Hasidic ad || A feudal lord's EVIL decree (against Doritos)

***TURN ON SUBTITLES (CC) FOR TRANSLATION FROM YIDDISH***

Another ad for my collection of Hasidic Yiddish advertisements. This is something different. I heard about this first when a friend sent it to me with a note that "these videos are being handed out to children in grocery stores on a usb stick". When I saw the title "A Bitter Decree", I thought this must be one of those videos where someone is decrying something in the community - there are always zealots with pet projects who are outraged about something. But the actual video turned out to be something very different... Watch and see.

In order to appreciate the video, you have to understand that one of the most important, and central, stories of children's folklore are stories of evil lords from the past, who oppressed the Jews. The "puretz" is the feudal lord who would come up with constant decrees against the Jewish people in order to make it near impossible for them to observe their faith. But - as these story arcs go - the Jewish people did not relent, even risking their lives to honor the faith. And ultimately, the story comes around to triumph when the evil lord is either punished, embarrassed, apologetic, or in some other way no longer able to render his abuse. The lesson of the story is that if you prevail in your faith, miracles happen and it all turns out alright in the end.

This ad's variation of the "puretz" story is a very modern take, involving things like munching on chips while in a play, Thirteenth Avenue in Boro Park, and a very modern product.

Some additional explanations:

0:00 This is a story of an evil feudal lord. See above.
2:20 "A tenth, a tenth?" = men looking for a tenth person to complete the prayer quorum.
3:11 We see a "bavarfen", which means "a throwing", which is a traditional time during services when treats are thrown for the kids to catch.
3:27 Is a funny spoof of typical Hasidic plays which often involve comedy like the stuff with the mother-in-law and melodrama where someone yells out "FATHER!" or "CHILD!" in a climactic moment.
5:00 Written in special calligraphy script in Yiddish: "All Doritos, to the lord"
5:47 Tear-jerker slow songs are a staple in Hasidic plays. This particular actor, Kuppy Elenbogen, was the voice of many iconic performances and songs in this style some 30-40 years ago.
8:11 Is an untranslatable refrain. "Gei krachen" means literally "go explode" but it has two idiomatic meanings: one is to crunch, the other is to be livid. The note "Go be livid" also means "go crunch away."

#yiddish #jewishhumor #yiddishsketch