It has been 105 years since November 11, 1918, when an armistice went into effect between the Allied nations and Germany. It was with unbridled hope that the armistice would go down in history as a day marking an end of “the war to end all wars.” Instead, November 11 has become a day to pay homage to military veterans of the U.S. armed forces. With this in mind, I have assembled a Yiddish vocabulary dedicated to Veteran’s Day.
Vetehrahn (veteran). For those who think that the Yiddish word for “veteran” was derived from the English, think again. In all likelihood, “veteran” began as a French word. It was one of the many French words that found its way into the Russian language. And from Russian, it came into Yiddish. Regardless of its origin, veterans should be honored for doing their patriotic chore by putting their lives on the line for democracy to triumph over tyranny, so that peace will prevail.
Zelnehr (soldier). The Polish “zolnierz” and the Czech “zoldner” seem to have given rise to the Yiddish “zelnehr.” An old Yiddish maxim dating back at least a century reminds us of one of the realities of serving one’s country. “Bist a zelnehr, shmeck zheh poolvehr, You’re a soldier, then inhale (gun)powder. One of the less glorious aspects of being a zelnehr is inhaling the distinct odor of gunpowder that has been replaced by the fumes of chemicals going up in smoke.
Shlahchtfeld (battlefield). Unlike the term “battlefield,” Yiddish takes a far dimmer view of where battles are waged. As I pointed out in a previous article, shlahcht brings with it the connotation of loss of life, in that shlahcht means slaughter. Whereas battle suggests broken bones and bruises, shlahcht serves as a reminder that not every zelnehr will get out alive. Until Mashiach comes, there are soldiers who will continue to give their lives for their countries as well as for the wellbeing of those who live in their countries.
Kemfen (wage war). Kemfen can also be understood as struggle, hence the name of the ignominious book “Mein Kampf.” Sadly, there are those who dedicate their lives to kemfen with the goal of taking over the world and then there are those who dedicate their lives to kemfen so that people the world over can live in freedom. Put differently, when kemfen is undertaken by those who promulgate evil, the end goal is to instill fear. When kemfen is undertaken by those who strive for righteousness, the end goal is that “…they shall dwell in safety, and none shall make them afraid.”
Held (hero). It’s been 55 years since I saw the movie “Every Bastard a King.” Although the movie focuses on an American reporter in Israel in May and June of 1967, one part of the movie that remains etched in my memory is a scene where the reporter’s personal guide visits a wounded soldier in the hospital. Standing in the hospital room, the guide is at a loss for words. After an uncomfortable silence, he blurts out in Hebrew “atah gibor!” Had this movie been shown with Yiddish dialogue, the guide would have blurted out “Du bist a held!” (You’re a hero).
Perhaps this Vetehrahn’s Tog (Veteran’s Day) we will begin to see each zelnehr who is out there kemfen in a shlachtfeld as a true held.
Rabbi Shawn Zell has recently returned to New Jersey, after serving at a pulpit in Dallas. He possesses certification in teaching Yiddish. Rabbi Zell is the author of three books.
