PORTRAYALS OF HASIDIM IN YIDDISH TELEVISION AND CINEMA Yiddish on - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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