An image of Dina, being abducted
by the Canaanite, Shechem, as recounted in this week’s Torah portion Image by ChatGPT, Open AI
By Moishele Alfonso
December 13, 2024
A young woman is gingerly applying lipstick for her upcoming date, unaware of the horrible fate awaiting her.
This may sound like the description of a new Netflix drama but it’s actually a scene in a poem inspired by the parshah (Torah portion) Vayishlach, in which Jacob’s daughter Dina is abducted and violated by a Canaanite prince. The poem, “Dina bas Yankev Goes on a Rendez-vous,” was written by the great Yiddish songwriter Itsik Manger.
The poem about Dina’s abduction appears in a new blog that matches each week’s parshah with works from Yiddish literature with the same theme. The blog, Dos gezang fun der sedre (The song of the parshah), was created by Sheva Zucker, a renowned Yiddish instructor and author of Yiddish textbooks. It’s a veritable treasure for anyone wanting to expand their knowledge of Yiddish literature, and also become more familiar with the stories of the Torah.
Although the parshah says that Jacob’s only daughter is abducted and raped by the Canaanite prince, Shechem, Manger never mentions this. He simply describes how Dina innocently prepares for a night on the town with several young men from her city.
Dina applies her lipstick
On her upper and lower lips,
Her lips poppy red —
Enough, she must go out and explore.
…..
The town hall clock has struck eight,
That means that the time has come, too
To rush to the young men of Shechem
To meet for their rendez-vous.
Each weekly entry of the blog provides the Torah portion in English and in Yiddish; several stories or poems in Yiddish, English translation and transliteration; and an audio recording of the story in Yiddish. As a result the blog is accessible even to those readers who don’t read Yiddish.
The “Genesis” of the Blog
In an interview with the Forverts, Zucker admitted that years ago she never would have imagined that one day she’d start a blog related to the Torah. She grew up in a secular family that didn’t go to synagogue, and the Torah wasn’t part of their lives. Now she goes to shul almost every Shabbos. “I can’t say that I’ve become religious. I go to shul, in part because maybe I’ll learn something that has a Yiddish connection.” It took her some time to understand the deep connection that Yiddish literature actually has with sacred texts like the Torah.
“A lot of people think Yiddish literature is completely secular and anti-religious. It ain’t necessarily so,” she said. Even those writers who were no longer observant still referenced the Torah in their works.
The idea for the blog came from a bible she discovered at her synagogue: “The Torah: A Women’s Commentary”. It includes an explanation of each parshah, with a section called “Voices” — poems that deal with that week’s Torah portion. Some of the works, mostly written by women, are translations from Hebrew or Yiddish. “It occurred to me that someone — that someone being me — should do this for Yiddish.”
The colossal work of searching for and collecting material for the blog began a year ago. I asked Zucker if she uses online tools like OCR to find material. “Heavens no!” she exclaimed. She was already familiar with many of the poems, especially those related to Genesis, and this is where she began her search for more.
Each Shabbos morning, after returning from shul, she takes books of Yiddish poetry off their shelves and leafs through them. Sometimes she uses the original Yiddish poems she finds in translation in the women’s commentary.
Nevertheless, Zucker is also open to suggestions from the readers. “I’d be happy to hear if someone knows a poem they think would be suitable,” she said. She believes that many people could benefits from the blog: those who need to write a d’var Torah (sermon) for a special occasion; Yiddish students, Jews, non-Jews and those who don’t know Yiddish at all.
“The Torah isn’t just for religious Jews,” she said. “It belongs to all of us.”
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