791.43

ALMONDS AND RAISINS: A HISTORY OF THE YIDDISH CINEMA  (1983)

Alm

Presents the history of Yiddish cinema, told through film excerpts and through interviews with the actors, directors and producers who created the films. The motion picture, The Jazz Singer, a 1927 Hollywood Jewish release in English, brought immigrant Jews to the cinema and encouraged the growth of a new genre: The Yiddish Film. Between 1927 and 1940, over 300 Yiddish films were produced in America. This documentary lovingly recalls these films, and through them, the period of the Jewish immigrant in America, struggling between tradition and assimilation. Includes interviews with Herschel Bernardi, Leo Fuchs, Joseph Green, Miriam Kressyn, David Opatoshu, Seymour Rechtzeit, and Zvee Schooler. Note: May be used with the book, Visions, Images and Dreams: Yiddish Film Past and Present, by Eric Goldman.

B&W. 1 hr. 30 min.  AGE: 12 to Adult

JHVC

F

Americaner Shadchen (An American Matchmaker)  (1940)

Ame

This musical film offers a hilarious picture of second-generation Jews in New York City and their search for love. Broadly contrasting rabbinic ways with modern notions in a country where the rules for romance are very different, Americaner Shadchen portrays the dilemma of attempting to live between two worlds. The film's hero, a model son and successful businessman named Nathan Gold, has been a failure in his pursuit of a bride. The film opens with a bachelor party, Gold's eighth. His weddings have never worked out, and this one too is aborted. Gold then decides to become an advisor in human relations, a shadchen, as a way of finding a wife. With his servant Morris as his foil, Gold proceeds to solve the mysteries of modern relationships by setting up an office where human affairs can be approached scientifically.

In Yiddish with subtitles. B&W. 1 hr. 27 min.  AGE: 14 to Adult

808.87

AVI HOFFMAN’S TOO JEWISH?

Avi

One-man musical comedy revue starring comedian Avi Hoffman, filmed live at the Westside Theatre in New York. Hoffman sings Yiddish and Jewish songs, tells jokes and stories, and reminisces about a Yiddish culture that once was. In a particularly nice segment, he sings a long medley which includes a few bars of well-known Yiddish songs - with English translations presented onscreen for the audience. Note: Of particular interest to Yiddish enthusiasts.

F

THE CANTOR’S SON (Dem Khazn’s Zindl)  (1937)

Can

A showcase for the marvelous vocal talent of renowned cantor Moishe Oysher, this musical drama is based on his life. He plays Shloime, a cantor’s son, who ran away from his home in Belz when he was a boy, joining a troupe of traveling Jewish actors who take him to America. Fifteen years later he is working as a janitor when a female singer discovers that he has a wonderful voice. She leads him to fame on the stage and falls in love with him. When Shloime learns that his parents wish him to return to Europe for their golden wedding anniversary, he goes home and is reunited with his childhood sweetheart. Shloime must decide his future course—remaining in Europe as a cantor or returning to America.

In Yiddish with subtitles. 1 hr. 30 min.  AGE: 14 to Adult

F

THE DYBBUK (Der Dibuk)  (1937)

Dyb

Fascinating Yiddish film of the classic play by S. Ansky, originally written in Russian. The story begins with two men who are best friends who make a pact—that if one has a daughter and the other a son, their children will be married. Years later, unbeknownst to all, that son and daughter meet and fall in love. The young woman’s father, however, has already betrothed her to a rich man. When her beloved learns of this, he dies and becomes a dybbuk—a disembodied spirit—and enters the body of the woman he loves. This Yiddish melodramatic tragedy was produced in Poland before World War II and will remind viewers of a whole culture and society that perished in the Holocaust. Note: This film is still very powerful today, shedding light on the world that was. Its segment of dances will remind viewers of the graveyard scene from Fiddler on the Roof, and viewers of “exorcist” films will see an early predecessor.

In Yiddish with subtitles. B&W. 2 hrs.  AGE: 14 to Adult

JHVC

F

East and West  (1923)

Eas

A silent comedy made in Vienna in 1923, East and West takes a satirical look at some of the stereotypes of the Jewish world shortly after World War l. It is the earliest existing film with Molly Picon, one of the most prominent actresses of Yiddish stage and film. Molly Brown, a young American woman, and her immigrant father, a wealthy businessman, are invited back to his Polish hometown for a family wedding. Molly finds her Old World relatives old-fashioned, while they are shocked by her modern, carefree ways. Molly's rebellious pranks are climaxed by a mock wedding, in which she unintentionally becomes married for real to a devout yeshiva student. The deed, it turns out, is not easily undone.

B&W. 1 hr. 25 min.  AGE: 14 to Adult

JHVC

070.484

The Forward: From Immigrants to Americans  (1989)

For

Between 1880 and 1925, two and a half million Yiddish speaking Jews immigrated to America, leading to a flourishing Yiddish publishing industry. The Forward, founded in 1897 by Abraham Cahan, was the most famous and influential of the Yiddish newspapers. It served as a guide to transition, helping Yiddish speakers assimilate into the American mainstream by covering a vast range of topics, from citizenship to canning fruit. The Forward strongly supported labor unions, socialist candidates, and FDR. It published translations of classics such as Madame Bovary and the works of the giants of Yiddish literature, including Isaac Bashevis Singer. The film follows the paper up to 1987, when it became a weekly.

58 min.  AGE: 12 to Adult

F

GOD, MAN AND DEVIL  (1949)

God

Based on a play by Jacob Gordin, this American-made Yiddish drama explores whether or not a good and pious man will be corrupted by money. Satan makes a wager with God that he can tempt Hershele Dubrovner—a poor, religious Torah scribe—by handing him a lottery ticket which will win a fortune. Satan then disguises himself and becomes Hershele’s business partner, advising Hershele to open a tallis factory and hire the community men to work for a pittance. The disguised Satan also tells Hershele to divorce his barren wife of 22 years and marry the young and beautiful niece that Hershele and his wife had raised. Hershele follows all of the advice he is given—and in the process destroys his family, his friendships, and any spiritual values he once had. He learns that life holds no remedies for the damage he has caused, and the film ends tragically. Note: A heavy, moralistic film which illustrates how money and power can corrupt—bringing greed and discontent rather than the happiness which is sought.

In Yiddish with subtitles (which are difficult to read at times).B&W. 1 hr. 40 min.  AGE: 14 to Adult

792

THE GOLDEN AGE OF SECOND AVENUE  (1968)

Gol

An entertaining and loving chronicle of Yiddish theater in America, from its beginnings at the turn of the century to its Golden Age on Second Avenue. Narrated by Herschel Bernardi, this documentary includes excerpts from classic Yiddish films (subtitled in English) plus rare stills and musical vignettes from the American Yiddish Theater, as well as scenes from New York’s Lower East Side. The film introduces viewers to the major personalities of 75 years of Yiddish theater, including an unrehearsed meeting with Molly Picon, Jacob Kalich, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Jacob Ben Ami, Berta Gersten, and Cella Adler. Includes performances by Paul Muni, Maurice Schwartz, Menashe Skulnik, Molly Picon, and Boris Thomashefsky.

Color/B&W. 1 hr.10 min.  AGE: 12 to Adult

783.2

GREAT CANTORS IN CINEMA  (1993)

Gre

Produced by the National Center for Jewish Film, this documentary uses restored archival footage to look at five specific cantors who appeared on film from 1931 to 1946. These include Josef “Yossele” Rosenblatt, Moshe Koussevitsky, Mordechai Hershman, Moishe Oysher and Louis “Leibele” Waldman. The first third of the twentieth century was the “Golden Age of Chazzanut” in America—a coming together of unbelievable cantorial talent from the capitols of Europe, most of it focused in New York. As sound in film was not available until the late 1920’s, this “Golden Age” is recorded on film mainly during the 1930’s and 1940’s—when cantors often played cantors in the films in which they appeared.

In Yiddish with English narration and subtitles. B&W. 1 hr.  AGE: 14 to Adult

F

GREEN FIELDS (Grine Felder)  (1938)

Gre

Yiddish drama based on a play by Peretz Hirschbein about a young Hasidic Torah scholar from the city who leaves his studies in search of further meaning. As he passes through the countryside, he happens upon Jewish farmers. One family of simple peasants takes him into their home as a tutor for their children—and they have a beautiful daughter who falls in love with him. After watching these farmers at their work, the scholar feels a real respect for the land and their relationship to it. He must decide whether to continue his travels towards the Torah scholars in the city or remain with these simple but decent Jews in the country.

In Yiddish with subtitles. B&W. 1 hr. 38 min.  AGE: 14 to Adult

F

HIS WIFE’S LOVER (Zayn Vaybs Lubovnik)  (1931)

His

Yiddish musical comedy about a handsome actor who makes a wager with his uncle, betting that there are honest women in the world—when his uncle claims there are none. The actor disguises himself as a crotchety old millionaire and marries a beautiful young woman. Then he tests the woman’s fidelity by changing back to his regular appearance and visiting her with the intent to seduce her. In the process, he falls in love with her himself. Stars Ludwig Satz.

In Yiddish with subtitles. B&W. 1 hr. 17 min.  AGE: 14 to Adult

F

A LETTER TO MOTHER (A Brivele der Mamen)  (1938)

Let

One of the last Yiddish films to come out of Poland before the Nazi invasion, this drama shows the disintegration of a Jewish family due to poverty, stress and World War I. Its central character, Dobrish (played by Lucy Gehrman), is a strong Jewish mother who works hard to keep her unemployed husband and three children close—and close to tradition. The film is set both in the Ukraine and in New York—as part of the family has already immigrated to America. Although the film takes place during World War I, its themes of loss and deterioration of the family structure mirror difficulties facing European Jews in 1939. Directed by Joseph Green.

In Yiddish with subtitles. 1 hr. 40 min.  AGE: 13 to Adult

F

MAMELE (Little Mother)  (1938)

Mam

Yiddish musical starring Molly Picon as Khavtshi, the youngest daughter of a widower who takes care of the house and family of seven. She does her best to please them all and to be their “little mother”—but her efforts are met with indifference and scorn, and they all take advantage of her generous nature. Eventually Khavtshi is pushed to her limit and runs away from home, only to discover love where she least expected to find it.

In Yiddish with subtitles. B&W. 1 hr. 30 min.  AGE: 13 to Adult

JHVC

F

Mirele Efros  (1939)

Mir

No playwright had more impact on the character of the Yiddish theater than Jacob Gordin. Gordin was born in the Ukraine and moved to New York at the turn of the century. On New York's Jewish radio, his plays became renowned for their sophisticated narratives that expounded on the ideals of “menschlichkeit”—the practice of honesty, decency, and devotion to family and community. Mirele Efros, often called the "Jewish Queen Lear," is considered Gordin's masterwork. It tells the story of a pious widow named Mirele who handpicks a wife for her oldest son, Yossele. But after the wedding, Mirele discovers that her new daughter-in-law, Shaindele, is selfish and conniving. The resulting conflict between mother, son, and wife provides fertile ground for exploration of themes inherent in Gordin's works. Note: Subtitles are faded and often hard to read.

In Yiddish with subtitles. B&W. 1 hr. 20 min.  AGE: 14 to Adult

JHVC

F

Tevye  (1939)

Tev

The character of Tevye the Dairyman originated a century ago in a series of stories by Shloime Rabinovitz (1859-1916), the immensely popular Yiddish writer who went by the pen name Sholom Aleichem. Some of the Tevye stories were adapted for the stage and silent screen by Aleichem before his death. Much later they were seen in musical form in Fiddler on the Roof, the tremendously successful American play and film. This Tevye, directed by and starring the great Yiddish actor Maurice Schwartz, is considered a classic of the Yiddish cinema. It focuses on the story of Chava, one of Tevye's daughters, who falls in love with a Ukrainian peasant who reads Gorky. The film explores issues of assimilation and intermarriage, tradition and modernity, as well as anti-Semitism and the future of Jewish existence. Made in New York on the eve of World War II, the film depicts a life that was already threatened.

In Yiddish with subtitles. B&W. 1 hr. 20 min.  AGE: 12 to Adult

F

TWO SISTERS  (1938)

Two

Made in the United States, this Yiddish melodrama is about Betty Glickstein, a Jewish girl who promises her mother—who is on her deathbed—that she will take care of her younger sister, Sally. Betty gives up the best years of her life to ensure her sister’s well-being. She takes care of the household and works in a factory so that Sally can attend school and later train to be a nurse. Betty also uses the money she earns to put her sweetheart, Max, through medical school. Max and Betty get engaged, and he becomes a doctor. When Sally falls in love with Max, Betty’s ability to sacrifice her own interests is put to its final test. Will she relinquish the man she loves to her younger sister? An outstanding performance by actress Jennie Goldstein—her only performance recorded on screen.

In Yiddish with subtitles. B&W. 1 hr. 22 min.  AGE: 14 to Adult

F

UNCLE MOSES (1932)

Classic Yiddish drama starring Maurice Schwartz as a tyrannical sweatshop owner in the 1930’s who falls in love with Masha, the 17-year-old daughter of a worker he has fired. Although Uncle Moses is much older, he pursues Masha. Masha must choose between marrying a man she doesn’t love and pleasing her parents, who wish to raise the family’s position in America. The film deals with some major issues for Jewish immigrants of the time period, including the clash between traditional Jewish values and the temptation of secular life in American. Labor issues for immigrants also are a main theme here, as viewers see the struggles of the underprivileged sweatshop workers, the exploitation of the tenement lords and the idealism of the often-Marxist labor union organizers. The film rises above being a two-dimensional drama by creating multi-faceted characters. Uncle Moses is a prime example of this. Although he exploits his workers, he also paid for them to leave Eastern Europe, come to America and he gave them jobs. He takes advantage of them but he also considers them his family. Yiddish film star Maurice Schwartz shines in this film, which was an adaptation of a 1918 Sholom Asch novel and played for years on the Yiddish theatre.

In Yiddish with subtitles.  1 hr. 27 min.  AGE:  14 to Adult

791.43

THE YIDDISH CINEMA  (1991)

Yid

Produced by the National Center for Jewish Film, this documentary traces the history of Yiddish film. It begins by providing a brief history of the Yiddish language, as well as Yiddish literature and theater. The documentary uses film clips, photographs and interviews to present the ascent and then the decline, after World War II, of Yiddish film in both Eastern Europe and the United States. Includes clips of some of the most popular Yiddish films. Narrated by playwright David Mamet. Note: This video serves well as an introduction to a Yiddish Film Series, as does the video Yiddish: The Mame-Loshn.

Film clips in Yiddish with subtitles. Color/B&W. 1 hr.  AGE: 14 to Adult

492.49

YIDDISH: THE MAME-LOSHN (Yiddish: The Mother Tongue)  (1979)

Yid

Well-produced, made-for-television documentary by filmmaker Pierre Sauvage (Weapons of the Spirit) about the Yiddish language and its importance to American Jews today. Includes interviews with comedian David Steinberg, actor Herschel Bernardi, writer Leo Rosten (The Joys of Yiddish), Daily Forward editor Simon Weber, and Yiddish scholars. Film clips highlight performances by Molly Picon, Maurice Schwartz and Isaac Bashevis Singer. A fascinating and well-researched look at a language that has survived for generations.

58 min.  AGE: 12 to Adult

F

YIDL MITN FIDL (Yidl With A Fiddle)

Yid

The classic Yiddish language musical comedy. Molly Picon plays a shtetl girl who, disguised as a boy, goes off with her father and a band of traveling musicians into the Polish countryside. Made in pre-war Poland, the film provides a warm rendering of Eastern European Jewish life.

Yiddish with subtitles. B&W. 1 hr. 32 min.  AGE: All Ages

492.49

ZOLL ZEYN (YIDDISH CULTURE IN THE JEWISH STATE)  (1989)

Zol

This documentary looks at the Yiddish language and those who speak it in the state of Israel. The film traces the cultural war in Israel in the 1930’s and 1940’s between the “Hebraists” and the “Yiddishists” over which should be the national language. It wasn’t until after the Yiddishists lost and time passed that a more tolerant attitude grew among Israelites towards the Yiddish language. Yiddish continues to live on in Israel, and viewers meet a wide variety of people who speak it today—from poets, actors, singers and journalists—to the ultra-Orthodox in Mea Shearim—to the Bundists still left in Tel Aviv. A fascinating look at a language which has survived over 1,000 years and those who still cling to it today.

In Yiddish with subtitles. 2 hrs. 15 min.  AGE: 14 to Adult