Heint iz der dreizig yahrzeit afn Shimon Dzigan. Dzigan, the famous Yiddish comedian had an incredible life, startiing off in the Lodz Jewish community, escaping with his later comic partner, Shumacher, from the Lodz Ghetto when the Germans closed it off, landing in Russia, being sent to Siberia for one-too-many jokes about Papa Joe Stalin, being released from Siberia, going to Israel, where he found a chilling reception for his love of Yiddish, in a land that only wanted to love Hebrew. And moving to Argentina.
Not an uneventful life.
Now, thanks to the resources available on the internet, those interested in Dzigan’s comic contribution to Jewish culture, can see and hear this comedic genius at work ( youtube.com, savethemusic.com, etc.). But also those students of Yiddish, who have been starved up until now for material in the mame-loshn with simultaneous translations, as is available with virtually every other language on Earth,(and why does Google translator not include Yiddish?) can now expand their vocabulary and their familiarity with commonly used phrases and usages by watching and absorbing his work. And what a wonderful, funny, and entertaining way to learn a language that should be learned by every Jew. The best thing since Mickey Katz. S’iz a mechaya.
Does Dzigan know that, 30 years after his passing, the shows he filmed more than 35 years ago are helping to spread his beloved Yiddish like a wildfire, even if it is a slow-moving one? (The wood is still damp, but wait till it dries out!) Ben-Zev thinks it could be so.
Shimon Dzigan was taken ill during a public performance, on April 14, 1980. It is said that he cracked jokes in the ambulance all the way to the hospital, where he passed away.
Shimon Dzigan, laughing all the way to Eternity.
Zayt gezint, kinderlech, — Baruch Ben-Zev
Tags: Jewish humor, Shimon Dzigan, Yiddish, Yiddish humor, Yiddish language, Yiddish language learning, Yiddish Theatre
