Chana Rovina: Kh'hob Zikh Yorn Gevalgerts in der Fremd (reading of poem by Itzik Manger) Dovid Esheth: Yerusholayim Shtot fun Ayzn Dovid Esheth: Der Krigs-Shofer Dovid Esheth: Halt Mir dem Finger Mazldik Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air date: October 25, 2023

‫מיר טרויערן נאָך די מער ווי 1,200 מענטשן שוידערלעך אומגעבראַכט פֿון דער טעראָר-גרופּע כאַמאַס אין ישׂראל דעם 7טן אַקטאָבער 2023. מיר זאָרגן זיך זייער וועגן די פֿאַרוווּנדעטע, זאָלן זיי אַלע האָבן אַ רפֿואה־שלמה, ווי אויך וועגן די פֿאַרכאַפּטע, זאָלן זיי אַלע צוריקקומען אַהיים בשלום.‬ ‫ הערט אַ קאַמענטאַר פֿונעם היסטאָריקער פּראָפֿ׳ שלום ביינפֿעלד, אַ באַריכט פֿון ישׂראל פֿונעם ייִדיש-ראַדיאָ פּרעזענטירער אבֿרהמי זאַקס און אַ דיסקוסיע וועגן דער טעראַר-אַטאַקע און דער איצטיקער מלחמה אין ישׂראל.‬ We mourn the more than 1,200 people horribly murdered by the terror group Hamas in Israel on October 7, 2023. We are deeply concerned for the wounded -- may they all be restored to health, and the captives -- may they all get home safely. Hear commentary by historian Sholem Beinfeld, a report from Israel by Yiddish radio presenter Avremi Zaks, and a discussion about the terror attack and the current war in Israel. Music: Sholom Katz: Shalom Shalom Yisroel Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air date: October 11, 2023

This week, greetings for חול המועד סוכּות (Chol Hamoed Succos) from friends, participants, and sponsors of The Yiddish Voice / דאָס ייִדישע קול, combined with Succos Vort and two interviews, and then a great deal of music appropriate for Yom Tov days of Succos/Shemini Atseres/Simchas Torah! אַ גוט, געבענטשט יאָר אַלע אונדזערע צוהערער אַ גוט קוויטל און אַ גמר חתימה טובֿה Highlights: Greetings from Judy Altmann, Holocaust survivor originally from Jasina, Czechoslovakia. Greetings from Leyzer Maimon, Holocaust survivor originally from Bilgoray, Poland, and leader of Young Israel of Mill Basin (Brooklyn, NY). Featured Vort for Chol Hamoed Succos by Rabbi Yitzchok-Boruch Teitelbaum, Kiryas Joel, NY, also known as the Pshisker Rebbe. Dovid Lenga, Holocaust survivor originally from Lodz, Poland. Greetings on behalf of the American Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Descendants of Greater Boston, featuring members Tania Lefman (Treasurer), Mary Ehrlich, Joyce Levin, Rosalie Reszelbach, and Janet Stein (President). Greetings from Eli Dovek ז״ל, late proprietor of our sponsor Israel Bookshop, Brookline, MA (from 2009). Featured interview with Kolya Borodulin, discussing the latest Arbeter-Ring Yiddish classes, starting soon. Info here: circle.org/yiddish. Featured interview with Hy Wolfe, discussing latest happenings at Yiddish organizations he's involved with, namely, Hebrew Actors Foundation, Sholem Aleichem Cultural Center (Bronx), and CYCO Yiddish Books, not to mention his own career as a singer and actor in both Yiddish and English. Music: Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Numerous songs for Yom Tov days of Succos/Shemini Atseres/Simchas Torah Air date: October 4, 2023

This week, greetings for גמר חתימה טובֿה (Gmar Chassima Toyve, a good final sealing) from friends, participants, and sponsors of The Yiddish Voice / דאָס ייִדישע קול, combined with an excellent "Best of Succos" program from our archive (2019) with various presenters and lots of Succos music. אַ גוט, געבענטשט יאָר אַלע אונדזערע צוהערער אַ גוט קוויטל און אַ גמר חתימה טובֿה Highlights: Greetings from Judy Altmann, Holocaust survivor originally from Jasina, Czechoslovakia. Greetings from Leyzer Maimon, Holocaust survivor originally from Bilgoray, Poland, and leader of Young Israel of Mill Basin (Brooklyn, NY). Greetings from Rabbi Yitzchok-Boruch Teitelbaum, Kiryas Joel, NY, also known as the Pshisker Rebbe. Dovid Lenga, Holocaust survivor originally from Lodz, Poland. Greetings on behalf of the American Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Descendants of Greater Boston, featuring members Tania Lefman (Treasurer), Mary Ehrlich, Joyce Levin, Rosalie Reszelbach, and Janet Stein (President). Greetings from Eli Dovek ז״ל, late proprietor of our sponsor Israel Bookshop, Brookline, MA (from 2009). Best of Succos (2019) - highlights our archive of past Succos programs with various guests, including Miriam Libenson, Myer Loketch, and Izchak Kin, and music. Music: Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air date: September 27, 2023

This week, greetings for Rosh Hashona from friends, participants, and sponsors of The Yiddish Voice / דאָס ייִדישע קול, combined with an excellent interview from our archive with Rabbi Moshe Kesselman (2022). אַ גוט, געבענטשט יאָר אַלע אונדזערע צוהערער אַ גוט קוויטל און אַ לײַכטן תּענית - גמר חתימה טובֿה Highlights: Greetings from Judy Altmann, Holocaust survivor originally from Jasina, Czechoslovakia. Greetings from Leyzer Maimon, Holocaust survivor originally from Bilgoray, Poland, and leader of Young Israel of Mill Basin (Brooklyn, NY). Greetings from Rabbi Yitzchok-Boruch Teitelbaum, Kiryas Joel, NY, also known as the Pshisker Rebbe. Dovid Lenga, Holocaust survivor originally from Lodz, Poland. Greetings on behalf of the American Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Descendants of Greater Boston, featuring members Tania Lefman (Treasurer), Mary Ehrlich, Joyce Levin, Rosalie Reszelbach, and Janet Stein (President). Greetings on behalf of the League for Yiddish / די ייִדיש-ליגע by Gitl Schaechter-Viswanath, Board Chair. Greetings from Eli Dovek ז״ל, late proprietor of our sponsor Israel Bookshop, Brookline, MA (from 2009). Greetings from Leah Shporer-Leavitt, co-host. Greeting from Sholem Beinfeld, co-host. Interview with Rabbi Moshe Kesselman, spiritual leader of Congregation Shaarei Tefila of Los Angeles. From our archive: originally aired September 21, 2022. Music: Music for High Holidays, including Cantor Simcha Koussevitzky: Zochreinu L'Chayim, and many more. Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air date: September 20, 2023

This week, greetings for Rosh Hashona from friends, participants, and sponsors of The Yiddish Voice / דאָס ייִדישע קול, combined with an exciting new interviews with Rabbi Avrohom Marmorstein as well as an encore presentation on the High Holidays by Miriam Libenson ז״ל from the archive of our predecessor show די ייִדישע שעה from 1992. אַ גוט, געבענטשט יאָר אַלע אונדזערע צוהערער לשנה טובֿה Highlights: Greetings on behalf of the American Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Descendants of Greater Boston, featuring members Tania Lefman (Treasurer), Mary Ehrlich, Joyce Levin, Rosalie Reszelbach, and Janet Stein (President). Interview with Rabbi Avrohom Marmorstein, director of Mehadrin Kashrus and spiritual leader of Kehal Minchas Chinuch, both in Manhattan. Greetings on behalf of the League for Yiddish / די ייִדיש-ליגע by Gitl Schaechter-Viswanath, Board Chair. Greetings from Eli Dovek ז״ל, late proprietor of our sponsor Israel Bookshop, Brookline, MA. Greetings from Leah Shporer-Leavitt, co-host. Greeting from Sholem Beinfeld, co-host. Miriam Libenson ז״ל: Rosh Hashona/Yom Kippur - from the archive of our predecessor show די ייִדישע שעה. Originally recorded and aired on WBRS 100.1 FM (Waltham, MA) in 1992. Music: Cantor Simcha Koussevitzky: Zochreinu L'Chayim Goldie Malavsky: Zochreinu L'Chayim Leibele Waldman: Der Nayer Yor D. Meyrowitz: L'Shonoh Toivo Leibele Waldman: Shofar Shal Moshiach Samuel Malavsky's Family Choir: L'el Orech Din Moishe Oysher: Hayom Haras Olom (Rosh Hashana After Shofar Blown) Josef Rosenblatt: Melech Rachamon (Rosh Hashana Musaf) Mordechai Hershman: Al Chet Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air date: September 13, 2023

This week, greetings for Rosh Hashona from friends, participants, and sponsors of The Yiddish Voice / דאָס ייִדישע קול, combined with exciting new interviews with Rabbi Mordechai-Tzvi Solomon and Eli Grodko! אַ גוט, געבענטשט יאָר אַלע אונדזערע צוהערער לשנה טובֿה Highlights: Greetings on behalf of the American Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors and Descendants of Greater Boston, featuring members Tania Lefman (Treasurer), Mary Ehrlich, Joyce Levin, Rosalie Reszelbach, and Janet Stein (President). Interview with Eli Grodko, son-in-law of host/producer Mark David, talks about his path to Yiddish, intertwined with his former search for a wife, and shares advice for single people searching for a life partner. Greetings from Eli Dovek ז״ל, late proprietor of our sponsor Israel Bookshop, Brookline, MA. Greetings from Leah Shporer-Leavitt, co-host. Greeting from Sholem Beinfeld, co-host. Greetings on behalf of the League for Yiddish / די ייִדיש-ליגע by Gitl Schaechter-Viswanath, Board Chair. Interview with Rabbi Mordechai-Tzvi Solomon, world-renouned mohel, on the institution of Bris Millah. Info: http://brityy.org Music: Sholom Katz: Zochreinu L'Chayim Jennie Goldstein: Avinu Malkeynu Mordechai Hershman: Al Chet Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air date: September 6, 2023

Interview with Lily (ליליע) Weitzman and Jonah (יונה) Sidman, who recently led a workshop to teach songs created by them and others active in Yiddish language and culture activities around the Boston Workers Circle. The Yiddish Voice was on hand to record four songs sung by participants in the workshop they led, titled נײַע לידער פֿון באָסטאָן (New Songs from Boston), presented at the 2023 Yidish-Vokh, which took place earlier in August in Copake, NY, and was sponsored by the organization Yugntruf-Youth for Yiddish. These songs, as well as selected highlights from the workshop, were presented on this show. The four songs are (1) Levone-Mol by Lily Weitzmann; (2) In Hartsn Zol Undz Akhdes Zayn, Yiddish lyrics by Jonah Sidman, a translation of Let Union Be in All Our Hearts (traditional); (3) A Bletele Vert a Bletl by Adah Hetko; and (4) Eyn Kol, Yiddish lyrics by Linda Gritz, based on One Voice by Ruth Moody of The Wailin' Jennys. Weitzman and Sidman's creative Yiddish activities are an outgrowth of Di Nest, an incubator for Yiddish creative projects. For more information, visit https://circleboston.org/yiddish-community-informal-learning/#dinest. Music: Ben Zimet: Summertime Levyosn: Fisher Lid Daniel Kahn & The Painted Bird: Arbeter Froyen Mandy Patinkin: American Tune Leybele Waldman: Der Nayer Yor Aaron Lebedeff & Alexander Olshanetsky Orchestra: Vos Ken Yu Makh Es Iz Amerike Seymour Rexite: Battle Hymn of the Republic (in Yiddish) Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air date: August 30, 2023

This week, interviews with Nick Underwood and Dovid Braun! Interview with Nick Underwood on Yiddish Paris and Nick's book Yiddish Paris: Staging Nation and Community in Interwar France (Indiana University Press, 2022), which describes the rich Yiddish-speaking culture of emigrants from Eastern Europe in Paris during the interwar years. The interviewer is Sholem Beinfeld, cohost of The Yiddish Voice, co-chief editor of Comprehensive Yiddish-English Dictionary, and Professor of History, Emeritus, Washington University, St. Louis. Interview with Dovid Braun, Academic Advisor in Yiddish Language, Pedagogy, and Linguistics at the Max Weinreich Center at Yivo and academic director of YIVO’s summer program, who gives an update on recent and upcoming opportunities for Yiddish studies at YIVO. See YIVO.org's website for classes starting in early September, 2023. Music: Songs loosely related to the theme Yiddish Paris: Vira Lozinsky: In Pariz (À Paris) (Yiddish lyrics by Mikhoel Felsenbaum, translated from Francis Lemarque's original lyrics in French) Dave Cash: Paris New York Ana Vinocur: Dos Libn fun Pariz Dave Cash: Dave Cash fun Pariz Ludmila Shapira: Der Parizer Tango Dave Cash: S'faln di Bleter (Autumn Leaves) (Les Feuilles Mortes) Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air Date: August 23, 2023

This week, interviews with Yelena Shmulenson and Boris Sandler in memory of the August 12, 1952 tragedy known as Night of the Murdered Poets, when thirteen Soviet Jews, all leading intellectuals, five of whom were top Yiddish writers, were executed in the Lubianka Prison in Moscow on false charges of spying and treason. The charges were reexamined and admitted to have "no substance" by the Soviet authorities less than four years later. For more information on August 12 1952 and the history and tradition of its memorialization, see Rokhl Kafrissen's excellent 2019 article in Tablet Night of the Murdered Poets. Yelena Shmulenson discusses her theater piece "Night of the Murdered Poets", being presented in New York City on Thursday, August 10, 2023, sponsored by https://congressforjewishculture.org/, and how it relates to the tragedy of August 12, 1952, a/k/a the Night of the Murdered Poets Boris Sandler discusses his personal connection to the tragic events of August 12, 1952, as well as his main project, the monthly Yiddish journal Yiddish Branzhe. Links two of Sandler's books discussed in the interview: דער ענין נומער 5390: (פון די ק.ג.ב. ארכיוון) With a Mission to Moscow (Yiddish Edition) Music: songs with lyrics by some of those executed August 12, 1952, performed by Emil Gorovets, accompanied by Zalmen Mlotek, from the album Ikh Bin a Yid Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air Date: August 9, 2023

from our archive: Nathan Kasdan (נחום קאָזשדאַן), who died one year ago (JULY 14, 2022), gave us an extraordinary interview in 2013, which we've previously aired in 2013 and 2014 as well as in 2015. We recently learned that Nathan passed away, about a year ago. Considering Nathan's yahrtzeit, as well as the fact that it's erev Tisha B'Ov, we're re-airing our interview with Nathan again. from our archive: Miriam Libenson, our late-great resident poet and Yiddish presenter extraordinaire, discusses Tisha B'Ov, which occurs next week, as we're now in the 9 days from the beginning of the month of Ov. Music: Sholem Katz: Keil Molleh Rachamim Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air Date: July 19, 2023

This week, Gitl Schaechter-Viswanath and Rabbi Izchak Kin. Gitl Schaechter-Viswanath is chairperson of the League for Yiddish. She discusses the League for Yiddish's Words of the Week, specifically the recent week devoted to the armed uprising in Russia. We reached her by Zoom on June 9, 2023. Rabbi Izchak Kin talks about various memories of his personal life, starting with memories of Pesach in his childhood. Rav Kin is a Modzitzer chossid who now lives in Los Angeles but grew up in Israel. This previously unaired recording was made when we recorded Rav Kin's presentation for Pesach 2023. Music: Ben-Zion Shenker: a series of songs of the Modzitzer chassidim Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air Date: June 12, 2023

This week, Sholem Beinfeld discusses the recent uprising in Russia, and Avremi Zak and Meyer Hirshman discuss Israeli society and politics. Sholem Beinfeld was recorded on the day of broadcast (July 5, 2023). The first interview with Avremi Zak was by The Yiddish Voice on April 26, 2023. The second interview of Meyer Hirshman by Avremi Zak was by Kan Yiddish and originally aired on Israeli radio on June 30, 2023 -- thanks to Kan Yiddish, Avremi Zak, and Meyer Hirshman for this interview. Music: Michael Gaysinsky (Михаил Гайсинский): A Zemerl fun Haynt Michael Gaysinsky (Михаил Гайсинский): Figaro (by Rossini, adapted for Yiddish) Michael Gaysinsky (Михаил Гайсинский): Kinder Zaynen Mir Geven Jacqui Sussholz: Belts Jacqui Sussholz: Vu Nemt Men a Bisele Mazl Jacqui Sussholz: Yankele Jacqui Sussholz: Vos Geven Iz Geven Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air Date: June 5, 2023

The Yiddish Voice was in Israel earlier in June 2023 and had the opportunity to interview Avrom Novershtern, who is professor emeritus from the Yiddish Program at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and currently serves as the director of Beit Sholem Aleichem in Tel Aviv, a cultural center devoted to Yiddish and the Eastern European Jewish Heritage Topics discussed: About Beys Sholem Aleykhem - history, accomplishments, current activities (בית שלום עליכם) (Find on Facebook; Find on the Web). Yiddish writer Chaim Grade - an introduction. Women Writers Controversy - in 2021, Novershtern gave two lectures for YIVO, which resulted in some controversy with two online discussions in response. See links below. Novershtern's early home life in Argentina, and what brought him to Israel. Novershtern - Women Writers Controversy - Timeline and Links: Monday Jul 12, 2021: YIVO Yiddish Civilization Lecture: Yiddish Women Writers (Part 1) with Avraham Novershtern (In Yiddish) https://youtu.be/3wl81swZO2A Monday July 19, 2021: Vaybertaytsh podcast episode: Episode 54: Re: "Yiddish Women Writers" | ייִדישע שרײַבערינס / July 19, 2021 http://www.vaybertaytsh.com/episodes/2021/7/18/episode-54-re-yiddish-women-writers-hjhes Monday Jul 19, 2021: YIVO Yiddish Civilization Lecture: Yiddish Women Writers (Part 2) with Avraham Novershtern (In Yiddish) https://youtu.be/66iydt6dzg0 Thursday Jul 22, 2021: YIVO Yiddish Civilization Lecture: Women Writers in Yiddish Literature with Anita Norich and Karolina Szymaniak (In Yiddish) https://youtu.be/p2p_gt0EBIQ Music and Comedy Recordings, mostly in honor of July 4th, America's Independence Day: Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Mandy Patinkin: American Tune (Words&Music by Paul Simon) Seymour Rexite: Battle Hymn of the Republic in Yiddish Cantor Ari Brown: America Medley Yiddish Philharmonic Chorus: Amerike di Prekhtike Michel Rosenberg: Getzel at a Baseball Game Clara Gold: Telebende Furt Kein Amerika Moishe Oysher & Florence Weiss: Chasidic in America Air Date: June 28, 2023

Highlights: interview with Kolya Borodulin, Director of Yiddish Programming at Arbeter Ring (circle.org), talking about the Summer 2023 Yiddish course offerings currently starting or about to start online now. interview, part 2, with Mary Ehrlich, a Boston-area Holocaust survivor originally from Gedrevitsh (Giedraiciai in Lithuanian), a shtetl near Vilna (and closer to the Vilkomir). In Mary Ehrlich's first interview she talked about her childhood years up through the arrival of the Germans in 1941. In this, her second, interview Mary spoke of her later life, starting with the German takeover of Lithuania, including the lifesaving role played by a Lithuanian mother and her children, who hid Mary and her parents for most of the war, saving their lives. About ten years ago, Mary reunited with two of these children whose mother had saved her life, which was widely covered in the press. Here's a NY Post article: https://nypost.com/2011/11/24/holocaust-survivor-reunites-with-lost-friends-at-jfk/ Here's a Jerusalem Post article: https://www.jpost.com/jewish-world/jewish-features/holocaust-survivor-to-be-reunited-with-her-saviors For this interview we reached Mary by phone at her home in the Boston area on June 20, 2023. Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Outro instrumental music: Itzhak Perlman, Dov Seltzer, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra: Afn Veg Shteyt A Boym Air Date: June 21, 2023

Encore from our archive, from 2019, but enhanced for 2023 with Fathers Day music at the end. See original show notes here: https://podcast.yv.org/episodes/nechama-netali-gonen Air date: June 14, 2023

interview with Daniel Galay (דניאל גלאי), an Israeli composor, musician, translator, writer, educator, and Yiddish community leader and activist. He is chairman of Leyvik House, which publishes and sells books, in Yiddish and other languages, and serves as a Yiddish cultural center in Tel Aviv, housing Israel's Yiddish Writers Union. Born in Argentina in 1945 and raised in a Yiddish speaking home, Galay moved to Israel in 1965. In this interview, he talks about many of his life experiences and achievements as well as current interests and projects, including his recent Yiddish Intonation Youtube series, teaching Yiddish intonation for English-speaking Yiddish students, and about the "Ashkenazi Identity movement" he promotes in Israel and online. He also discusses Yiddish in Israel and offers comments on the recent book Yiddish in Israel, whose author, Rachel Rojanski, discussed the book on The Yiddish Voice/דאָס ייִדישע קול in 2021. This interview took place in Tel Aviv on June 4, 2023 Music: Michael Gaysinsky (Михаил Гайсинский): Es keytlt zikh di tsayt (lyrics by Boris Sandler, music by Alex Meif and Michael Gaysinsky) Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air Date: June 7, 2023

Encore from our archive, from 2019, but enhanced for 2023 with an announcement from our sponsor Boston Workers Circle: Boston Workers Circle presents FREEDOM IS A VERB: 25TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT: A Besere Velt Chorus with special guest Daniel Kahn. June 10, 2023, 7:30 PM ET - virtual and in person. Details at: circleboston.org/arts/ See original show notes here: https://podcast.yv.org/episodes/esia-friedman-part-2 Air date: May 31, 2023

Encore from our archive, from 2017, but enhanced for 2023 with an announcement from our sponsor Boston Workers Circle: Boston Workers Circle presents FREEDOM IS A VERB: 25TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT: A Besere Velt Chorus with special guest Daniel Kahn. June 10, 2023, 7:30 PM ET - virtual and in person. Details at: circleboston.org/arts/ See original show notes here: https://podcast.yv.org/episodes/itzchak-kin-shvues-yom-yerusholayim-shulman-and-cycowicz-trump-in-israel Air date: May 24, 2023

Interview with Elena Luchina (עלענאַ לוטשינאַ), who is the Yiddish instructor at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI, discussing her interesting background and current career at one of the leading Yiddish-language and Jewish-studies programs in the United States. Originally from Moscow, Yelena received her PhD in linguistics from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. She has taught Yiddish at U. Mich. since 2019. For more info, see Elena's U. Mich. faculty page or follow Elena's Instagram, @SimpleYiddish. The interview took place over Zoom on May 9, 2023, and was led by Sholem Beinfeld, regular contributor to The Yiddish Voice, co-Editor in Chief of the Comprehensive Yiddish-English Dictionary, and Professor of History, Emeritus, Washington University in St. Louis. From our archive: Miriam Libenson ז״ל discusses the upcoming holiday Shvues. Recorded and originally aired on The Yiddish Voice in the 1990's. Music: Chava Alberstein: Afn Pripetshik Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air date: May 17, 2023

We observe יום העצמאותּ Yom Haatsmaut with Avremi Zaks, whom we reached in Jerusalem, Israel, today: Avremi Zaks is the host of Kan Yiddish, which is sponsored by the National Authority for Yiddish Culture in Israel, and which is broadcast in Israel on public radio at frequencies 104.9 FM and 105.3 FM every Friday at 4 p.m. and on 101.5 FM at midnight from Saturday to Sunday. Audio archives of the Kan Yiddish radio show can be accessed online here: https://www.kan.org.il/radio/program.aspx/?progid=1136 See also their Facebook group: Yiddish Radio ייִדיש ראַדיאָ. Music: Barry Sisters: Exodus Dovid Eshet: Yerusholayim Shtot fun Gold (lyrics and music by Naomi Shemer) Shloimele Rothstein: In Erets Yisroel (music and lyrics by J. Rumshinsky) Air date: April 26 2023

Ben Lesser, a Holocaust survivor born in Cracow in 1928, describes his many ordeals and nearly miraculous survival of the Holocaust as a boy, from the beginning of the war in 1939 to liberation in 1945. Ben founded and runs, with his family, the The ZACHOR Holocaust Remembrance Foundation, dedicated to preserving the memory and spreading awareness of the Holocaust. He published his memoir Living a Life That Matters: from Nazi Nightmare to American Dream in 2012, and it's available for purchase in various formats at his foundation's website. Now in his mid-90's, Ben is still very active as a Holocaust educator, telling his story for groups around the world, mostly on Zoom in recent years. Music: Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Norbert Horowitz: Shtil di Nakht Khane Cooper: Shtiler, Shtiler Norbert Horowitz: Farvos Iz Der Himl Geven Nekhtn Loyter Chava Alberstein: Zog Nit Keynmol, words by Hirsh Glick, music by Dimitri Pokrass Matele Friedman ז״ל:Es Brent (Words and music by Mordkhe Gebirtig; recorded byThe Yiddish Voice on Jan 1, 2020) Abraham Brun: Vos Darfn Mir Veynen Dudu Fisher: Vu Ahin Zol Ikh Geyn Air Date: April 19, 2023

Happy Passover! ‫אַ זיסן און כּשרן פּסח!‬ Happy Passover and thanks to friends, participants, and sponsors of this show: Israel Book Shop (Eli Dovek ז״ל recorded Mar 28 2007) American Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors of Greater Boston (member and Holocaust survivor Mary Erlich), co-sponsor of Boston's 2023 In-Person and Virtual Community Holocaust Commemoration of Yom HaShoah, Sunday, April 16, 2023, at 2:00PM Eastern. Info and registration here: https://www.jcrcboston.org/event/annual-yom-hashoah-commemoration/ 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 Sholem Beinfeld, Cambridge, 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) Leser Maimon, Brooklyn, NY, Holocaust survivor and leader of Young Israel of Mill Basin Eli Grodko, New Millford, NJ, friend of the show Boston Workers Circle, Brookline, MA (Yiddish committee member Linda (Libe-Reyzl) Gritz) Hasia Segal ז״ל, late co-host of The Yiddish Voice / דאָס ייִדישע קול (recorded in 2012) Iosif Lakhman ז״ל, late co-host of The Yiddish Voice / דאָס ייִדישע קול (recorded in 2014) Featured speakers: Rabbi Yitzchok-Boruch Teitelbaum, Kiryas Joel, NY, also known as the Pshisker Rebbe, gives a greeting for Pesach and a short and interesting bit of Torah learning. Recorded Chol Hamoed Pesach during the day of Apr 11, 2023. Pinchas Gutter, Toronto, Canada, gives his account of surviving the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and Majdanek. Previously aired on The Yiddish Voice in 2022. Music: Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Cantor Moyshe Koussevitsky: Chad Gadyo Cantor Sholom Katz: El Moley Rachamim Norbert Horowitz: Shtil di Nakht Khane Cooper: Shtiler, Shtiler Norbert Horowitz: Farvos Iz Der Himl Geven Nekhtn Loyter Chava Alberstein: Zog Nit Keynmol, words by Hirsh Glick, music by Dimitri Pokrass Podcast release date: April 11, 2023 Air Date: April 12, 2023

Happy Passover! ‫אַ זיסן און כּשרן פּסח!‬ Happy Passover and thanks to friends, participants, and sponsors of this show: Israel Book Shop (Eli Dovek ז״ל recorded Mar 28 2007) American Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors of Greater Boston (member and Holocaust survivor Mary Erlich), co-sponsor of Boston's 2023 In-Person and Virtual Community Holocaust Commemoration of Yom HaShoah, Sunday, April 16, 2023, at 2:00PM Eastern. Info and registration here: https://www.jcrcboston.org/event/annual-yom-hashoah-commemoration/ 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 Sholem Beinfeld, Cambridge, 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) Leser Maimon, Brooklyn, NY, Holocaust survivor and leader of Young Israel of Mill Basin Eli Grodko, New Millford, NJ, friend of the show Boston Workers Circle, Brookline, MA (Yiddish committee member Linda (Libe-Reyzl) Gritz) Featured speakers: Rabbi Izchak Kin, Los Angeles, CA: a Modzitzer chossid, born in Jerusalem, he taught Torah and Talmud in Yiddish in Los Angeles for more than 40 years Gitu Cycowicz, Jerusalem: Gitu -- a/k/a Giselle (Gita) Cycowicz (née Friedman) -- who was born in 1927 in the town of Chust in the Carpathian Mountains, then part of Czechoslovakia, now in Ukraine, survived Auschwitz and other camps, later starting a new life in the USA, and eventually getting her PhD in psychology. In her later years, she moved to Israel and then worked for decades for AMCHA (https://amcha.org), helping with the psychological needs of her fellow survivors. Music: Moishe Oysher: Got Iz Eyner (Mu Asapru) Lori Cahan-Simon and Meyshke Alpert: Zog Maran Sidor Belarsky: Shvimt dos Kestl Afn Nil Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Podcast release dates: April 3 and 4, 2023 Air Date: April 5, 2023

Happy Passover! ‫אַ זיסן און כּשרן פּסח!‬ Happy Passover and thanks to friends, participants, and sponsors of this show: Israel Book Shop (Eli Dovek ז״ל recorded Mar 28 2007) American Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors of Greater Boston (member and Holocaust survivor Mary Erlich), co-sponsor of Boston's 2023 In-Person and Virtual Community Holocaust Commemoration of Yom HaShoah, Sunday, April 16, 2023, at 2:00PM Eastern. Info and registration here: https://www.jcrcboston.org/event/annual-yom-hashoah-commemoration/ League for Yiddish (Gitl Schaechter-Viswanath, Chair of the Board) Leah Shporer-Leavitt, Newton, MA, co-host of The Yiddish Voice / דאָס ייִדישע קול Sholem Beinfeld, Cambridge, 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) Leser Maimon, Brooklyn, NY, Holocaust survivor and leader of Young Israel of Mill Basin Eli Grodko, New Millford, NJ Hy Wolfe, New York, NY, Professional actor, singer, and director; Executive Director of CYCO (Central Yiddish Culture Organization); Co-President of Hebrew Actors Foundation Naftali (Tuli) Deutsch, Holocaust survivor originally from Kimyat, a village in the Carpathian Mountains, author of A Holocaust Survivor: In The Footsteps Of His Past Rabbi Myer Loketch ז״ל, then of Brookline, MA, and in the clergy of Young Israel of Brookline, MA, from the Yiddish Voice archive: Pesach, Yiddish, and Bikur Cholim -- visiting the sick (originally recorded and aired in 2007) Music: Malavski Family: Ho Lachmo Anyo and Ma Nishtano/Di Fir Kashes Moishe Oysher: Dayenu Moishe Oysher: Kiddush for Pesach Yosef Moshe Kahana: L'Chaim Kindergarten Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air Date: March 29, 2023

Sholem Beinfeld , Professor Emeritus of the Department of History at Washington University in St. Louis, and a co-host of The Yiddish Voice, talks about the Ukraine war after one year This week's featured interview is with Morris (Moyshe) Schwartz, a child of Holocaust survivors, a computer scientist, who speaks a very good Yiddish, talks about his personal and family history and his current life Thanks to our Pesach sponsors: Israel Book Shop, the League for Yiddish, the American Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors of Greater Boston, presenting the 2023 Yom HaShoah observance April 16, 2023, 2pm, at Faneuil Hall Music: Various songs for Passover by various performers Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air date: March 22, 2023

This week's featured interview is with Perla Karney, discussing her journey from childhood in the Jewish displaced persons community around Bavaria, Germany, to finally settling as a young woman in Los Angeles, where she studied at UCLA and had a career as a theater producer before taking on her current role as artistic director of the Dortort Center for Creativity in the Arts at UCLA Hillel. A fluent Yiddish speaker, Karney recently produced and co-starred in a video on the Yiddish Forward (Forverts)'s YouTube channel. Starring the famed Yiddish actor Mike Burstyn, it's titled "A Jewish deli experience with actor Mike Burstyn – in Yiddish!", and features unscripted Yiddish-language dialog as the two enjoy and discuss Jewish dishes together at Factor's Deli in Los Angeles. To find out more about Perla Karney, see her bio at UCLA Hillel: https://www.uclahillel.org/perla_karney_bio For Pesach: exclusively from The Yiddish Voice archive: Hasia Segal z"l: sings several Yiddish Pesach songs Myer Loketch z"l: radio talk on Pesach from 2008 Music: Sidor Belarsky: several songs from the album Seder Nights with Sidor Belarsky Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air date: March 15, 2023

Highlights: interview with Mary Ehrlich, a Boston-area Holocaust survivor originally from Gedrevitsh, a shtetl near Vilna. She talks about her childhood years up through the arrival of the Germans in 1941. We reached Mary by phone in late February, 2023. We plan to continue with a second interview with Mary in the next few weeks. from our archive: Purim with Miriam Libenson ז״ל, originally recorded and aired in the 1990's. Music related to Purim: Binah Landau: Purim Lid Leyke Post: Purim, accompanied by Rubin Ossofsky Beyle Schaechter-Gottesman: A Gutn Purim Kapelye: Gut Purim, Yidn Lillian Lux: Vashtis Kloglid Beyle Schaechter-Gottesman: Purim-Shpilers Gadi Yagil: Di Elegye fun Fastrigose Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air Date: March 1, 2023

Tonight's show aired just a couple of days before International Holocaust Remembrance Day. We present our second interview with Naftali (Tuli) Deutsch, an Auschwitz survivor. The interview was recorded at his home in July, 2022. The previous interview is available here: https://podcast.yv.org/episodes/naftali-deutsch-auschwitz-survivor-for-yom-hashoah Naftali Deutsch was born in 1931 in the Carpathian mountain village Kimyat, Czechoslovakia, which is now in Ukraine. He is the author of A Holocaust Survivor: In The Footsteps Of His Past [Amazon link], his auto-biography. See also Naftali "Tuli" Deutsch, his page at Yad Vashem. Songs of the Holocaust, Partizans, and Ghettos to close: performer: song Rochelle Horowitz: Yisrolik Shomon Yisraeli: Zog Nit Keynmol Norbert Horowitz: Shtil di Nakht Norbert Horowitz: Farvos Iz Der Himl Geven Nekhtn Loyter Khane Cooper: Shtiler, Shtiler Wolf Krakowski: Varshe Chava Alberstein: Friling Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air Date: January 25, 2023

Our featured interview this week is with David (Dovid) Lenga, who recently turned 95, is originally from Łódź, Poland (לאָדזש), and now lives in Los Angeles. He survived the Lodz Ghetto as well as Auschwitz. He recently wrote an Op-Ed in the Los Angeles Times on anti-semitism: As a Holocaust survivor, the most important thing I can do is share my story He frequently talks about his history as a survivor of the Holocaust at Holocaust Museum LA and the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. We spent a time talking about these activities, as well as about many aspects of his very long and very interesting life. Music: Wolf Krakowski: Yeder Ruft Mikh Ziamele Leyke Post: Yidish Redt Zikh Azoy Sheyn Shifee Lovitt: Yiddish/Vaserl Tsimmes: Oyfn Pripetshik Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air date: January 4, 2023

Interview with Jeffrey Shandler, discussing his book Yiddish: Biography of a Language (Oxford University Press, 2020), which describes Yiddish from its origins to the present. Shandler is Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies at Rutgers and holds a PhD from Columbia University. He has had a big influence on Jewish studies, particularly for his concept of Yiddish as a "post-vernacular language", that is, despite the fact that Yiddish is no longer the everyday language of large numbers of Jews, except for certain Chassidic groups, it's widely taught, studied, and translated, and is generally the object of lively interest and affection. For further info on Shandler's book Yiddish: Biography of a Language at Oxford University Press: https://academic.oup.com/book/33481 For Shandler's academic home page at Rutgers: https://jewishstudies.rutgers.edu/people/core-faculty/jeffrey-shandler The interview took place over Zoom on November 4, 2022, and was led by Sholem Beinfeld, regular contributor to The Yiddish Voice, co-Editor in Chief of the Comprehensive Yiddish-English Dictionary, and Professor of History, Emeritus, Washington University in St. Louis. Music: Leyke Post: Yidish Redt Zikh Azoy Sheyn Shifee Lovitt: Yiddish/Vaserl Tsimmes: Oyfn Pripetshik Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air date: December 7, 2022

Our second interview with Gennady Estraikh (first interview aired in March, 2022) discussing the war in Ukraine. Estraikh, who was born in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, is a professor at NYU who specializes in Jewish intellectual history, Yiddish language and literature, and Soviet Jewish history. He has written numerous books, academic papers, and journal and newspaper articles in English, Russian, Ukrainian, and Yiddish, notably for the Yiddish Forverts. He served as managing editor of the famed Yiddish literary journal Sovetish Heymland from 1988 to 1991. His books include Yiddish Culture in Ukraine (Kyiv: Dukh i Litera, 2016, in Ukrainian) and Transatlantic Russian Jewishness: Ideological Voyages of the Yiddish Daily Forverts in the First Half of the Twentieth Century (Academic Studies Press, 2020). The interview took place over Zoom on Wednesday, November 23, 2022. In honor of the Thanksgiving holiday we present Interview with the Turkey, a monologue by Boston's late, great Yiddish radio host Ben Gailing, originally aired on his show Der Freylekher Kabtsen in the 1980's. Thanks to Hankus Netsky, Ben's producer and co-host, for supplying this recording. Music: Loyko: Yoshke fun Ades Mandy Patinkin: Take Me out to the Ball Game and God Bless America Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air date: November 23, 2022

Prof. Cecile (Tsirl) Kuznitz talks about the upcoming "Schaechter Conference", which she is chairing, sponsored by the League for Yiddish, JTS, and Columbia University. Info: League for Yiddish Rokhl Zicherman, a survivor of Auschwitz who grew up in Tybava, a small village in the Carpathian Mountains which was in Czechoslovakia before WWII, part of Hungary during the war, and is now in Ukraine, discusses her early life as well as deportation and survival in Auschwitz. She now lives in Los Angeles with her husband, also a Holocaust survivor. Music: Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Outro instrumental music: Itzhak Perlman, Dov Seltzer, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra: Afn Veg Shteyt A Boym

Jessica Kirzane discusses her recent recent translations from Yiddish into English. She is perhaps best known for her translations of the late Yiddish writer Miriam Karpilove: Diary of a Lonely Girl, or the Battle Against Free Love (Syracuse University Press, 2020) and Judith: A Tale of Love and Woe (Farlag Press, 2022). Kirzane is a professor at the University of Chicago, teaching Yiddish language and literature. And she is the Editor-in-Chief of In geveb: A Journal of Yiddish Studies. For further information see her website: jessicakirzane.com The interview took place over Zoom on October 6, 2022, and was led by Sholem Beinfeld, regular contributor to The Yiddish Voice, co-Editor in Chief of the Comprehensive Yiddish-English Dictionary, and Professor of History, Emeritus, Washington University in St. Louis. Music: Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Outro instrumental music: Itzhak Perlman, Dov Seltzer, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra: Afn Veg Shteyt A Boym Air Date: October 26, 2022

אַ גוטן מועד Happy Succos! For Chol Hamoed Succos, we present two very special guests: Rabbi Yitzchok-Boruch Teitelbaum of Monroe, NY, the Pshischer Rebbe, a descendant of several Polish Chassidic masters including the Yid Hakodesh of Peshischa, gives a shiur for Succos and also shares a nigun he composed himself. Kolya Borodulin, director of Yiddish classes at Arbeter Ring, talks about the latest Yiddish classes, with registration open now for classes starting October 19, 2022, as well as as some other things he's knowledgable about, such as his home town, Birobidzhan. We also share, for the last time this season, greetings from our friends and sponsors: Holocaust survivor Tania Lefman, on behalf of the American Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors (AAJHS) of Greater Boston. Gitl Schaechter-Viswanath, on behalf of the League for Yiddish - די ייִדיש-ליגע Eli Dovek ז"ל, proprietor of Israel Book Shop (from 2009) Sholem Beinfeld, cohost of the Yiddish Voice and co-chief editor of Comprehensive Yiddish-English Dictionary Leye Shporer-Leavitt, cohost of the Yiddish Voice, Yiddish teacher and translator Music: Itzhak Perlman/The Klezmatics: Simkhes Toyre Time Ben Zion Shenker: Sisu V'Simchu Suki Berry, et al: A Sukele Mordechai Hershman: Af Bri, Fun Geshem Kayn Gelt Iz Nishto Moyshe Ganchoff: Geshem Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air date: October 12, 2022

Feature interview: Dovid Braun, academic director of Yivo Institute's Uriel Weinreich Summer Program in Yiddish Language, Literature, and Culture, discusses the ZumerProgram, Yiddish courses at YIVO, and Yiddish education generally, including the topic of "Chassidic Yiddish". Happy New Year! אַ גמר טובֿ! אַ גוט יאָר Greetings from our friends and sponsors Holocaust survivor Tania Lefman, on behalf of the American Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors (AAJHS) of Greater Boston. Gitl Schaechter-Viswanath, on behalf of the League for Yiddish - די ייִדיש-ליגע Eli Dovek ז"ל, proprietor of Israel Book Shop (from 2009) Sholem Beinfeld, cohost of the Yiddish Voice and co-chief editor of Comprehensive Yiddish-English Dictionary Leye Shporer-Leavitt, cohost of the Yiddish Voice, Yiddish teacher and translator Music: Sholom Katz: Zochreinu L'Chaim Leibele Waldman: Der Nyer Yohr Moishe Oysher: Hayom Horas Olam (for Rosh Hashona after shofar blown) Mordechai Herschman: Al Chet Joseph Feldman: Der Nayer Yor Benjamin Siegel: A Din Toyre Mit Got (a/k/a Kaddish of Rabbi Levi-Yitzchok of Berditchev) Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air date: September 28, 2022

Feature interview: Rabbi Moshe Kesselman of Congregation Shaarei Tefila in Los Angeles reflects with host Meyer on Rosh Hashona. Happy New Year! אַ גוט יאָר Greetings from our friends and sponsors Holocaust survivor Tania Lefman, on behalf of the American Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors (AAJHS) of Greater Boston. Gitl Schaechter-Viswanath, on behalf of the League for Yiddish - די ייִדיש-ליגע Eli Dovek ז"ל, proprietor of Israel Book Shop (from 2009) Max Gelerman ז"ל, late proprietor of The Butcherie (from 2005) Sholem Beinfeld, cohost of the Yiddish Voice and co-chief editor of Comprehensive Yiddish-English Dictionary Leye Shporer-Leavitt, cohost of the Yiddish Voice, Yiddish teacher and translator Music: Sholom Katz: Zochreinu L'Chaim Leibele Waldman: Der Nyer Yohr Moishe Oysher: Hayom Horas Olam (for Rosh Hashona after shofar blown) Mordechai Herschman: Al Chet Joseph Feldman: Der Nayer Yor Benjamin Siegel: A Din Toyre Mit Got (a/k/a Kaddish of Rabbi Levi-Yitzchok of Berditchev) Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air date: September 21, 2022

Feature interview: Hy Wolfe chats with host Meyer about various things, including Yidish-Vokh 2022, Meyer's recent trip to Germany for a dedication of Stolpersteine for his father's family, and Hy's experience of 9/11. Happy New Year! אַ גוט יאָר Greetings from our friends and sponsors Holocaust survivor Tania Lefman, on behalf of the American Association of Jewish Holocaust Survivors (AAJHS) of Greater Boston. Eli Dovek ז"ל, proprietor of Israel Book Shop (from 2009) Max Gelerman ז"ל, late proprietor of The Butcherie (from 2005) Sholem Beinfeld, cohost of the Yiddish Voice and co-chief editor of Comprehensive Yiddish-English Dictionary Leye Shporer-Leavitt, cohost of the Yiddish Voice, Yiddish teacher and translator From our archive: Rosh Hashona remarks by our late Yiddish Voice contributors: Hasia Segal ז״ל (from 2007) Miriam Libenson ז״ל (from 1990's) Music: Sholom Katz: Zochreinu L'Chaim Leibele Waldman: Der Nyer Yohr Moishe Oysher: Hayom Horas Olam (for Rosh Hashona after shofar blown) Mordechai Herschman: Al Chet Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air date: September 14, 2022

Part 1: Last July 13 we aired a quick interview with Gitu Cycowics just hours after her meeting with President Biden at Yad Vashem to get her first impressions, and she made us promise to let her come back to look back when she was not so tired and had time to think about things. We reached her by phone at her home in Jerusalem on Aug. 25, 2022.. Gitu -- a/k/a Giselle (Gita) Cycowicz (née Friedman) -- who was born in 1927 in the town of Chust in the Carpathian Mountains, then part of Czechoslovakia, survived Auschwitz and other camps, later starting a new life in the USA, and eventually getting her PhD in psychology. In her later years, she moved to Israel and then worked for decades for AMCHA (https://amcha.org), helping with the psychological needs of her fellow survivors. On Weds., Jul. 13, 2022, she was one of two Holocaust survivors invited to meet President Joseph Biden at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. Here is a YouTube from the live stream of Gitu meeting Biden: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q96DZT4qMXs&t=731s Here is Gitu's page at Yad Vashem: https://www.yadvashem.org/blog/i-have-to-tell-my-story-giselle-cycowicz.html Part 2: Judy Altmann, born and raised in Jasina, Czechoslovakia, fondly recalls her home and family life in her town at the eastern edge of Karpatorus, which belonged to Czechoslovakia from 1918 to 1939, Hungary during WWII, and now Ukraine. She worked in her family's general store, which served the lumber industry workers from the tiny surrounding villages. She recounts her mother's cooking talents and describes the dish known locally in Yiddish as ריפּינייִק Ripinyik, probably closest to Potatonik. (She sometimes refers to potatoes as ריבלעך (riblekh).) At the end, she summarizes her Holocaust experiences. In 1944, she and her parents and practically all Jews of the town were taken to Auschwitz. In her family's case, they were first made to stay for several days without shelter in the Jewish cemetery. From there they were taken to a ghetto in Mateszalca (Hungary ) for several weeks. Finally, they were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. She survived, but her parents and most of her family were killed. We reached Judy by phone at her home in Stamford, CT, on Aug. 31, 2022. Air date: August 31, 2022 Happy New Year! אַ גוט געזונט יאָר Please patronize our sponsors! Enjoy these vintage greetings from our sponsors: Eli Dovek ז"ל, late proprietor of Israel Book Shop (from 2009) Max Gelerman ז"ל, late proprietor of The Butcherie (from 2005)

Interview with acclaimed performing artist Eleanor Reissa discussing her recently published memoir The Letters Project: A Daughter's Journey. In 1986, after her mother's death, Reissa discovered fifty-six letters written by her late father. She set them aside for forty years before finally having them translated, which led to set her on a journey to her father's history during the Holocaust, which had been largely hidden from her. The book can be found in bookstores and online, including Eleanor Reissa's website eleanorreissa.com and Amazon. An audio version of the book, with Reissa's own narration, is also available through Audible. Eleanor Reissa is an American actress, singer, theatre director, playwright, librettist, choreographer, translator, and author based in New York City, who performs in both Yiddish and English. For more information on Eleanor Reissa and The Letters Project visit: eleanorreissa.com The interview is conducted by Yiddish Voice co-host Lillian Shporer-Leavitt, a daughter of Shoah survivors who grew up speaking Yiddish and graduated from the Boston Workmen's Circle Yiddish Shule. A former computer business analyst and software trainer, she is an experienced Yiddish teacher and translator, having taught at the Workmen's Circle, Gann Academy of Greater Boston, Boston University Hillel, and Brandeis University. In addition, she has subtitled Yiddish films for the National Center for Jewish Film and translated Yizkor (memorial) books for the Jewish Genealogical Society. Music/Spoken Word recordings: Beyle Schaechter-Gottesman: Zumerteg Zvee Scooler: Vakatsye in di Berg Intro instrumental music: DEM HELFANDS TANTS, an instrumental track from the CD Jeff Warschauer: The Singing Waltz Air date: August 17, 2022