Students discuss Yiddish stories

An impoverished grandmother unleashes a tirade at the "wealthy, hypocritical women" who surround her. She is the title character in "The Zogerin," a short story by Rokhl Brokhes, an early 20th century female Yiddish author. Zogerin is a Yiddish word which roughly translates to "woman prayer leader." German Professor Kathryn Hellerstein read "The Zogerin" and other Yiddish women's literature to a small, captive audience of about 10 students in the High Rise North Rathskellar Wednesday night. "I hate the cliche that Yiddish is a dying language," Hellerstein said, despite the fact that the number of speakers of the German-Hebrew tongue has dwindled over the past several decades. Hellerstein, who specializes in Yiddish language and literature, conveyed the language's vibrancy and richness in two short stories and one poem, which were all translated into English. An abandoned wife's haunting dreams of female ghosts in her family formed the basis of the untitled poem Hellerstein read. The poem was written in 1927 by Kadya Molodowsky as part of her "Women's Poems" series. "The speaker of the poem is very angry at her female ancestors who chastise her" for her freewheeling life, Hellerstein said. Hellerstein also read the short story "The Shorn Head" by Fradel Schtok, which concerns the tribulations of a woman who confronts the traditional practice of shaving a married woman's head. Although both short stories were in English, some Yiddish words and phrases remained in the texts. "I think it was a very deliberate editorial decision to include Yiddish words," Hellerstein said, adding that Found Treasures, the Yiddish women's short story collection which contained "The Zogerin," included a glossary of the terms. In a lively discussion following the readings, Hellerstein also said that though it may seem otherwise, the characters do not correspond with humorous Yiddish stereotypes propagated by filmmaker Woody Allen and others. "The few stories by women that have been translated and collected are not funny," she added. Hellerstein admitted that "tears were running down my face half the time" when she was reading Found Treasures. College sophomore Ariel Blumenthal, who organized the event for Hillel's recently-created Forum for Student-Faculty Interaction, said she was very pleased with the reading and the subsequent discussion. "I think that's what we need to see more of on campus," Blumenthal said, referring to the discussion between the students and Hellerstein. Blumenthal added that she may plan similar events with professors of other languages. Hellerstein, who became interested in Yiddish while in graduate school, said she hopes the language does not become extinct. "I think there is an incredible urgency to learn the language and learn from people," she said. She also explained the personal significance of her knowledge of Yiddish -- her father spoke it. "Once I started learning the language, it was a real point of connection for me," Hellerstein said.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.