The Jewish advance., 1881-09-09

translations Of explanations of separate
books or phrases and passages OF the
Holy Scriptures, all printed in Hebrew
characters, but in a strange cursive
form. Soon afterwards followed ex-
plantations of the prayer books, the
greater part was translated and several
new prayers and voluminous books Ut
meditation were written for the female
sex. A prominent place among the lat
ter is occupied by the 'Zeenna Urenna"
of Jacob ben Izchak, much used since
1900, and very often re-edited. These
books are principally collections of Bib
lical explanations, together with old
every kind. Most of the ethical works
of celebrated rabbis and other popular
writings were translated, such as Bech-
ais Duties of the Heart" the Rod Of
Correction" the Mirror Of Chastity
and others. The craving of Jewish
women and girls after light reading was
satisfied by the translation of interesting
books of the profane world, such as
"Josippon," the Arabian Nights the
German Legends of Knights and He
roes," the Oriental legends and fables, as
far as they were known, and, lastly, by
translations of Hebrew poems and bal
lads made for special occasions, nay,
even by special carnival plays, in which
prevails kind of levity otherwise quite
alien to the Jews, which clearly shows
tendency to initiate the carnival on
the feast of Purim. The subjects for
such poems were generally taken from
the Bible: the sale of Joseph, for in
stance but principally, the story OF
Ahasverus. Several stories of persecu-
tions are also extant in this dialect,
amongst others that of the Fettmilch re-
volt in Frankfort-on-t Maine Q614-
1616); of Oppenheimer (1708) in Wen
ma; the great slaughter in Poland Q648;
the Revolt in Hamburg (1730) &c.
There are nearly hundred 9t such in
dependent Judeo-German writings in
existence. 1t may perhaps be Of some
interest to have an idea of this jargon,
We therefore subioio fey examples
tcam lhe 'Brandspiegai book Of
manners for women ffrant zort-on- tbe-
a.aiaa 1879 t4
Ma SCI ~eVarat sain 1u maaeben
9uics { 10 give ansergainm 4tsl in de-
vocaeu. Is nit (Whsa Il $ not1 ROsb
Chodesh New Noon nooh Sebsb-
as (Sabbath), J, oder Iom Ton east day
oder einen Kumt Elm Cast den H4ba-
desh boruch hu (The Holy Geo praised
be Hel-God) hot nit germ, =, l.AaJl .@h
will treiben oder will machen NIT der
chabrusse company aso herum Sudes,
heit ess NIT mir morgen ess ich nit dir.
Schreiben die chachme hakabole Cab
balists), auf solche Sudes kumt Samel
horoshe (The Evil One, Samiel) NIT sci
ner chabrusse (kindred) und essen und
trinken und sein vr0lieh und an reizen
die Lett, die da sitzen am Tisch dass sic
sunden, und beschadigen sic"
The following is specimen of trans
lation from the Goth Psalm: AIS Gott
Kenigt (reigus), wern die Volker err
schrecken Er sitzt zwischen die cheru-
bin die Erd vert antglitschen (shake)
Gott ist geachpert (achtbar-revered
in Zion, is erhoben Gber allie V6lker,
das sic danken dein geachperten und
furchsamen furchtbar-terrible) Ma
men, der heilig is. DEM dass Starkte
(strength) des K0nigs ISIS, dass er Recht
lieb hat.
1t must not be thought that this idiom
belongs to the past, for, although in
Germany it is hardly in use any longer
nowadays, except in a playful way, yet
III Is llle OHly VeHlClC tulouSu WHICH Gue
Jews in the Eastern parts of Europe
are becoming acquainted with the worlds
events. Lemberg, Brody, K6nigsberg,
Pressburg, Budapest, Bucharest, &C.,
possess each one or several journals pub
lished in Judisch-Deutsch, and in Anne
RIGA the only Jewish daily paper in the
world is published in that dialect
1t may be noticed. as a corrolary to
the foregoing, that just as the German
Jews took their mode of speech with
them to wherever they migrated, the
refugees from the Pyrenean Peninsula
likewise transplanted their Spanish (and
partly Portuguese) dialect to Hamburg.
Vienna Amsterdam, London and South
ern France, but particularly into the
Turkish Empire and Barbary. In
France it mas long ceased to exist, and
only few traces of it are to be found
in some religious services. This Spanish
dialect, known by the name of 'Ladino,"
has been for very long time, and is
still, the mother tongue of the Jews in
many Turkish congregations. 1t also
possesses a literature of it's own, and
there are still in existence numerous
documents in the veruacular, such as