DJCC Yiddish Club

Renate Frydman

Special To The Observer

Like many people who are first- or second-generation Jews in America, Lynda A. Cohen heard her first Yiddish spoken at home. But she also attended a Yiddish preschool in New York.

Historically, Yiddish was the language of the Jews of Central and Eastern Europe. It is a combination of medieval German, Hebrew, Aramaic and several Slavic languages.

The comforting, memory-driven language of parents and grandparents stuck with those who heard it. Yet, aptitude for speaking Yiddish differs greatly depending on how people use it throughout life.

So it seemed like a natural sequence of events for some Yiddish-loving Daytonians to form a group where they could practice speaking the language.

“Previously, everyone looked to Evelyn Solnik, who was formally trained like me, to have Yiddish-speaking get-togethers,” Cohen said.

“Three years ago, the DJCC set up Yiddish-speaking classes for beginners and advanced students. It dwindled down to people who knew and enjoyed Yiddish and didn’t want formal lessons,” Cohen said.

They now gather together as a group and by default, Cohen has become the leader. “With my group experience (in early childhood classes and college teaching), I was happy to do it,” she said.

Participants decided to formalize the group and affiliated with the DJCC. There are now 20 members. Annual dues are $20 per person.

The DJCC Yiddish Club now meets in members’ homes once a month.

“Each meeting has a theme,” she said. “We kibitz (joke) for a little bit, then I bring up the theme. Whatever we talk about is in Yiddish. Recently, everyone brought in a family photograph and talked about it. It was wonderful.”

Meetings have focused on Yiddish music, literature, humor, books, and the “mammas and poppas” — stories about their parents.

“Chanukah was just wonderful. We ate, sang and told stories. We have couples and single people who come to the programs. Each person brings something that has meaning to them,” Cohen said.

Much of members’ early knowledge of Yiddish comes back as they attend the meetings. Since humor was also part of the Yiddish culture, reminiscing includes retelling stories that members heard when they were young. Cohen recently brought a video tape of her father telling humorous Yiddish stories.

One story she likes to tell is about her first meeting with the family of her husband-to-be, Buddy. “He brought me to the house and they wondered, ‘Is she Jewish?’ Buddy said to his dad, ‘Give her your Yiddish newspaper,’ which he always had in his back pocket. When I read to him, he was convinced,” she said.

Ira Segalewitz is also enthusiastic about the club. “Yiddish or mamaloshen (the mother tongue) was my first language,” he said. “Languages are memory devices and they are greatly dependent on exposure and practice. If you don’t use it, you lose it. The Yiddish Club is the only place I get to practice the language of my childhood. I greatly enjoy the programs and the camaraderie of the people involved in the club.”

Cohen said, “The big thing we started last year was a Yiddish concert. We had Tanja Solnik sing and we served raisins and almonds and tea in a glass with sugar cubes. We had reservations for 50 people and 150 showed up at Beth Jacob.”

On Sunday, March 26 at 3 p.m., the DJCC Yiddish Club will present its second concert, featuring Lori Cahan-Simon.

Cahan-Simon is a singer with the Cleveland-based Workmen’s Circle Klezmer Orchestra and teaches Yiddish culture and language at the Workmen’s Circle through visual, performing and culinary arts.

“She and her accompanist will perform Yiddish songs at Beth Jacob Synagogue,” Cohen said. “It is $5 per person. If people join the club, the $20 includes the ticket to the concert.”

©2006 The Dayton Jewish Observer