Articles

"The Great Jewish Language War" by: Halkin, Hillel. Commentary, 2002. 114:5 48-55.

 

Jewish Forced Labor Under the Nazis

Jewish Forced Labor Under the Nazis: Economic Needs and Racial Aims 1939-1944 ; by: Wolf Gruner and translated by: Kathleen M. Dell'orto. Cambridge University Press: NY. 2006.

"In the Lublin district after 1940 and Galicia district after 1941 the SSPFs also maintained their own SS forced-labor camps, which did not pay the forced laborers any wages. Hunger was a part of daily life, and many people incapable of working were either deported or shot (274)."

"The SS did not regain control of forced labor in the General Government until Jews were being systematically murdered in summer 1942 (275)."

 

Yiddish: A Linguistic Introduction

"Immediately prior to the Nazi German genocide of the Second World War, the number of Yiddish speakers was estimated at 11-13 million, making it the third largest Germanic language at the time (after German and English). Of the 6 million Jews murdered in Germany's genocide, approximately 5 million were Yiddish speakers (3)."

Yiddish: A Linguistic Introduction By: Neil G. Jacobs; Cambridge University Press. 2005.

Interesting Books

Yidish af yidish by: David Goldberg; Yale University Press New Haven and London, 1996

A book completely in the Yiddish language with an extensive Yiddish/English word glossary.

Words on Fire

	Yiddish (low class)	Hebrew (middle class)	Aramaic (high class)
1.Spoken	Everyone's native language	Nobody's native language	Nobody's native language
2.Studied	Study of reading and writing as part of elementary education	Study of parts of the Bible and Recitation of prayers (nearly everybody)	Study of the Talmud as part of higher education (a small minority) and of the Kabbalah (an even smaller minority)
3.Written	Popular literature (written by and for all social groups)	Formal, legal, and communal literature (written by and for an educated minority)	Talmudic and Kabbalistic literature (written by and for an even smaller minority)

Figure 2.1 Function and status of the three Jewish languages in Ashkenaz

From page 47 of the book: Words on Fire: The Unfinished Story of Yiddish by: David Katz, 2004, Basic Books. Maps and Graphics

By: Giedre Beconyte of the Center for Cartography at Vilnius Univerisity, Lithuania (www.kc.gf.vu.lt)

Page 301, Population Figures on eve of Holocaust in the late 1930s

 

 

 

The Yiddish/German/Hebrew Languages reveal culture in The Devil’s Arithmetic

Malach ha-mavis- Angel of Death

Yahrzeit- n. (among Jews) the anniversary of someone's death, esp. one's parents. [19^th century:Yiddish, lit. 'anniversary time.'

Yarmulke (also yar-mul-ka)-n. a skullcap worn by Orthodox Jewish men or during prayer by other Jewish men. [20^th c.: Yiddish yarmulke]

"A goy zugt a vertl"- "As the peasant says"

Schnorrer (also shnorrer)- beggar (Yiddish); freeloader (German)

"yeshiva bocher"- A student who learns in a yeshiva. A yeshiva is a school for orthodox jews, with a strong emphasis on Talmud study.

Read more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_definition_of_yeshiva_bocher#ixzz1Is2mAlMC

"bar mitzvah"- A 13-year-old Jewish boy, considered an adult and responsible for his moral and religious duties.

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/b-nai-mitzvah#ixzz1Is379VqI

shmatte- Dirty rag (Yiddish)

shul- A Jewish synagogue

goy- peasant (Yiddish)

mishigaas- mess, disorder, craziness. (Yiddish and used in English)

klezmer (from Hebrew "vessels of music")- a music tradition of Ashkenazi Jews of Eastern Europe. Klezmorim, are the professional musicians in the group which play dance tunes and instrumental music for weddings and other occasions.

Shadchan- Hebrew word for "matchmaker"

Badchan (also Badkhn in Hebrew meaning "jester")- Jewish comedian who uses Talmudic references and "in-jokes."

"loytn kristlichen luach"- According to the Christian calendar

"bobbe meinses"- A joyous celebration of family, tradition, and identity.

"Shama Yisrael Adonai eloheynu Adonai echod"- "Here, Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One."

Chaper- chapter

Bissel-n. A little

"shabbos goy"- An individual who regularly assists a Jewish individual or organization by performing such acts on the Biblical Sabbath that are forbidden to Jews under Jewish Law.

Mostochowa- (not a Yiddish word, only in book)

"Raus, Raus schneller"- "Out, out faster!"

"Buruch dayan emes"- "Blessed is the true Judge.

"Arbeit macht Frei"- "Work will make you free" (German)

"zugangi"- newcomers

Schnell- Faster

*Not in book, used for comparison* Muselmann- A Holocaust camp word for someone on the verge of death.

Musselman- A camp slang word for a prisoner who has given up the will to live.

Organize- Camp slang word for prisoners acquiring illicit materials from the Nazis.

Blokova- A non-Jewish prisoner in charge at the camps. (Jewish prisoners were treated worse)

Macht frei- Makes you free

Chosen- Camp slang for those people who go to the oven

Drek- Dirt, trash (German); Excrement (Yiddish)

"Az m'fraygt shyle iz trayf"- ?

Kaddish-

"Yis-ga-dal v'yis-ka-dash sh'may ra-b…"- Kaddish (prayer)

Gottenyu- Dear God! (Yiddish and English)

"Afile brenen un brutn"- "Even if you should be burned and roasted" (Yiddish)

Devil's Arithemetic-

"Ribono shel-oylam"- Master of the Universe (Yiddish)

Kommandos- Unit or command (Generic German word)

Liebchen- Sweetheart or dear (German)

L'chaim- To life! (Hebrew)

Afikoman- Half piece of matzo which is broken in the early stages of Passover Seder and is set aside to have as a dessert after the meal.

Pilpul- "sharp analysis" (Hebrew); refers to a method of studying the Talmud through intense textual analysis in attempts to either explain conceptual differences between various Halakic rulings or to reconcile any apparent contradictions presented from various readings from different texts.

Mikvah- "a collection (of water)" (Hebrew); A bath used for the purpose of ritual immersion in Judaism.

Sonderkommando- "special unit" (German); Work units of Nazi death camp prisoners, comprised almost entirely of Jews, who were forced on the pain of their own deaths, to aid with the killing process during the Holocaust. They were Geheimnistrager, or "bearers of secrets" about the mass killings.