Documents

From Yudl Mark in Ukmergė, Lithuania, to Nokhem Shtif in Berlin (?), 15 July 1924. Mark is writing on behalf of one Nakhmen Dimanshteyn and another friend in Rezhitze to request that Shtif write an introduction to the duo's book of folk songs. Mark also mentions that he has recommended Shtif for the post of editor of Dos folk and apologizes for doing so without asking for Shtif's permission. He also discusses fundraising for a Jewish secondary school, and appeals to Shtif to lecture more widely on the subject of Yiddish literature. Yiddish. RG 3, Yiddish Literature and Language Collection, F2440.

From Zalman Yitsḥak Aronsohn (Anokhi) in Dubbeln (near Riga, Lat.) to Shmuel Niger in Vilna, ca. 1913, saying that he feels isolated, "far from the literary world." Aronsohn was completely preoccupied with the recent trial of Mendel Beilis. He couldn't sleep or work and wondered "what sort of world" he was in. But now he is back at work and hopes to be able to come to Vilna for a couple of days to show Niger what he is writing. He complains that he has not received recent issues of Di yudishe velt and Der pinkes. Yiddish. RG 360, Shmuel Niger Papers, F56.

From Nokem Shtif in Kiev to Yoysef Opatoshu in New York, 6 February 1929, expressing his delight that Opatoshu is a reader of Di yidishe shprakh, unlike other Yiddish writers who, he claims, scorn all attempts to improve the Yiddish language and have fallen under the sway of the Yiddish of the masses and the popular press. He complains of the Russification of Yiddish and Yiddish linguistics, maintaining that most Yiddish scholars are “Litvaks” and that Polish Yiddish is being neglected. He asks if Opatoshu will have a look at some folk expressions from the town of Siedlce that were recently published in the journal; could he contribute additions or corrections? Yiddish. Russian and Yiddish letterhead: Di yidishe shprakh, Kultur lige cooperative press, Kiev, Red Army 43. RG 436, Joseph Opatoshu Papers, F271.

From Max Weinreich in Vilna to J. Bilikopf in Philadelphia, 2 February 1927, saying that it would be a shame if YIVO could not continue its important scholarly work because of lack of funds. He is reminded of what Mr. Bilikopf said when he was visiting Vilna: "It's all the same whether American Jews provide funding for the sake of Yiddish culture or if they donate for other motives: the heart of the matter is that you should have money to do your work." He appeals to him for help in raising money for YIVO in America. Yiddish. Typed. Polish and Yiddish letterhead: Dr. Max Weinreich, W. Pohulanka 14, Wilno. RG 1.1, Records of YIVO (Vilna): Administration, F18.

From Israel Joshua Singer in Warsaw to Abraham Cahan in New York, 15 April 1931. Singer complains that most of the reports he has submitted to the American Yiddish newspaper Forverts as their correspondent in Warsaw have never seen the light of day in print; he wonders why. Out of 22 reports he has delivered by phone to Jakob Lestschinsky, the paper's correspondent in Berlin, only six were ever published. He can't understand why the Forverts didn't, for example, print his report about the imminent strike of 2,000 tailors in Warsaw, or about the "attack on the Medem Sanatorium." He wonders if all his work is a waste of time and of the Forverts's money. He finishes his letter with a response to a query that Cahan sent him about Isaac Bashevis Singer: "Bashevis is a brother of mine, younger than me by 10 years. He has been writing for several years and has also translated works by Thomas Mann, Remarque, as well as scholarly works." Yiddish. RG 1139, Abraham Cahan Papers, F78.

From Froyim Kaganovski in Łódź, Poland, to Leo Finkelshteyn, 8 July 1947. Kaganovski writes that it is hot and that it would be nice to get out of the city, but "one has no desire to travel to unfriendly strangers, to an alien forest, to alien meadows." The "association" has been discussing a possible upcoming visit of Finkelshteyn to Łódź. Kaganovski's situation is not good. Most of his friends have left for America but he languishes in Łódź without an income. He asks Finkelshteyn to contact the Yiddish author Melech Ravitch on his behalf: "I consider him the only person who has a brotherly bond with us." Yiddish. Typed. RG 107, Letters Collection.

From Daniel Tsharni in Berlin to Isaac Raboy in New York, 18 September 1929, inviting him to contribute to Brikn (Bridges), the new monthly Yiddish literary journal of which he is the editor, and which will present the best modern Yiddish literature "from the Volga to the Jordan River." Yiddish. Typed and handwritten. Yiddish letterhead: Brikn, Monthly Journal, Publisher: Yatkovksi's Library, Warsaw. RG 372, Isaac Raboy Papers, F26.

Poem by Itsik Manger, “September,” Riga, 1933. "September. The gypsy and the nightingale / Do not know where to hide. . . ." Yiddish. RG 108, Manuscripts Collection, F44.4.9.

Untitled poem by Yankev Shternberg, n.d., with instructions on how it is to be formatted when printed. "One of the thousands, my friend. . . ." Yiddish. RG 107, Letters Collection.

From Artur Eisenbach in Łódź to Yoysef Opatoshu in New York, 20 January 1947, asking for his help in identifying certain documents found in the Oyneg Shabes Archive. It is believed that the material was written by the late Zelig Kalmanovitch in Vilna in 1941, when he was still alive and in touch with Emanuel Ringelblum. In the material, there is a reference to a private letter from Opatoshu, in which he castigates Jews for having allowed historical treasures to be lost before World War I. Eisenbach wants Opatoshu to confirm that he sent such a letter to Kalmanovitch. Yiddish. RG 436, Joseph Opatoshu Papers, F9.

From Tsemaḥ Szabad in Vilna to (?), 8 July 1932, reporting on the distribution of small donated sums to Jewish institutions in Vilna, including ORT, Hilf durkh Arbet, and Yiddish schools, all of which are "suffering indirectly from the well-known events." He also mentions his concern that he has been misquoted in the press about public statements he has made about his impressions of Palestine from his recent trip there. The reports make it seem as if he has a rosier view of Zionism than is the case: “All I can say is that in Palestine I didn't once hear anyone singing ‘Hatikvah.’” Yiddish. RG 107, Letters Collection.

From Ḥayim Ozer Grodzenski in Vilna to the Board of Deputies of English Jews in London, 29 January 1938, asking them to help rabbis imprisoned and persecuted in the Soviet Union. English. Typescript with handwritten corrections. Polish and Hebrew letterhead: Rabin Ch. O. Grodzieński, Wilno. RG 107, Letters Collection.

From Aharon Shemu’el Tamares in Milejczyce to Ḥayim Tchernowitz in Odessa, n.d., about a pamphlet he has prepared that includes essays on subjects related to Judaism, including Zionism. The pamphlet has been with the publisher Yehoshu‘a Ḥana Ravnitski for more than half a year but is still unpublished. Tamares suspects that this is because Ravnitski is a Herzlian Zionist, whereas the essays in the pamphlet promote the Ḥibat Tsiyon movement. He asks Tchernowitz to recommend a printer/publisher in Odessa. Hebrew. RG 107, Letters Collection.

Poem by Leyzer Volf, “Foroys, land fun komunizm” (Onward, Land of Communism), 1941. From a notebook of poetry titled “Di broyne bestye: Antihitlerishe lider” (The Brown Beast: Anti-Hitler Poems). Yiddish. RG 108, Manuscripts Collection, F25.9.

From Samuil Khaimovich Agurskii in Minsk, USSR (now in Belarus) to Kalman Marmor in New York, 2 January 1926, about the excellent reception Agurskii's book has received in the USSR, where it is going into a second printing. He thanks Marmor for his offer to distribute the book in America but doubts that "Uncle Sam" will allow such a publication to be imported into the United States in large numbers. His only wish is that the book will help to spread communist ideology among the Jewish working masses. He describes the recent celebrations in the Soviet Union of two important anniversaries: the failed Decemberist revolt of 1825 and the Revolution of 1905. Yiddish. Typed, marked up for excerpting for publication. RG 205, Kalman Marmor Papers, F88/7362.

From Noah Pryłucki in Warsaw, 3 November 1920. Letter of introduction for the landscape painter Abraham Neumann to "the entire Yiddish press in the United States of America."  Polish letterhead: Nojach Pryłucki, Adwokat. Yiddish. RG 107, Letters Collection.

From Emanuel Ringelblum in Warsaw to Elye Tsherikover, 25 September 1932. Among other things, he reports on discussions recently held in Warsaw on "difficult matters" in connection with a historical publication being prepared. He reports on what Ignacy Schiper says about "Varshavski's work," that there are more important things to write about than Jewish spies. But Ringelblum takes issue with this attitude: Jewish historians shouldn't censor themselves for fear of stirring up antisemitism. But neither should there be a separate chapter about Jewish spies, which will give "a false picture of the role of the Jews" during the uprising. Ringelblum also reports that Schiper feels the topics of presentations at an upcoming historical congress must be broad and general, such as Yankev Shatzky's proposed talk on "The Jewish Question in History," and that Simon Dubnow must attend as the guest of honor. Ringelblum intends to deliver a talk on the social opposition of Jews in Polish history. He disagrees with Raphael Mahler that he is too young to deliver such a talk. Yiddish. RG 107, Letters Collection.

Handwritten description of a children's game sent by a researcher to YIVO's Ethnographic Section in Vilna, ca. 1920s. "Two children take each other by the hand and lift their hands up high. One calls himself 'the golden tower' and the second one, 'the angel.’ . . ." Yiddish. RG 1.2, Records of YIVO (Vilna): Ethnographic Committee, F58.

From Rokhl Korn in Fergana, Uzbekistan, to Vilenski, 22 February 1943. Korn has broken her hand and received aid in the amount of 2,000 rubles from a charity in Moscow. She is gradually starting to write again and has submitted some poems to the Yiddish newspaper Eynikayt. She has heard that Itsik Fefer and Solomon Mikhoels are traveling to America on behalf of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee. She knows them but has fallen out of touch with them. Yiddish. RG 107, Letters Collection.

From Ilya Ehrenburg in the USSR to Lazar Yosifovich [Yerusalimski?] in Latvia (?), 15 January 1945, about Ehrenburg's project, The Black Book, a collection of eyewitness accounts, letters, and other materials documenting the Nazi atrocities against the Jewish population. He thanks Yosifovich for sending materials about Latvia but asks for more, especially about places outside the larger cities. Russian. Typed. RG 107, Letters Collection.