DER YIDDISH-VINKL November 21, 2003

Once again, Der Vinkl is pleased and proud to present another of Stanley Siegelman’s ever-entertaining and enchanting poems. This time, his work was inspired by the announcement that Han Sung-Joo, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley, was named as South Korea’s ambassador to the United States.

Homonym, Shmononym: A Joo-Ish Mayse

A voyler man iz Han Sung-Joo!

Mer voyl a man es iz nishtu!

Farvos, ir fregt, kumt er yetst for?

Tsu zayn zayn land’s “ambassador.”

Er davent in a goyish “pew”,

Er iz a Joo, nor nit a Jew.

A modne zakh, s’iz ot azoy:

A “Joo” ken oykhit zayn a goy.

Er shpilt a diplomatish role

Un zukht parnose far zayn Seoul

Er arbet shver far “hearth and home”

Un zogt tsu alemen “shalom.”

Anti-semitn — ir hert zikh tsu

Un tshepe nit Profesor Joo!

A guter, fayner man er iz

Nur kaynmol hot gehat a bris!

* * *|

A Homonym Named Joo

Terrific guy, that Han Sang-Joo!

Politico and scholar too.

Now why’s he coming to the fore?

To be his land’s ambassador

He prays, we guess, inside a pew.

He is a Joo, but not a Jew.

It’s not a trick, it’s not a ploy.

A Joo can truly be a goy

He plays a diplomatic role

And only tries to save his Seoul.

Dedicated anti-brutish

“Peace” is the most ardent Joo-wish

So, antisemites, please eschew

Assailing our Professor Joo.

A good and worthy man he is,

But never, ever had a bris!