Leo Wiener's History of Yiddish Literature in the .r9th Century (1899), is invaluable to the student. Some English translations are: Jewish Children (Sholem Alechem), by Hannah Berman; One Act Plays from the Yiddish, by Etta Block; A Lithuanian Village (Leon Kobrin), by I. Goldberg, who has also translated the Haunted Inn of Peretz Hirschbein and other plays ; Stories and Pictures (I. L. Peretz) and Yiddish Tales (2o different authors), by H. Frank. (H. F.) BiBuoGRAPErv.-Abramovitch, Die Kliatshe, Fistike der Khlike (The Cripple) , Des kleine Menshele (The Little Man) , etc. ; S. Asch, Batter (Leaves), Junge Johren (Youthful Years) ; Frug, Lieder (Poems); Libin, Gekliebene Skizzen (Selected Sketches), Modne Menshen (Queer Folk) ; Opatosho, Die Piilishe Wader (The Polish Woods) and other novels ; I. L. Peretz, Erzahlungen and Bilder (Stories and Pictures) ; Reisin, Collected Works; Sholem Alechem, Collected Works (including Stempenyu, Menachem Mendel and Tovie der Milchiger) ; Spektor, Collected Tales including Die zwei Chevertes (The two Companions) ; Yehoash, Collected Poems and From New York to Rehovoth.
The United States.—Yiddish literature in America developed under a combination of influences. On the one hand Russian literature—the writings of Tolstoi, Turgeniev, Dostoievski and Chekhov—played a decisive role in its growth for the obvious rea son that nearly all Yiddish writers came from Russia and it was they who founded the Yiddish press, wrote the plays for the theatres, started weekly and monthly publications.
The distinctive contribution of the United States to Yiddish literature of the world has been the Yiddish language press. During the past four decades Yiddish journalism has swallowed up the ablest writers. There has never been a profitable market for Yiddish books in America on account of the poverty of the Jewish masses. Nine-tenths of the novelists, short story writers, poets, playwrights and critics have been obliged to eke out a livelihood as practising newspapermen. Hence the Yiddish press has been more than a purveyor of news and political comment. The man who has created modern Yiddish journalism is Abraham Cahan. From the founding of the Jewish Daily Forward in 1897 Cahan has been guide and mentor of the Yiddish press.
In addition to The Forward there are three other dailies in New York, viz., Jewish Morning Journal, Day-Warheit and Frei keit. The Morning Journal (edited by Peter Wiernik) is a con servative paper in politics no less than in religion. The Day Warheit espouses the cause of Jewish nationalism, while Freiheit advocates communism. The total circulation of the several papers is in the neighbourhood of 400,00o. Among the leading journal
ists in addition to those already mentioned are Zivion, Hillel Ro goff, Dr. A. Coralnik, M. Olgin, Dr. S. Margoshes, Jacob Fish man. The name of the late Louis E. Miller, one of the founders of The Forward and for years editor-publisher of Warheit and other publications, must be included in this list. Also S. Yanof sky, long the editor of Freie Arbeiter Shtimme (Free Workmen's Voice), an influential literary weekly of anarchist tendencies. Much of the best modern Yiddish poetry has been written in the United States. Morris Rosenfeld was the most popular and most versatile poet produced in America. He was lyricist, satirist, polemicist. Yehoash, regarded by some as superior to Rosenfeld, was less popular. His poetry is cerebral, much of it obscure. Yehoash wrote magnificent nature poems; he translated Long fellow's "Hiawatha," devoted long years to the translation of the Old Testament from the original Hebrew into Yiddish and was the author of a Dictionary of Hebraic Elements in the Yiddish language, a pioneer work. A. Liesin. for years editor of the monthly magazine Zukunft (Future) is a poet of great power and originality as well as a foremost publicist. Excellent poetry has also been written by M. Winchevsky, Mani Leib, Rolnik, Joel Slonim, M. L. Halpern, Zisha Landau, Dilon, Nochem Yud.
The earliest writers of short stories were Z. Libin, Jacob Gordin and Leon Kobrin. Libin's career dates from the '9os. His sketches are full of a peculiar humour tinctured with sadness inspired by the hardships of life of the early immigrants. Libin has written extensively for the stage not without success. Kobrin has been a prolific playwright and translator. Gordin's fame rests on the seventy-odd plays which he wrote for the stage during the last 20 years of his life rather than his earlier sketches. He was the reformer of the Yiddish stage in America.
Only two or three of the many plays which David Pinski has written proved successful on the stage, notably Yekel the Black smith and The Treasure. Some of his plays, short stories and a novel have been translated into English. Strongly under the in fluence of the Russian realists, Z. Levine occupies a unique posi tion as a writer of grim stories unrelieved by humour. Highly esteemed by some critics, his reading public remains limited.
Fifteen or more years ago there emerged a group of young writers who challenged the supremacy of the older men. To-day (1929) their position is being challenged by a still younger group. The most notable of the young writers are Opatosho, Ignatev and Raboi.