March 2022: Handpicked
Each month, the Yiddish Book Center asks a member of our staff or a special friend to select favorite stories, books, interviews, or articles from our online collections. This month, we’re excited to share with you picks by Emily Mazza.
Emily Mazza, the Yiddish Book Center's 2021-22 Phyllis Pasker Fellow, began her study of Yiddish language at the Center. As part of the bibliography team she's constantly discovering interesting finds in our book collection.
After delving into her selections, scroll down to read a short interview with Emily about her choices.
“Adventures of a Bad Researcher: The Mystery of the Last Yiddish Linotype,” by Raphael Halff
Read this piece to learn the story of one of the most striking objects at the Yiddish Book Center: the Linotype. Our Linotype was used for over seven decades to publish the Forverts, the longest-running Yiddish newspaper in the United States. This piece explains the importance of having such physical objects at the Center so visitors can see the evidence of past Yiddish creativity and reflect on how Yiddish creativity persists today with new technology.
“Bintel Brief” translated by Deborah Rothman
The advice column Bintel Brief appeared in the Forverts starting in 1906. Readers would submit questions, and the paper’s editor, Abraham Cahan, would reply with his advice. A few of these exchanges are translated in this article, giving us an intimate glimpse into the daily lives of American Jews at the turn of the century.
Interview with Anita Galick, Yiddish Book Center Zamler, “Reading Newspapers to Her Grandmother”
This oral history from Anita Galick demonstrates how Yiddish (and English) newspapers were shared and read outside of the official circulation numbers. It was common to read a newspaper aloud to friends in a coffee shop or pass copies on to family members. Anita describes how her grandfather used to read the Forverts to her grandmother, who was unable to read; it is a touching example of the communal experience of engaging with writing and culture.
Di yidishe prese vos iz geven, by David Finkler, M. Tannin, and Shalom Rosenfeld
This book came to the Center in its original box, emblazoned with the names of various Jewish newspapers in languages such as Yiddish, Polish, Russian, Hebrew, and German. The book itself is separated into a number of short chapters, each dedicated to a different important Jewish newspaper. The chapters include pictures of editors or major contributors, scans of front pages from the papers themselves, and a wealth of information about the paper’s founding, political leanings, and development through its lifetime. It’s an invaluable source of information for understanding the geographic, religious, linguistic, and political diversity of the Jewish press.
This book is formatted much like the above but focuses specifically on the Yiddish press in the United States, with sections on the politically and religiously diverse range of newspapers that demonstrate the plurality of Jewish life in the United States. It covers the history and impact of newspapers from the more religious Tagblat to the staunchly Communist Morgn Frayhayt.
Q&A
Emily Mazza talks to the Yiddish Book Center’s Director of Publishing and Public Programs, Lisa Newman, about her Handpicked choices:
Lisa Newman: Emily, I was excited to see what you’d select and you haven’t disappointed. At first glance it appears that you’ve zeroed in on some interesting content related to publishing. So, I have to ask, is any of this related to your fellowship work here at the Center?
Emily Mazza: Thanks, Lisa, I was so excited to put this list together! Yes, I chose a theme around the Yiddish press since newspapers and periodicals were and are essential players in Jewish communities. The Yiddish press encompasses so much of Jewish life and history. I selected pieces that demonstrate the plurality of Jewish experiences and backgrounds—you can clearly see the diversity and complexity of Jewish life through the variety of Yiddish press.
LN: The Bintel Brief is such an amazing window into immigrant life. Do you have a favorite letter or even an answer to a letter?
EM: My favorite Bintel Brief is a letter from 1906 where a man asks the newspaper for advice about his upcoming marriage. His family wants him to marry his cousin, which was not so unusual at the time. However, the man writes to the Forverts because he’s concerned about the height difference between him and his fiancée. He is very tall and she is very short, and he worries they will make a strange-looking couple. The editor replies that it doesn’t matter, and he should just let people stare.
LN: Curious, a favorite anecdote from this book? Or one great takeaway for you?
EM: I love the photos in this book. There are, of course, pictures of editorial teams, front pages of different newspapers, and important individuals involved in the production of the papers themselves. My favorite thing, however, is the pictures interspersed throughout the book of people sitting in parks or workshops or streets just reading newspapers. Often these pictures portray people reading next to each other or even multiple people sharing a paper and reading together. For example, page 82 has a fantastic photo of a group of Jewish workers around a table discussing politics over several newspapers they’re sharing. These photos are such good demonstrations not only of how prevalent a role the press played in Jewish communities but also how reading newspapers was often a communal experience!
LN: Were you surprised to find this and other books that focused on the Yiddish press? It’s interesting to think about who this book was aimed at in terms of readers.
EM: At first, I was surprised to find such specific books that act as a kind of survey of the Yiddish press. However, over the course of my time at the Yiddish Book Center, I’ve found books that had a similar function for the Yiddish press in other countries—I recently came across one focused on the Yiddish press in Argentina, for example. Often, these books are written and edited by major players in Yiddish literature or the Yiddish press. These people were passionate about the press as a historically significant institution. They published these books not only as informative encyclopedias but also as a tribute to the work and dedication of those who contributed to the growth and flourishing of the Yiddish press.