This Old Jewish Author Speaks Wisdom About Life To Audiences - Isaac Bashevis Singer
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- Опубліковано 9 жов 2024
- I began my documentary filmmaking career in New York City and this documentary was made by my boss and then partner, Amram Nowak. He had a passion for the work of Isaac Bashevis Singer, a notable American-Jewish-Polish writer who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1978 (shown in this film). Singer's works are celebrated for their narrative craftsmanship, psychological insight, and unique portrayals of bygone Jewish communities. Singer explored universal themes like faith, morality, passion, and the supernatural in the context of Jewish folklore, traditions and the moral dilemmas posed by modernity. He wrote primarily in Yiddish.
Singer was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature "for his impassioned narrative art which, with roots in a Polish-Jewish cultural tradition, brings universal human conditions to life." His vivid descriptions of Jewish life in Eastern Europe and the struggles of Jewish immigrants in the United States offer a window into a world that has largely vanished. Works like "Enemies, A Love Story" and "The Magician of Lublin" showcase this talent.
Singer was not just a novelist but also an accomplished short story writer and children's book author. Some of his tales have been adapted into films and plays. Many of his works continue to be read and studied in literature courses and programs around the world.
The Yiddish language has a history spanning over a millennium. Originating in Central Europe, Yiddish was spoken by Ashkenazi Jews and evolved from High German dialects, incorporating elements of Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic languages, and later, Romance languages. Over time, Yiddish became the lingua franca for Ashkenazi Jews in various parts of Europe.
The prevalence of Yiddish underwent significant changes over the 19th and especially the 20th centuries due to several factors. The Holocaust decimated a significant portion of the Ashkenazi Jewish population, which constituted the primary speakers of Yiddish. Many of the Jewish communities in Eastern Europe, where Yiddish was the dominant language, were destroyed.
In countries like the United States and Canada, Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants often assimilated into the larger English-speaking culture. As a result, while the first generation of immigrants might have spoken Yiddish at home, subsequent generations became more fluent in English and often lost proficiency in Yiddish.
With the rise of the Zionist movement and the establishment of the State of Israel, Hebrew was promoted as the unifying Jewish language. Modern Hebrew was revitalized and became the official language of Israel, further displacing Yiddish.
In the Soviet Union, where many Jews resided, the Stalin regime suppressed Yiddish institutions, and many Yiddish writers and intellectuals were executed or sent to labor camps in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
But Yiddish has not disappeared: There has been a renewed interest in Yiddish culture and language, especially among academics and artists. Universities offer Yiddish courses, and there are Yiddish theater productions, music festivals, and publications. Yiddish continues to be spoken as a daily language in several ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities around the world, notably the Hasidic communities in areas of New York, Israel, and other places.
Coney Island where much of this film was shot, located in Brooklyn, NYC, has undergone significant changes since the 1970s. It was a major entertainment and beach destination. By the 1970s, however, the area faced economic decline and many of its famous amusement parks and attractions had closed or deteriorated. The 1970s and 1980s were particularly challenging for Coney Island. Economic decline with crime, and urban decay. Many businesses shuttered, and the once-famous amusement parks were either closed or in poor condition. One of the area's most famous amusement parks, Astroland, closed. This was a significant end of an era for many locals and visitors.
Starting in the late 1990s and accelerating in the 2000s, concerted efforts by the city and private investors rejuvenated Coney Island. In 2010, a new amusement park named Luna Park (named after the original Luna Park which operated from 1903 to 1944) opened on the site of the former Astroland. Iconic Coney Island landmarks like the Cyclone roller coaster and the Parachute Jump have been restored and continue to serve as symbols of the area's rich history. The last couple of decades have seen increased real estate development in the area, with new residential buildings and commercial enterprises.
If you found this film meaningful, enjoyable, memorable, please consider supporting my efforts to present more films from my archive by clicking the Thanks button below the video screen or by visiting PayPal at www.paypal.com/davidhoffmanfilms.
A great writer and man of integrity ! I so much wish I coud have shaken your hand Sir for all the compassion you had for animals. You were right Sir, killing animals for food is a total injustice. Thanks for your precious quotes.
I just found "The Isaac Bashevis Singer Reader" in a book box, and now I find this...
Mr. Hoffman, I thank you from the bottom of my bookworm heart for this...
I enjoyed this documentary, he was certainly a uniquely talented and brilliant writer, (and doing it in a dying language!) For me it was great to learn about Isaac, I noticed right off he had an awesome sense of humor!😂 Personally I'm surprised his English was so impeccable!😃 Also, that lil bit of history on Coney Island was greatly appreciated too, "Astroland" must've really been something special back in those days! Can only imagine! Thank you so much David!✌
My favorite writer! Since I read " Short Friday and other Stories" as a 13yr old convent girl He Changed My Life! I've spent my life identifying as Jewish,loving Jewish ethics and spirit❤😊 Thank you for sharing this❤❤❤❤❤❤
Mine too and I am Mexican. All his work is amazing. once you start reading his books you cannot stop.
"If I clean up this room it would lose its character". I am going to make good use of that quote!
I love these success stories, and it's fun to see him go back to his old stomping grounds and see the same people who were there so many years ago.
@deltatango5765... I like that quotes as well. "In other words, chaos is not really ugly."
Quentin Crisp insisted that after four years or so rooms don't get appreciably dirtier, so once you've crossed that line you're pretty much home free.
Thanks David Hoffman film maker 🎥🎞️😊
Just discovered this. This is wonderful. He's one of my all-time favorite writers. I must have ready everything he wrote; and he wrote so much! He's in his 80s in this, and he moves about just great.
One of my FAVORITE WRITERS!!!❤
Information share love it 💞
Wow! I grew up reading his work in my Jewish school ❤
I am not familiar with Isaac Bashevis Singer after reading your description write up and listening to Isaac he come across as a fascinating fellow. I love when he talks about his wife saying why don't you clean up this room and his reply is. "If I clean up this room it would lose its character" in other words chaos is not really ugly. 😂 this is another one worth watching again. thanks David Hoffman.
He wrote Yentel
When he was reading from the Newspaper almost to the end out of his briefcase, so disorganized, The date was My Birthday in 1970. A very sad and stressful time inynlife. I had just lost a baby in May and I was running from an abusive husband. How Odd And Serendipitous that he pulled out That particular newspaper. It reminded me I Survived That Time of my life. Thank you.
I'm reading this in the Horror of Hamas invading Israel. This man Survived Hitler but yet the destruction,the useless Killings goes on. Thank You Mr. singer. You are a National and Jewish Treasure. 🙏✌️❤️🇺🇲
Such a delightful man ❤!
IB Singer, one of the greatest writers in any language.
He was a rare and wonderful man. Thank you.
Love this
This was great. Thank you - A Jew from Texas
Another insightful peek into the broad spectrum of humanity
Very enjoyable
He came here from Warsaw in 1935. How fortunate the world is that this man made it out in the nick of time!
....and how many, like him, did not make it out?
@@TomHuston43 Too many.
💕💕🙏🙏🕊🕊
Quite incredible posting, Mr. H. I have the original WNET broadcast (posted to my channel) recorded on Beta (using a found machine back in the late 80s). It shows this footage and some additional scenes such as a visit to Montreal where IBS gave a lecture in Yiddish. It's a brilliant piece of work - certainly one of the best documentaries I know. How nice that I was already following your channel!
When he said,,,I did have some hair....200 years ago.....I died laughing. Great video of an incredible Man. Thanks David
thank you for this film sir!
Simply terrific
He's much more popular in Poland than in U.S. or Israel
He was wildly popular among book lovers in the U.S.
Some of his stories are taught in schools in Israel. I have personally read many of his books. His only son, by the way, was Israeli.