''A Bintel Brief'' was a
Yiddish
Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ve ...
advice column, starting in early 20th century New York City, that anonymously printed readers' questions and posted replies. The column was started by
Abraham Cahan
Abraham "Abe" Cahan (Yiddish: אַבֿרהם קאַהאַן; July 7, 1860 – August 31, 1951) was a Lithuanian-born Jewish American socialist newspaper editor, novelist, and politician. Cahan was one of the founders of ''The Forward'' (), ...
, the editor of ''Der Forverts'' (
The Forward
''The Forward'' ( yi, פֿאָרווערטס, Forverts), formerly known as ''The Jewish Daily Forward'', is an American news media organization for a Jewish American audience. Founded in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily socialist newspaper, ...
), in 1906. Recent Jewish immigrants, predominantly from Eastern Europe, asked for advice on various facets of their acculturation to America, including economic, family, religious and theological difficulties. In Yiddish, ''bintel'' means "bundle" and ''brief'' means a "letter" or "letters".
It was a part of some people's lives to such an extent as are radio and television today. It has been the subject of books,
[
''A Bintel Brief: Sixty Years Of'', by Isaac Metzker, , published by Schocken 1990, reviewed b]
Amazon
New York Times Book Review, New Yorker and others
essays,
a graphic novel and a Yiddish play. Much as "to Xerox" could be described as a commoditization of a trademarked name, the term "A Bintel Brief" has been known to be used as a generic description.
The original printed Yiddish format, which ''The New York Times'' described as "homespun advice .. which predated Dear Abby,"
continued at least until 1970.
History
The column began as a response to a January 1906 letter-to-the-editor requesting assistance,
which he published under the name "Bintel Brief" (a bundle of letters). The range of topics was described as "from tough bosses to rough neighborhoods, from dating to marriage to love."
Readers and the column shared the goal and "belief that a newspaper could ease" the pain.
The focus of the ''Jewish Daily Forwards Bintel Brief column was "every aspect of the immigrant experience."
The goal was "Americanization." Just as immigrants needed direct help from others, there was also a need for indirect help: Some letters were written by more literate fellow immigrants, not always for free.
[ The concept is Biblical.
]
Offline
Although leftist,[ "Unabashedly leftist in bent..." - this from the publisher of Bintel Brief!] help was freely provided to Jews with beards [ as readily as with those whose had shaved them off or never had one.
Help was not limited to giving advice, but also "off the page"][ by
* hosting English language classes
* sponsoring vaccination-day events in the newspaper's lobby]
References
{{Reflist, 2
Advice columns
Jewish advice columnists