the linguist - Horace Mann School

THE LINGUIST
THE New York city issue
Letter from the Editors:
We are very excited to present the second
issue of The Linguist, a magazine dedicated
to showcasing the linguistic and cultural
diversity at Horace Mann and worldwide. This
year, we are doing a spotlight on New York
City and its surrounding area, the melting pot
in which hundreds of languages are spoken.
Students have written on various ethnic
neighborhoods, the history of the city,
personal experiences, and more. All pieces
were written in foreign languages and are
accompanied by an English translation. We hope
the issue will create a greater appreciation
for the multitude of languages and the
cultural richness of the area in which we
live.
Sincerely,
Isaac and Joanna
Editors in Chief: Isaac Grafstein & Joanna Cho
Creative Director & Photography: Andie Fialkoff
Faculty Advisor: Susan Carnochan
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2013-2014 | Volume II, Issue I
Table of
Contents:
La Toulousaine Bakery
Gina Yu
4
Spotlight on Washington Heights
8
Being Polish in NYC
10
Dutch Legacy in New York
14
Moroccan Jews in the City
16
Spotlight on Williamsburg
18
A Review of Kunjip Restaurant
22
A City of Immigrants
24
Spotlight on Little Italy
28
Benjamin Fink
Kasia Kalinowska
Noa Meerschwam
Tali Benchimol
Sabrina Lautin
Seunghyun Chung
Libby Smilovici
Isaac Grafstein
3
La Toulous
French:
Mon amour avec la langue Française a commencé quand j’avais
5 ans. En habitant à New York, c’était facile de nourrir cette volonté de
savoir la langue. Tout simplement, j’avais la chance. Et moi, je travaille
à une petite boulangerie, qui s’appelle La Toulousaine.
Le jour commence avec les huit premiers sons de « Alors on Danse.
» Je quitte ma maison et le soleil brille, l’or jette par le bleu de matin.
Quand j’arrive à la boulangerie, l’air est épais et plein de la pâte des
croissants et baguettes. Le tranquille sourire de Nabou et la grande
voix de Jean-Francois me saluent.
Le calme de 6h30 de matin attire peu de gens, sauf ceux qui
commandent leurs simples cafés noirs et leurs croissants pour emporter. Les pâtisseries exsudent une chaleur et je me mets un grand
café noir et je fonds au goût du pain au chocolat. Je le chasse avec le
jus brun et amer de New York.
Les gens qui entrent sont un ensemble étrange, de ceux qui sont
vraiment ennuyeux jusqu’à ceux qui sont incroyablement bizarres.
Parfois, quand je travaille, je pense à son authenticité, que ça c’est le
vrai New York. C’est les clients parlant en anglais, français, espagnol,
portugais, coréen et allemand. C’est une petite opération, avec une
équipe de 10 personnes qui servent toute Manhattan.
Il y a un truc spécial et irremplaçable de travaillant à New York,
parce que même dans une boulangerie, les lignes culturelles disparaissent et ils deviennent une collection homogène. Plein de soupe à l’oignon.
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2013-2014 | Volume II, Issue I
saine Bakery
Gina Yu
My love of the French Language started when I was 5 years old. Living in New York, it was easy to nourish this love- I was and am lucky. I get
to work at a small bakery called La Toulousaine.
The day starts with the first eight notes of Stromae’s “Alors on Danse”
rising to a crescendo. I leave my house and the sun leaks through the
morning sky’s thin blue screen, the gold dripping with new warmth, oozing through the caustic yet stagnant early air. When I arrive, the whirling
baguette and croissant laden air is thrust into my olfactory glands. Nabou’s easy smile and either Jean-Francois’ booming voice and intimidating
stature or Nora’s petite frame and large heart bid me good morning.
The hush of 6:30AM draws few people, save those who order their
no-frills large coffees and croissants in to-go bags. The pastries ooze heat,
the still air thick and doughy. I fashion for myself a large cup of iced black
coffee and melt at the taste of the Dijon and Swiss Cheese Croissant enveloping my mouth and savor each bite, chasing it with sips of the bitter
brown juice of New York. Time is momentarily suspended and I exhale.
The people who enter are an amalgam of characters, ranging from
stunningly monotonous to bizarre beyond belief. Sometimes, as I am
working, I think about the authenticity of it all- that this is the real New
York. It is having customers speak in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean and German. It is having French customers that stop by just
to say hello to the owner, who just so happens to be the main chef. It is
having a small-scale operation, and a daily team of 10 people serves what
can sometimes feel like the entirety of Manhattan.
There is something special and irreplaceable about working in New
York, because even in a French bakery, the cultural lines blur and they
become the quintessential melting pot. Full of French Onion soup.
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WASHINGTON
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2013-2014 | Volume II, Issue I
HEIGHTS
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Washington
Spotlight on...
Spanish:
El barrio de Nueva York que está más al norte de la ciudad es Washington
Heights. Esta zona se llama Washington Heights por dos razones: para recordar Fort
Washington, que sirvió de fortaleza durante la Guerra Civil Americana y para destacar que la elevación natural más alta de la ciudad de Nueva York está aquí.
El área, que originalmente sirvió de terreno para las haciendas de la aristocracia de Nueva York, entre ellos el señor John James Audobon (de la Sociedad Audobon), tiene como perímetro la calle 115 al sur, la Calle Dykman al norte, y el Río
Hudson al oeste.
Cuando el metro, un sistema de transporte público, llegó al área, varios grupos
de inmigrantes y otros neyorquinos se mudaron al área. Llegaron los irlandeses, los
judíos europeos, los afroamericanos, los griegos y los cubanos. A lo largo de los últimos treinta años, fueron los dominicanos los que lo habitaron y hoy en día, Washington Heights tiene la población dominicana más grande fuera de la República Dominicana. Recientemente, los inmigrantes de Ecuador también han empezado a vivir en el
barrio. Un diario local, el “Manhattan Times,” está publicado en inglés y español.
Fue en Washington Heights donde el famoso activista, Malcolm X fue asesinado. Otros residentes antiguos de este barrio incluyen al músico de jazz, Count Basie,
el beisbolista Lou Gehrig, y Pedro Álvarez, ex-alumno de Horace Mann y actual beisbolista de los Pittsburgh Pirates. Muchos profesores de Horace Mann también actualmente viven en Washington Heights.
En los años 80, Washington Heights tuvo que enfrentar a varios mafiosos que
traficaron drogas. Desde principios del Siglo XXI, ha habido una nueva urbanización
y hoy en día, además de vistas hermosas, los turistas, tanto como los residentes disfrutan de la arquitectura de la época, los parques y los museos. Algunos atractivos
importantes son: los Cloisters, una parte del Museo Metropolitano de Arte, todo en
Fort Tryon Park, Audobon Terrace, con sus mansiones de la época de Beaux Artts, y
el museo de la Sociedad Hispanoamericana, además de la casa más antigua de Manhattan, la mansión de Morris-Jumel.
Cada primavera el barrio tiene el Uptown Arts Stroll, un festival de un mes de
duración que destaca la diversidad de idiomas y que celebra la cultura de Washington
Heights. Otro atractivo que llegará pronto a Washington Heights es el High Bridge, el
puente más antiguo de Nueva York, que se está renovando como paseo para ciclistas y
peatones en 2014.
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2013-2014 | Volume II, Issue I
Heights
Benjamin Fink
The northernmost neighborhood in New York City is Washington Heights.
This area is named for two facts: to commemorate Fort Washington, a fort used
in the American Revolutionary War and to highlight the fact that this place is the
highest natural elevation in all of New York City. Also, because of the steep terrain, there are many “step streets,” with the longest totaling 130 steps, but people
can take a series of three elevators instead of walking up the many steps.
Bounded on the south by 115th Street, to the north by Dykman Street, to
the west by the Hudson River and stretching to the East, Washington Heights
was originally settled by wealthy New Yorkers for their country estates, including
John James Audubon (of the Audubon Society).
Then, when the City’s public subway system reached the area, various
groups of immigrants and upwardly mobile New Yorkers moved in. The waves
were the Irish, European Jews, African Americans, Greeks, and Cubans. However, for the last thirty years, Dominicans have immigrated to the area and today, Washington Heights is the place that has the largest Dominican population
outside of the Dominican Republic. Recently, immigrants from Ecuador have
moved into the neighborhood, too. A community newspaper called “The Manhattan Times” is the local bilingual newspaper, written in Spanish and English.
Notoriously, Malcolm X was assassinated in Washington Heights. Famously, past residents of Washington Heights include jazz musician Count Basie,
baseball hall-of-famer Lou Gehrig, and Horace Mann’s own Pedro Alvarez who
plays for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Currently, many HM teachers call Washington
Heights their home.
In the 1980s, Washington Heights faced gangster rule with a large, illegal
drug trade. However, since the early 2000s, there has been a lot of urban renewal.
Today, in addition to the beautiful views, visitors and residents enjoy the historic architecture, parks, and museums. To name a few: the Cloisters, part of the
Metropolitan Museum of Art, located within Fort Tryon Park, Audubon Terrace,
with its Beaux Arts mansions and the Hispanic Society of America museum, as
well as the oldest house in Manhattan, the Morris-Jumel Mansion.
Each spring, the neighborhood has the Uptown Arts Stroll, a month-long
festival that highlights the diverse language and celebrates the culture of Washington Heights. Also, a coming-attraction to Washington Heights is the 2014
opening of the High Bridge, the oldest bridge in New York City, which is being
redeveloped as a pedestrian and bicycle bridge.
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Polish:
Being Polish
Pierwszy tydzień września jest zawsze trochę dziwny: szkoła się znów zaczyna i moje urodziny są dziewiątego. Jest to także tydzień w ciągu którego muszę uczyć się ponownie angielskiego.
Dobra, przesadzam. Po powrocie z mojich wakacji w Polsce, jest mi trudo przyzwyczaić się
znów mówić po angielsku. Po rozmowie z przyjaciółmi w pierwszych dniach szkoły, zauważam że
zapominam prostych słów jak „purse” i „vacuum.” Nie mam akcentu ale zawsze odczuwam tą zmanię
po dwóch miesiącach bez języka angielskiego.
Polski był moim pierwszym językiem . Nauczyłam się czytać po po polsku jak większość polskich dzieci, z Elementarzem który przedstawia historię dziewczynki o imieniu Ala i jej psa o imieniu
As. I pamiętam, że jest lekko coś o jakimś tam ulu.
Moi rodzice rozmawiali ze mną w domu tylko po polsku. Urodziłem się w Nowym Jorku i tam
mieszkałam przez cztery lata przed pójsćiem do przedszkola bez wcześniejszej wiedzy języka angielskiego. Jednak, cztero latki mają swój własny język i nie miałam trudności w znajdywaniu przyjaciół.
Po roku, znałam angielski również dobrze jak oni. Moi rodzice nigdy nie powiedzieli mi czy miałam
jakikolwiek polski akcent, ale na pewno nie mam go teraz .
Nie zauważyłam że ja jestem nawet trochę inna, aż nie miałam osiem lat. Byłam na obozie
letnim w Polsce i moi koledzy zapytali mnie gdzie mieszkam . Roześmieli się, kiedy powiedziałem że w
Nowym Jorku .
– Ależ ty nie mówisz po angielsku – mówili. Powiedziałam im że owszem, mówię, i zaczełam
się przedstawiać po angielsku i mówić o najbardziej amerykańskiej rzeczy jakiej mogłam wymyśleć, o
hamburgerach. Nazywali mnie „hamburgerka” od tego dnia. Nie mogłam być bardziej dumna.
Jak byłam starsza, jednak zaczełem czuć się trochę inaczej. Zauważyłam że trudniej mi było
porozumieć się z wieloma polskimi dziećmi których spotykałam, nie dlatego, że straciłam moje umiejętności języczne, ale dlatego że nie urodziłam się i nie mieszkałam w tym kraju. Zaczełam uczyć się
z czasopism plotkarskich aby zrozumieć slang i odniesień kulturalnych. Oni też nie bardzo rozumieli kiedy próbowałam rozmawiać o amerykańskich rzeczach– najtrudniejsze było wytłumaczenie im
„Glee.”
Tak samo z moim żyćiem w Nowym Jorku. Dorastając , wszystko było polskie. W szkole przedstawiana mi była Dora the Explorer. Poznałam Spongeboba w piątej klasie. Nawet czasami dzisiaj nie
całkowicie rozumiem niektóre małe rzeczy o kulturze amerykańskiej bo moje interakcje z moją polską
rodziną w domu są inne.
Ale ogólnie, nie mogłabym być bardziej wdzięczny za to że jestem dwujęzyczna. To że byłam w
stanie nauczyć się języka polskiego przed angielskim i utrzymać go przez te wszystkie lata jest dzięki
moim rodzicom. Spotykam się z polsko-amerykańskimi dziecmi dziś, i wiem że wiele z nich nie znają tak dobrze języka lub przynajmniej gramatyki jak ja. Jest to, szczerze mówiąc, dość niesamowite .
Również nie szkodzi że mogę rozmawiać z mamą o kimś kto stoi przy nas i kto nigdy nas nie zrozumie.
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2013-2014 | Volume II, Issue I
in NYC
Kasia Kalinowska
The first week in September is always a little weird. For starters, school starts again and my
birthday is on the 9th. It’s also the week during which I have to relearn English.
Okay, I’m exaggerating. After I return from my annual summer in Poland, I find it to be the
most bizarre experience speaking English again. When speaking to my friends during the first days
of school I find myself forgetting simple words like “purse” and “vacuum.” I don’t have an accent or
anything, but I always presently feel the adjustment after spending two months away from the English
language.
Polish was my first language. I learned to read in Polish from the illustrated workbook most
young Polish children grow up with: the “Elementarz,” which depicts the story of a girl named Ala
and her dog As. I faintly remember there being something about a beehive, or “ul,” as well.
My parents spoke only Polish to me at home. I was born in New York and had lived there for
four years before I was thrust into my local preschool without any prior knowledge of English. Four
year olds have a language of their own, however, so I didn’t have a hard time making friends. By the
end of the year, I was just as fluent as they were. My parents never told me if I had any form of Polish
accent then, but I sure don’t have one now.
It didn’t hit me that my situation was at all peculiar until I was about eight. I was at a summer
camp in Poland and my friends asked me where I lived. They laughed when I said that it was in New
York.
“But you don’t speak English,” they said. I assured them I did and proceeded to introduce myself in English and talk about the most American thing I could think of: hamburgers. They called me
hamburger girl from that day forward. I could not have been more proud.
As I got older, however, I began to feel a little differently. I found it harder to communicate
with a lot of the Polish kids I met, not because I had lost any language skills, but because I hadn’t
grown up and didn’t live in the country. I found myself “cramming” from gossip magazines to try to
understand the slang and cultural references. They also didn’t really get it when I tried to talk about
my American cultural references--the most difficult was trying to explain “Glee.”
This carried over to my life in New York as well. Growing up, everything had been Polish. In
elementary school I didn’t know who Dora the Explorer was. I was acquainted with Spongebob in
the 5th grade. There are still times today when I don’t completely comprehend how some American
cultural intricacies work just because my interactions with my Polish family at home is different.
Overall, however, I couldn’t be more grateful for being bilingual. Being able to learn Polish before English and maintain it for all of these years was a gift from my parents. I do meet Polish-American kids today, but many of them aren’t as familiar with the language, or at least the grammar, as I am
and it feels, quite honestly, pretty awesome. It also doesn’t hurt to be able to talk with my mom about
a person with him or her standing within earshot of us and not being able to understand a word we
say.
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2013-2014 | Volume II, Issue I
CHINATOWN,
MANHATTAN
13
Dutch:
Dutch Legacy
Alhoewel de stad die we tegenwoordig New York noemen slechts voor een korte periode onder
controle van Nederlandse bestuurders heeft gestaan, is desalniettemin de culturele invloed van de Nederlandse kolonisten op het hedendaagse eiland onuitwisbaar. In 1609, vertrok de Engelse ontdekkingsreiziger, Henry Hudson naar de Nieuwe Wereld. Deze expeditie werd gefinancierd door het Nederlandse
koopvaartbedrijf “De Verenigde West-Indische Compagnie (WIC), en niet door zijn Engelse landgenoten.
De geografische landmassa tussen het huidige Massachussetts en Delaware werd in 1614 beschouwd als een provincie van de Nederlandse Republiek, en kreeg de naam “De Nieuwe Nederlanden”,
oftewel “The New Netherlands”. Het was gedurende deze periode dat Peter Minuit, de directeur van deze
jonge Nederlandse kolonie, de aankoop bewerkstelligde van het eiland Manhattan, en onder het “Nieuwe
Amsterdam Charter” werden, in 1653, de Staaten Eilanden (Staten Island) en de Lange Eilanden (Long
Island) aangekocht. De aankoop van het eiland Manhattan, wordt tot op heden nog betwist. Het enige
bewijs van deze aankoop van de Lenape Indianen, voor de somma van zestig gulden, bestaat uit een brief,
geschreven door een Nederlandse vertegenwoordiger van de WIC, Peter Schagen, waarin de logistieke
handelingen van deze investering staan beschreven.
De Nederlandse aanschaf van “New Amsterdam” resulteerde tevens in een overdracht van Nederlandse culturele normen en waarden, en deze zijn tot op vandaag de dag nog in New York terug te
vinden. Veel stadsdelen in- en rondom New York dragen nog steeds benamingen die zijn gebaseerd op
Nederlandse steden; Harlem (naar de Nederlands stad Haarlem), Flushing (naar de Nederlandse stad
Vlissingen, in de Zuidelijke provincie van Zeeland), Yonkers (naar de Nederlandse kolonist, Jonkheer
(Esquire) Adriaen van der Donk), Gravesend (‘s Gravezande), the Bowery (naar “De Bouwerij”, de boerderij van Peter Stuyvesant in New York), The Bronx (naar de Nederlandse kolonist Jonas Bronck) en
zelfs Van Cortlandt Park (naar de eerste Burgemeester van Nederlandse afkomst in New York, in de 17e
eeuw, Stephanus van Cortlandt). In dezelfde geest is het Nederlands word “kils” (‘stream”) terug te vinden
in vele regio’s in de staat New York; zoals de Catskill bergen, de Westkill berg, en de stad Peekskill. De
Nederlandse cultuur heeft ook diverse humanitaire sectoren in de gemeenschap geïnspireerd, zowel in literatuur als in educatie. Het wereldberoemde boek van Washington Irving, “Rip van Winkle”, is gebaseerd
op Nederlandse volksverhalen, en het oudste gebouw dat dienst doet als middelbare school in de stad
New York, “Erasmus Hall Campus”, is genoemd naar de beroemde 15e eeuwse Nederlandse renaissance
geleerde en humanist, Desiderius Erasmus. De vlag van de steden New York, Albany, en Nassau, bestaan
uit dezelfde kleuren als de oude Nederlandse vlag; blauw, wit, en oranje. Deze kleuren worden nog steeds
gebruikt in de uniformen van de New York Knicks, het basketbal team van New York, terwijl ook de
naam van zowel de Knicks als die van de Yankees van Nederlands origine is.
Vanaf het prille begin, rond 1600, heeft de Nederlandse cultuur invloed uigeoefend op de samenleving in New York. Ondanks dat noch de Nederlandse taal, noch de Nederlandse religie van blijvende
invloed is geweest, heeft desalniettemin de Nederlandse cultuur haar stempel gedrukt op de geschiedenis
van New York, en het ziet ernaar uit dat New York dit cultuurgoed zal blijven behouden.
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2013-2014 | Volume II, Issue I
in New York
Noa Meerschwam
While the Dutch only controlled the area we now call New York for a brief period of time,
the cultural heritage that the Dutch settlers left behind on the island have proven to be long lasting.
In 1609, the English voyager Henry Hudson traveled to the New World. This expedition, however,
was funded and sponsored by the Dutch West India Company, not the English.
By 1614, the geographic area situated between modern-day’s Massachusetts and Delaware
was deemed a province of the Dutch Republic and was named New Netherlands. It was around this
time that Peter Minuit, the director of this new Dutch colony, purchased the island of Manhattan,
and by 1653, under the New Amsterdam Charter, Staaten Eylandt (Staten Island) and Lange Eylandt
(Long Island) were bought. The purchase of the island is still up for debate. Bought from the Lenape
Indians for 60 guilders, Peter Schagen, the Dutch liaison between the government and the Dutch
West India Company, wrote to the government of the purchase, and is the only real proof of the
logistics of the investment.
The purchase of New York resulted in an acculturation of Dutch values and customs that
are evident to this day. Many areas are named using Dutch roots such as Harlem, Flushing, Yonkers, Gravesend, the Bowery, the Bronx and even Van Cortlandt Park. Similarly, the Dutch word
kils (“stream”) is used in many regions of the state such as Catskill, Westkill, and Peekskill. Dutch
culture also inspired many humanitarian sectors of society, such as literature and education. Washington Irving’s famous book “Rip Van Winkle” was inspired by Dutch folktales and the oldest high
school building in New York City, Erasmus Hall Campus, is named after the Dutch 15th century
renaissance scholar, Desiderius Erasmus. The flags of the City of New York, Albany, and Nassau all
use the same colors as the Old Dutch flag: blue, white and orange. These colors are also used in the
uniforms of the New York Knicks, New York City’s basketball team; both the Knicks and the Yankees take their names from Dutch origins.
The Dutch influence in New York has permeated its culture and society since its beginnings
in the 1600s. While apparently “key” influences such as language and religious ideology did not
result, a large sector of society and specific aspects of New York’s culture today are clearly Dutch and
will preserve the legacy for years to come.
15
Moroccan Jew
French:
Il existe à New york une communauté juive marocaine relativement importante.
Ma famille fait partie de cette culture différente. Nous allons à la synagogue Marocaine de l’Upper East Side, Manhattan Sephardic Congregation. Déjà, dans cette petite
communauté il y a au moins une centaine de personnes. Mais, ca c’est juste une partie
de New York. Par exemple, la plupart de nos copains Marocains vivent dans l’ Upper
West Side. Il y en a Downtown aussi. Est-ce-que vous savez qu’il y a sans doute plus
de Français-Juifs-Marocains à New York qu’au Maroc? Si vous allez au Lycée Français,
vous en verrez beaucoup. Ils ont un accent précis. Je pense que les Français peuvent
l’entendre, par contre, c’est probablement plus dur pour les Américains. Ils ne parlent
pas que Francais; il y’en a beaucoup qui parlent Espagnol, Anglais, et même Arabe.
Il y a plein de traditions qui font parti de cette culture unique. Ces traditions se
voient plus particulièrement lors des fêtes juives. A Pessach, il y a Bibilou, ou on fait
passer un plateau sur la tête de chaque convive, et la Mimouna pour célébrer la fin de
Pessah. Aux mariages il y a la cérémonie du Henné, et à Shabbat le couscous du vendredi soir et la dafina du samedi midi sont de rigueur.
Les juifs marocains viennent principalement de Meknès, Rabat, Casablanca, et Fès.
Aujourd’hui, il n’y a que 5,000 Juifs au Maroc, dont 3,000 vivent à Casablanca.
Mais, comment se fait-il qu’il y ait tellement de Juifs-Marocains á New York?
Comment sont-ils arrivés? En 1492, la Reine Isabelle a dit aux Juifs qu’ils devaient se
convertir ou quitter le pays. C’est comme ca qu’ils sont arrivés au Maroc. En 1967, la
Guerre des Six Jours a eu lieu entre Israël et les pays Arabes qui l’entouraient. Jusque
là, les Juifs du Maroc se faisaient traiter très bien. Par contre, avec la guerre, et vivant
dans un pays arabe, ils se sont trouvés moins en sécurité. La majorité a quitté le Maroc
et est partie soit en Israël, en France, ou au Canada. Le Maroc étant alors un pays francophone, le Canada et la France furent des destinations logiques. Beaucoup plus tard,
plein de Juifs en France ont decidé de venir aux Etats Unis, et en particulier a New York
où il est facile d’être juif. C’était le rêve: le rêve Americain qui existe toujours.
Aujourd’hui, une petite partie des 13,000,000 de Juifs dans le monde représente
la communauté marocaine. La majorité d’entre eux et en Israël, en France, et au Canada. Seul un petit nombre d’entre eux sont à New York, mais cette communauté reste
très soudée et attachée à ses traditions.
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2013-2014 | Volume II, Issue I
ws in the City
Tali Benchimol
There is a relatively important Moroccan-Jewish community in New York City.
My family is part of this distinctive population. We attend the Manhattan Sephardic
Congregation on the Upper East Side. Already, in this small little place there are at
least 100 people. But, this is just a piece of New York. For example, most of my family friends live on the West Side or maybe even Downtown. Did you know that there
are more French-Moroccan-Jews in New York City than in Morocco? If you were to
drop by the Lycée, you would see many. They have a very distinct accent that a native
speaker could catch in an instant, but may be hard to identify for Americans. Moroccan-Jews don’t only speak French; they also speak Spanish, Arabic, and English.
There are many traditions that take part in this specific section of Jews. Most of them
occur during holidays. During Passover, we perform “Bibilou” while hitting a plateau
over people’s heads and we celebrate the Mimouna, which signifies the last day of the
no-bread holiday. During weddings, there is the Henna ceremony. On Shabbat, it is
tradition to make Couscous on Friday nights and Dafina Saturday afternoon.
Most Moroccan Jews come mainly from Meknes, Rabat, Casablanca, and Fes.
Today there are only 5,000 Jews in Morocco, 3,000 of which are in Casablanca.
How is it that there are so many Moroccan Jews in NYC? How did they get
here? In 1492, Isabel, the Queen of Spain, told the Jews that they either had to convert to Catholicism or leave. This is how so many Jews arrived in Morocco. Later, in
1967, the Six-Day War took place between Israel and the Arab Countries surrounding
it. Until then, the Jews had been treated with respect. However, with the war, living
in Arab countries, they found themselves in a less secure and safe zone. The majority of them fled and went either to Israel, France, or Canada. Since Morocco, was a
French-speaking country, it only made sense for people to go to Canada or France.
Later on, Jews in France began to immigrate to the United States, particularity New
York City. This was the American dream for them.
Today, a small part of the 13,000,000 Jews in the world represent the Moroccan community. The majority remains in Canada, France, Israel, and Argentina. Even
though this community is very small, it still stays very connected to their culture and
traditions.
17
Spotlight on...
Williamsburg,
Hebrew:
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2013-2014 | Volume II, Issue I
Brooklyn
Sabrina Lautin
Williamsburg is a neighborhood in the part of Brooklyn that is close to Manhattan. Over the years, many writers, families, and other different types of people
resided in Williamsburg. Additionally, many religious and ethnic groups inhabit the
neighborhood.
Judaism is just one of the many religions found in Williamsburg, which is just
one of many Jewish neighborhoods in Brooklyn. The Jews’ ancestors immigrated to
Williamsburg after World War II. This neighborhood was the center for the Satmar
Jews, one of the many denominations of Orthodox Judaism. The name “Satmar”
originated from the name of the town in Eastern Europe in which the movement was
started. The Satmar Jews are famous for their anti-Zionist views and their attempting
to isolate themselves from society.
In addition, there is an ongoing conflict in WIlliamsburg between the Satmar
Jews and the Lubavitch Jews because the Satmar believe that the Lubavitch are trying
to proselytize Satmar Jews to the Lubavitch sect. Even so, the Satmar Jews aren’t only
the cause of strife in Williamsburg.
On the other hand, the Satmar Jews manage many organizations within the
community, such as “Bikur Cholim” (helping the sick), several yeshivas, and “Rav
Tov,” an organization that helps refugees. Williamsburg is merely a microcosm within
a larger community, and there are things in today’s world that threaten to upset this
equilibrium.
The Israeli government drafted all the Orthodox Jews into the Israeli army because multiple political parties believe that the Jews must take part in the war effort.
As a result of the draft, the Satmar Jews, as well as all the Jews from around the world,
have come to realize that the Jewish communities cannot remain in isolation forever.
Just like the changing trends in Williamsburg, the denominations of Judaism within
Williamsburg must change in order to stay intact.
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WILLIAMSBURG
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2013-2014 | Volume II, Issue I
KOREATOWN
http://travel-for-love.com/2011/10/27/koreatown-thursday-travel-photo/
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A Review of...
Korean:
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Kunjip
Restaurant
2013-2014 | Volume II, Issue I
Seunghyun Chung
Korea Town in the center of the Korean culture in New York. The area
is filled with shops and restaurants that can usually only be seen in Korea, and
Kunjip is one of them. First, the restaurant itself is set up like any other Korean
restaurants at Korea – the way that the logs chairs are lined up and the pictures
of the “Special Menus” that are filling up the wall definitely plays a role in making this place a restaurant at Korea. There is a comfortable and a busy Korean
atmosphere that can’t exactly be explained in words that is around the whole
restaurant. All these things make Kunjip look like a kitchen of a common
household or a small inn.
Unlike the American restaurants, Korean restaurants serve the customers some small side dishes and things to drink before they even order their
meals. Kunjip also served some side dishes – there were many different varieties of different dishes that were being served such as seaweed, fishcakes, radish
dishes and varieties of Kimchi and vegetable. These dishes were not different
from the dishes that are actually served at Korean restaurants at Korea. Chilled
barley tea was served instead of iced water.
Even the main dishes and the cultures were kept the same at Kunjip.
The more authentic dishes like Bean paste soup and Korean barbeque were not
affected by American dishes at all, making them exactly like the food from Korea. Rice soup and Ginger–cinnamon drinks that are implicitly almost always
served at authentic Korean restaurants were served at Kunjip.
Overall, Kunjip is one of the most authentic Korean restaurants even
in Korea town. The small things that are kept in this restaurant is what makes
Kunjip more like the restaurants at Korea. But because Kunjip manages to keep
culture together, it makes itself seem like any other Korean restaurants that can
be found in the streets of Korea.
23
A City of
Japanese:
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2013-2014 | Volume II, Issue I
Immigrants
Libby Smilovici
Old ideas are left in the countries they came from.
Immigrants, wanting to come to America, where dreams live.
Every block having different people,
and every day, those people live in New York together.
It’s difficult but worth it.
Every day brings different problems, but we would not want to go
anywhere else.
Each person is beautiful and unique.
The traffic lights excite your eyes and move you.
This city gives me life.
This city gives us life.
http://www.libertyharborrv.com/statue-of-liberty
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LITTLE ITALY
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2013-2014 | Volume II, Issue I
27
A Spotlight on...
Little
Italian:
In una certa area di Manhattan del centro, le strade diventano strette, come
quelle di Venezia. Nonostante l’aria fredda d’inverno, si può sentire gli
odori delle spezie, formaggi e caffè. I ristoranti Italiani, le pizzerie, le pasticcerie, i bar e i chioschi di Gelato riempiono le piccola area che si estende
per la Strada Mulberry. Le pompe antincendi sono dipinte di rossa, verde
e bianco. Le maglie di football si appendono fuori dei negozi dei souvenir.
Questo è Little Italy. Una volta, il quartiere era abitato quasi esclusivamente
da poveri immigranti Italiani. Era una zona insulare, separata dal resto di
Manhattan con sua propria lingua, costumi e istituzione. In seguito le quote
d’immigrazione sono state abolite nell’anno 1965, Chinatown si è estesa e
ha cominciato a invadere l’area mentre gli italiani hanno iniziatto a trasferirsi nelle periferie o Staten Island. Adesso, il quartiere è molto piccolo ma
ancora sta prosperando.
Little Italy non è più la zona povera che era nel passato. Si tratta di un’attrazione turistica con edifici costosi. Di fatto, si può trovare più turisti che
Italiani lì. Gli italo-americani hanno una forte tradizione cattolica, così le
strade sono già adornate con decorazioni Natalizie dall’inizio d’inverno.
Sicuramente, queste decorazioni aggiungono l’atmosfera turistica alla zona.
D’altra parte, c’è una grande varietà di specialità italiane nel quartiere. La
gente si trova aspettando in fila per comprare i cannoli, il prosciutto, il caffè,
le spezie, e altri cibi deliziosi. Oltre ai prodotti buonissimi, Little Italy ospita
il museo italo-americano, che offre mostre interessanti per tutto l’anno. La
prossima volta quando stai pensando di andare in centro, pensa veramente
a visitare la Strada Mulberry. Little Italy è sicuramente un luogo da visitare.
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2013-2014 | Volume II, Issue I
Italy
Isaac Grafstein
In a certain area of lower Manhattan, the streets become narrow, like those of
Venice. Even in the cold winter air, one can smell spices, cheeses and coffee. Italian
restaurants, pizzerias, pastry shops, bars, and gelato stands permeate the small area
that extends down Mulberry Street. Fire hydrants are painted red, green and white.
Soccer jerseys hang outside souvenir shops. This is Little Italy. The neighborhood
was once inhabited almost exclusively by poor Italian immigrants to New York City.
It was an insular town, separated from the rest of Manhattan, with its own language,
customs, and institutions. However, as immigration quotas were lifted in 1965,
Chinatown grew and began to encroach on the area as Italians began to move to the
outer suburbs or Staten Island. Now the neighborhood is very small, but it is still
thriving.
Little Italy is no longer the poor area that it once was. It is a high-rent tourist
attraction. In fact, one can spot more tourists there than Italians. Italian-Americans
have a strong Catholic tradition so the streets are adorned with Christmas decorations beginning in early winter. These decorations definitely add to the touristy
atmosphere of the area. Regardless, the plethora of traditional foods in the neighborhood is authentically Italian. The people stand in huge lines outside of shops for
cannolis, prosciutto, coffee, spices, and other treats. In addition to great food, Little
Italy is home to the Italian American museum, which houses interesting exhibits
year-round. Next time you are thinking of heading downtown, consider stopping by
Mulberry street. Little Italy is definitely a place worth visiting.
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2013-2014 | Volume II, Issue I
YORK
http://blog.saveology.com/fun-facts-about-new-york-city/
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Cover photo: http://www.gdefon.com/download/New-York_Manhattan/393523/2048x1365
Back cover photo: http://boncia.co/city/photography-new-york-city-2458.html