Laughter at the Holocaust Museum?

The Yiddish corner

By Sol Awend, GenShoah SWFL

There was laughter heard at the Holocaust Museum a while back. Some 10 people were sitting there, laughing out loud … at the Holocaust Museum in Naples. I’m talking about two words you don’t usually see together — Holocaust and laughter. And there’s another word missing from this mix that explains it all: Yiddish.

Someone in the SecondGeneration group, which is part of the Museum, came up with an idea for a Yiddish get-together. The Museum saw an immediate connection and agreed. Museum President Susan Suarez gave the interested parties three dates to show their stuff.

I was there, and I must tell you it was well done, considering it’s the first time out with a program like this.

The program did have variety. There was laughter from the get-go as the group spent a wonderful time sharing their love for Yiddish … mostly in Yiddish.

What really brought the house down was a list of “10 Words You’ve Never Heard in Yiddish.” The guy who made up the list speaks Yiddish like it was his first language and he never forgot it. Loves to shmees. He was nice enough to share it with me, and since this space is devoted to Yiddish words, have at it. Just know that they are real words that have been used and, a little tip from an FBI friend of mine, they would make great passwords.

It’s important to continue supporting the Yiddish programs at the Museum as a fitting tribute to our wonderful language. There is so much out there to share, and to be together doing that at the Museum? Priceless.

Now’s the time to be counted.

Ten words you never heard in Yiddish

1. Haabeh floken (oatmeal)

Dee vils’t Haabeh floken essen off frishtik? (Want some oatmeal to eat for breakfast?)

2. Shpek ah link goomah leh (rubber washer for a faucet)

Kens’t dec’h booden, c’hob ahran geh zetz’t ah nayeh shpek ah link goomah leh. (You can take a bath now, I installed a new rubber washer.)

3. T’zeh morsh-t’yet (ground up, obliterated)

Dee shteineh zenen gevorren t’zeh morsh-t’yet. (The rocks got pulverized.)

4. Fah c’hlooshnyet (drowned and inundated with water)

Shvimidik iz eh geh vorren fah c’hlooshnyet fin doos vaaseh. (While swimming, he became overpowered by the water.)

5. Yook’l (a mischievous simpleton)

Deh yook’l ot zec’h nisht geh volt nooc’h gayben. (The simpleton did not want to cooperate.)

6. K’nal/c’hmal/toy’t klaap (getting hit with a knockout punch)

Er ot aim geh gayben ah c’hmal/Toy’t klaap, in kop. (He gave him a shot in the head.)

7. T’zeh raac’ht geh maac’ht (to be put back in some kind of shape)

Er hot deh radio git t’zeh raac’ht geh maac’ht! Es arbet night! (He really fixed the radio! It doesn’t work!)

8. Ooh shooben (to peel, as in peeling potatoes)

Zee ot oogeh shooben de kartofell’n, fah pletzlec’h t’zu maac’hen. (She peeled the potatoes so she could make latkes.)

9. Ah hofen (a pile) Es lig’t a hofen mit ooteyec’htz off’n bet. (There’s a pile of clothes on the bed.)

10. Fah plonchet (gummed up, tusseled)

Deh baanvoo off de nood’l ot zec’h fah plonchet. (The thread for the needle is all tangled up.)