Page 19 - Jewish News_Oct2021

JEWISH INTEREST October 2021 19A

Pepi Litman – Yiddish Drag King

By Arlene Stolnitz
nyone who had ever heard Pepi In 1910, journalist M. J. Landa re- cles and, while on the road, observed Toyg zi af kapures
Litman sing with her deep, viewed Litman’s performance in Lem- Jewish law including keeping kosher A man (Jew) has a wife,
Ahoarse, mannish voice could berg, Poland, and wrote, “The moment and lighting Shabbat candles. She was She gives him trouble,
never forget it! Nowadays, we are she stepped on the stage, dressed as known in her time as a “chansonette in A man has a wife
used to seeing men as “drag queens,” a Galician youth, with skullcap and Khosidic trousers.” And she is not good for anything.
but what about ringlets, the whole atmosphere of the One of her most popular tunes, Please note the sexist, misogy-
women as “drag room was different. It was dominated known by nearly everyone in the Hun- nistic wording which would never be
kings?” by a personality.… She is the incar- garian/Slovak region she came from, acceptable today. Still there are some
Long before nation of the joyous spirit of the Jew, (largely forgotten after WWII), is “Hot elderly Jews who remember the song
Barbra Streisand with moments of pathos and sentiment. a Yid a Vaybele” (A Jew Got a Wife), fondly. Listening to Pepi’s recordings,
played the part of Listening to her singing… I forgot that sung klezmer style with piano and vi- her voice does not seem mannish to me
Yentl, we knew I was in Galicia – forgot the horrible olin (1913). at all! You can easily find her record-
of men in drag depressing poverty with which I had Fin mitvokh in der fri ings on YouTube.
in the days of been surrounded…” biz fraytik far nakht Arlene Stolnitz, founder of the Sara-
Shakespeare. But And as described in Zalmen Zyl- hot Surele mayn vayb sota Jewish Chorale, is a member of
Arlene Stolnitz is it so surprising bercweig’s Leksikon Fun Yidishn deym kigl gemakht the Jewish Congregation of Venice. A
that in Judaism there is a rich tradition Teater (1931-1969): “…wearing short From Wednesday in the morning retired educator from Rochester, New
of women dressing in drag? Purim, as pants, white socks and house slippers, Until Friday twilight, York, she has sung in choral groups
well as Yiddish theater, are just two ex- with both hands under the sidelocks Surele my wife for over 25 years and also sings in
amples of women dressing as men. or on her hips, she used to pop out made a kugel The Venice Chorale. Her interest in
Case in point is from behind the curtain Hot a yid a vaybele the preservation of Jewish music of all
Pepi Litman, singer, with a song, and at that hot er fin ir tsures. kinds has led to this series of articles
actor and Yiddish the- moment, the audience Hot ir fin a vaybele on Jewish Folk Music in the Diaspora.
ater star, who during the would light up as though
early 1900s, performed struck by lightning.” PLEASE SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS
as a drag king in the Pesha Kahane, later
vaudeville circuit. Part known as Pepi, was born THEY HELP MAKE
of the famous troupe in Tarnapol, a city in
known as Der Broder- Galicia (now Ukraine) THE JEWISH NEWS POSSIBLE
zingers, the Broder around the year 1874
Singers, Pepi traveled and lived until the ear-
all over Eastern Europe ly 1930s. She is known
performing songs, skits today as a proto-Drag
and plays, often poking Pepi Litman King performer, pav-
fun at Jewish life. Changing her given ing the way for future drag perform-
name from Pesha to Pepi, she was the ers. Pepi was known to speak several
ultimate star of the program. languages, was active in Yiddish cir-
Guiding investors and their

families for over 20 years.

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