spells and incantations

feldmesterin

Children lament their mother in Brestetshke

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

feldmesterin

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

"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

"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

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

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

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

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

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...