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"Mamale," 1938, excerpt

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Joseph Green and Konrad Tom's 1938 musical comedy, Mamale, was the last Jewish film made in Poland before the Nazi onslaught. Starring Molly Picon as Khavtshi, it tells the story of a young girl who promised her dying mother that she would take care of her large and unappreciative family. Overburdened with the responsibilities of cooking, cleaning, laundering, child care, and matchmaking, Khavtshi surprises herself and her siblings by falling in love with the violinist across the couryard. In this clip, we see that even on her wedding day, Khavtshi must tend to the many needs of her family. After checking on the challah, tying her brother's shoes, and feeding the cat, Khavtshi is finally ready to leave with her groom and exclaims, "ITZT ken mech gayen!" (NOW we can go!).
Courtesy of the National Center for Jewish Film.

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How to cite this page

Jewish Women's Archive. ""Mamale," 1938, excerpt." (Viewed on March 29, 2024) <http://jwa.org/media/mamale-poland-1>.