Page 13>THE NEWSNovember, 1982
Jewish Books in Review
is a service of the IWB Jewish Book Council,
15 East 26th St.,'New York, N.Y. 10010
Jewish Survival Theme Of U JA
University Essay Contest
A NOVEL
Marieuhad It Not Jn»t Mariaabmd
Marienbad Is Not Just
Marienbad
Marienbad: A Novel. By
S h a I o m A I e i c h e m .
Translated from the Yiddish
by Aliza Shevrin. G.P. Put
nam 's Sons, 200 Madison
Avenue,. New York, NY
10016.1982222pages. $13.95.
Reviewed by
Jacob Kabakoff
In his autobiography,
Marie Twain wrote that
humor had a life expectancy
of only thirty years. Yet
Sholom Aleichem’s writings
have retained their vitality
to such an extent that even a
minor work like Marienbad
continues to sparkle with wit
and comic situations.
Originally serialized in the
Yiddish press in 1911, it com
prises part of the volume of
the author’s collected works
entitled Zumer-Lebn (Sum
mer Life).
Sholom Aleichem was
obliged for health reasons to
spend a good deal of time at
various spas and health
resorts. Here he observed
the goings-on of nouveau
riche urban Jews and their
social climbing wives. In
Marienbad he chose the
epistolary medium — a
literary form which he had
perfected in his celebrated
Menachem Mend! stories —
to depict the antics of War
saw Jews from the Nalevkis,
the central Jewish business
thoroughfare of Warsaw.
Marienbad, of course, is the
resort town famous for its
mineral waters.
“You think Marienbad is
just Marienbad?" asks
Beltzi Kurlander in her letter
to her husband who has
stayed home to mind his
business on the Nalevkis.
“Marienbad is Berdichev,
Marienbad is Warsaw,
Marienbad is the Nalevkis.”
Or, as Beltzi's husband
Shlomo puts it: “Should so
meone in Marienbad sneeze,
someone in the Nalevkis will
say ‘God bless you!” The let
ters fly up and back not only
between the young, flir
tatious Beltzi and her con
siderably older and jealous
husband, but between a
whole host of characters who
become embroiled in a three-
ring circus of comic events.
Their letters expose the
foibles ind weaknesses of a
whole segment of middle-
class types and skillfully lay
bare their character traits.
We leave it to the reader to
discover how Sholom
Aleichem resolves his com
edy of errors. His novel has
been ably presented by Aliza
Shevrin who had endeavored
to overcome the many knotty
problems of translation by
paying attention to the
special nuances and flavor of
the various individualistic
styles of letter-writing that
make up the work.
Dr. Jacob Kabakoff is Pro
fessor of Hebrew Literature
at the City University of
New York and editor of the
Jewish Book Annual.
Foondattoa Jirom pas?i)
work directly with the
Capital Campaign, super
vise the financial systems of
the Foundation including
record keeping, billing, etc.
She will also work in the area
of newcomers to the comm
unity helping to locate add
itions to the Jewish Popula
tion.
IF YOU HAVE A
SPECIAL HANUKAH
STORY. POEM, DRAW
ING, RECIPE, ETC.
PLEASE SUBMIT BY
NOV. 10.
DEADLINE FOR ADS:
NOV. 16.
The United Jewish Appeal
announced the second an
nual University Essay Con
test, funded by the Morris J.
-Kaplun Foundation. The
theme of the contest is:
“Jewish Experience as a
Source of Survival
Strategies.”
Robert E. Loup, National
Chairman of the United
Jewish Appeal, in announc
ing the contest, said: “The
current voices of dissent con
cerning the crisis in Lebanon
remind us of the value of
educational programs which
provide a forum for Jewish
youth to add their voices to
our continuing concern for
peace and -the primacy of
unity for Jewish survival.”
The nationv/ide competi
tion is open to any American
undergraduate or graduate
student under 27 years of age
enrolled in an accredited in
stitution of higher learning.
The 1,500 to 2,000 • word
essays will be judged by a
distinguished panel of
educators and writers.
An all-expense-paid trip to
Israel and a $500 commenda
tion stipend will be awarded
to the authors of the eight
winning essays. The 10-day
trip in August, 1983, will in
clude visits with Israeli
heads of State and tours of
border settlements, arch
aeological excavations and
other events of historical,
social, and education value.
According to Dr. Henry
Feingold of the City Univer
sity of New York, the
Chairman of the UJA
University Essay Contest
Committee, the focus of the
contest is educational. The
objective is to stimulate
creative thought on the
perennial problem of Jewish
physical and spiritual sur
vival. Applicants are en
couraged to interpret the
theme as broadly and
critically as they wish, using
any combination of
disciplines as well as per
sonal experience. “The un
foreseen dividend of last
year’s contest was that the
maturity and eloquence of
the essays identified future
leaders of the Jewish peo
ple,” Feingold commented.
Loup added: “Last year’s
winning essays, chosen from
entries from 79 of the finest
universities nationwide, of-
NORTH CAROLINA HEBREW ACADEMY
OPEN HOUSE
Nov. 10
8 p.m.
K-2nd
1006 Sardis Lane
(across from Providence Sq. Apts)
Come See Why We're The Best!
For further information call: Eleanor Welnglass, director, 366-6390
fered creative and novel
ideas for the survival of the
Jewish people.”
The contest is being run
under the auspices of the
Hon. Teddy Kollek, Mayor
of Jerusalem. Among the
educators serving on the con
test committee’s Academic
Advisory Council are Pro
fessor Alan Dowty, Notre
Dame University; Professor
Jane Gerber. CCNY; Pro
fessor Norman Lamm,
Yeshiva University; and
Professor Seymour Martin
Lipset, Stanford University.
The Israel Contest Commit
tee. headed by Avraham
Hartman, president of the
Hebrew University of
Jerusalem, is comprised of
the presidents- of all the
universities in the State of
Israel. Issachar Miron, UJA
national director of Creative
and Educational Programs,
is the Contest Coordinator.
For contest rules and other
information, contestants
may write to: Contest Coor
dinator, UJA University
Essay Contest, 4th Floor
Room 32, 1290 Avenue of the
Americas, New York, N.Y.
10104.
BBYO...
By Jodi Mond
Halloween Party
Chaverim BBG and
Mickey Aberman AZA spon
sored their annual Hallo
ween Party for the patients
in the Pediatrics Ward of
Memorial Hospital on Oct
ober 25. Dressed in
costumes, the BBYOers
handed out treats and
balloons to the children,
played games, sang songs
and told stories. The helium
balloons were donated by
“Monkey Business.” Mr
Irving Greenberg donated
“Beeboppers” for the pat
ients. This party is always
one of the most successful
and rewarding events done
by the two chapters.
Monte Carlo Night
Chaverim members will be
“coat check” girls at the
B’nai B’rith Lodge’s Monte
Carlo Night. All tips will be
gratefully accepted for the
chapter’s many important
nrnifirts.
Winter Cultural
All four of the BBYO
chapters in Charlotte have
been busy for weeks on the
annual Winter Cultural Con
vention taking place in
Charlotte on November
12-14. Coordinators of this
convention are Tamar
Rocklin and Evin Somer-
stein. The preparation of all
the welcome bags is being
coordinated by Jodi Mond.
Various businesses, banks
and airlines in the communi
ty have been most generous
in contributing small gifts
for these kits. A complete
list of contributors will ap
pear in next month’s issue of
the“CJN.”
OPAH FOODS, INC.
open • to 7 p.m. Mon. - Sat. (Sunday 1 to4 p.m.)
-OREEK-rTALIAN-SPANISH-MIDOLE EASTERN SPECIALTIES-
3305!4 South Blvd.
S27-S2S6
Behind the
LIBERTY BELL
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An array of sandwiches,
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for lunch
Located in four
Uptown
SouthPark
Eastland
Greenville, S.C
RESTAURANTS
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