spells and incantations

feldmesterin

Jun 92 min read

Children lament their mother in Brestetshke

'Examples of laments by children', collected by Moyshe Melman in Brestetshke (Beresteczko, Berestetchka, Brestetshke, ברסטצ'ק,...

feldmesterin

Feb 52 min read

The eyshes-khayil of Hendrikov, from Y. Y. Trunk's "Poland" (1944)

Another short but sweet recollection of a real-life opshprekherke (healer through incantations) and feldmesterin (cemetery or grave...

feldmesterin

Nov 28, 20233 min read

"Today it is customary to go to the cemetery with an elderly Jewess"

I'm getting ready today to teach my final class on this online course with JTS, in which we will be taking a closer look at the...

feldmesterin

Dec 31, 202211 min read

"Incantations must not be taught to anyone"

Translation of an excerpt from Abraham Rechtman, Yidishe Etnografye un Folklor, p. 289-298. Rav Yokhanan had the habit of coming to sit...

feldmesterin

Dec 27, 20222 min read

Woman soul

This week I've been teaching an online workshop at Yiddish New York about Ashkenazi Jewish women's customs and practices. For the past...

feldmesterin

May 16, 20223 min read

Leybeshekhe the 'Cemetery Jewess' of Kremenits

Among the professions listed in this memorial book from Kremenets, Ukraine, between "goose plucker" and "mechanic", is "cemetery zogerke"...

feldmesterin

Sep 12, 20212 min read

Double, Double, Mi un Tsores ...

According to the ethnographic study I posted recently, Yom Kippur candles made with threads that had been used to measure graves were...

feldmesterin

Jan 14, 20212 min read

An ayin-hore incantation, to exercise an evil eye from a child

From the memorial book of the town of Pruzhany, Poland, recorded by A Fayvushinsky.The text has very little punctuation (I've added a bit...

feldmesterin

May 31, 20201 min read

Mestn Feld - a memory from Pruzhany (Pruzhene), Poland

This short description of the practise is found in the Yizker Bukh 'Pinkes fun der shtot Pruzhene' - a memorial book written by former...