IN YIDDISH LITERATURE AND FILM

Born in a small village in Poland, near Warsaw Son of a rabbi Raised in a shtetl shtetl Journalist and writer in Warsaw Emigrated to the US in 1935 Switched from Yiddish to English Nobel prize in literature, 1978

1. Why were Berl and Berlcha surprised to see their son? 2. Why did Samuel come back? 3. Why didn’t Berl and Berlcha use the money? 4. How do the dialogues characterize Samuel, his parents and the villagers? 5. How is the “New World” presented? 6. How does the visit to Lentchin affect Samuel? 7. What is the implied author’s position?implied author’s

Illustration: Marc Chagall, Marc Chagall “Me and My Village”  The role of the goat.  The goat’s point of view: defamiliarisation.  Singer’s vegetarianism.  Anthropomorphic images in Yiddish folklore.

 First Yiddish (silent) films produced in Ex., The Cruel Father ( Der vilder Foter, dir. Andrzej Marek).  About 10 films made in  The first sound Yiddish film, For Sins ( At Chejt, dir. Aleksander Marten) produced in 1936.

Themes:  Conflict of old and new values and/or generations;  Life in a shtetl ;  Love; religion; traditional beliefs. Genres:  Musical comedy  Melodrama  Tragedy  Documentary Aesthetic sources:  Theatre  Yiddish literature  Yiddish folklore  Klezmer music Klezmer music  European culture

 Several production companies.  Polish-American cooperation (ex., Joseph Green, director/producer).  Intended for international public (Yiddish speakers regardless of geographic location).

 Ups and downs in the 1920s-early 1930s (due to political and technological changes).  Input by Polish and German filmmakers.  Documentaries (ex., Sabra, dir. Aleksander Ford, 1932).  “The golden age” from 1936 to 1939.

 Made in the USA.  First important Yiddish sound film in America.  Based on a novel by a Polish-American Yiddish writer, starring a Polish-American actor.  Polish-American Yiddish background and themes.

 Born in Poland  Lived in the USA, France, and Israel. Died in London.  Wrote novels, essays, and dramas on historical and contemporary subjects.  Prolific and popular, though controversial.  Honorary president of the Yiddish PEN club in the 1930s.  Widely translated into numerous languages.  Onkl Moses ( Uncle Moses, 1918).

 Born in Ukraine, died in Israel.  American Yiddish actor, scriptwriter, director, and producer.  Founder of the Yiddish Art Theatre in New York.  Played in countless theatrical productions in Yiddish and English, and in over twenty films, including Uncle Moses.  “The best of all Yiddish actors” (in the USA).

 What meanings does the name of the title character create in the film?  What themes does the film tackle?  How is the conflict of the “old” and the “new” worlds is presented?  What role does the music play?