PORTRAYALS OF HASIDIM IN YIDDISH TELEVISION AND CINEMA Yiddish on the Screen zoom series Rebecca Margolis, ACJC May 24, 2020
YIDDISH INTONATION/CADENCE 1. Terminology: I ate by him for shabes . 2. Pronunciation: voiced -t, -ng at end of words 3. The singsong cadence: roots in gemoro nign; rise-fall contour 4. Associations with humour, e.g. Chazan Shepsl Kanarik https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxVqVmbQhPg 5. Element in representation of Yiddish speakers in other languages
THE RISE OF HASIDISM
CENTER OF HASIDIC SETTLEMENT TODAY
HASIDIC POPULAR CULTURE Edification vs entertainment ( bitl toyre) 1. Newspapers and publications 2. Literature: novels, children’s books 3. Videos: educational, adaptations of Bible tales, etc. 4. Podcasts, recordings of rebbes 5. Websites/social media 6. Music: “Orthodox Pop” ( Lipa Shmeltzer, Chaim Shlomo Mayes, etc) 7. Films
EXAMPLES OF HASIDIC FILM AND VIDEO Educational: e.g. Hakhel Video (2015, Sparks Next/Daniel Finkelman, USA) https://chabadinfo.com/video/incr edible-hakhel-video-special-for- children/ (4:00) Music videos: Bas Kol wedding video (Israeli Hasid Chaim Shlomo Mayes) https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=bUvu3VZHBAY
A GESHEFT /A BUSINESS (YAKOV & MENDEL KIRSH, 2005, USA) Heterolingual: Yiddish, some English terms Drama/action film, 90 mins Produced, directed: Yakov & Mendel Kirsh, Monsey, NY (Kosher Entertainment Productions) Amateur Hasidic actors Made by and for the Hasidic community: not vehicular matching but vernacular usage Opening scene (0:45-1:30), closing scene (last 2 mins)
REPRESENTATIONS OF HASSIDIM IN MAINSTREAM CULTURE 1. Memoirs of Hassidim who have left the fold (“ frayd up”) Devorah Feldman, The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots (2012) Shulem Deen, All Who Go Do Not Return (2015) 2. Documentaries about Hassidim who have left the fold One of Us (2017) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBPn5oQNutI
REPRESENTATIONS OF HASSIDIM IN FILM 1. A Price Above Rubies (Boaz Yakin, 1998, USA, English) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v =IVhhDcHkU6E 2. Left Luggage (Jeroen Krabbé,1998, Netherlands, English) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v =Dj6oDdg9B_M 3. Snatch (Guy Ritchie, 2000, USA, English) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v =89sD6StyzXk 4. Fill the Void (Rama Burshtein, 2012, Israel, Hebrew)
MENDY , 2003 (DIR. ADAM VARDY, 2003, USA) Drama Heterolingual: Yiddish, English, Spanish Vehicular matching Amateur actors Mainstream audiences https://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=7z_wH6Ia0l4
ROMEO AND JULIET IN YIDDISH (EVE ANNENBERG, 2010, USA) Drama/comedy Heterolingual: English, Yiddish Vehicular matching Amateur actors: former Hasidim and Yiddishists Mainstream audiences Opening scene
SHTISEL (ORI ELON, YEHONATAN INDURSKY, 2013-, ISRAEL) Heterolingual: Hebrew and Yiddish Family drama/soap opera 2 seasons on Israeli television Vehicular matching Season 1, episode 9, 31:30- 32:05 http://shtisel.com/en/season-1/
FÉLIX ET MEIRA (MAXIME GIROUX, 2014, QUEBEC, CANADA) Romance/Drama Heterolingual: French, English, Yiddish Vehicular matching Professional actors Mainstream audiences https://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=RapLpo4vRqI
MENASHE (JOSHUA Z. WEINSTEIN, 2017, USA) Drama Heterolingual: Yiddish, English, Spanish Vehicular matching Hasidic actors Exception to the tropes of films about Hasidim Excerpt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiVl3tH Fe88
SHEHITA: A YIDDISH HORROR FILM (DEAN GOLD, 2017, CANADA) Drama/horror Heterolingual: Yiddish, English Vehicular matching To be discussed next week
UNORTHODOX (MARIA SCHRADER, 2020, GERMANY/USA) Heterolingual: Yiddish, English, German Mini series, season 1 Based on Devorah Feldman’s memoir, memoir Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots Opening scene
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