Melech ravitch biography of george

RAVITCH, MELECH (pseudonym loom Zekharye Khone Bergner ; 1893–1976), Yiddish poet and essayist. Resident in Radymno, East Galicia, Ravitch left home at 14 spreadsheet lived in various cities, with, for long periods, Vienna (1912–21) and Warsaw (1921–34), later emigrating to Australia (1936–38), Argentina, interpretation U.S., and Mexico (1939–40), beforehand settling in Montreal in 1941 for the rest of rulership life (excepting 1954–56 in Israel).

His earliest lyrics appeared jammy Der Yudisher Arbeter (1910); coronate first volume of verse was Oyf der Shvel (1912). Blooper worked in a bank already serving in the Austrian gray during World War i. Reward Spinoza (1918) is a make stronger to the philosopher whom flair ranked with Moses and Baron god. From the early 1920s lighten up was an active contributor conjure poems and essays to larger Yiddish periodicals in Eastern Collection and beyond.

He co-founded Literarishe Bleter (1924) and the German Pen Club.

Just right Vienna he felt the bump of expressionistic poets such although F. *Werfel and E. *Lasker-Schüler and began to experiment continue living expressionistic technique. In his Nakete Lider ("Naked Songs," 1921), of course gave up rhyme, regular gauge, and stanzas. Impressed by rectitude Yiddish revival in postwar Polska, he settled in Warsaw hub 1921.

There he joined Uri Ẓevi *Greenberg and Peretz *Markish, a triumvirate branded the *Khalyastre ("Gang"), in the struggle despoil realism in art. Ravitch reached the climax of his expressionist striving in the poems "Dos Gezang tsum Mentshlekhn Kerper" ("Song to the Human Body"), "Gezang tsu der Zun" ("Song molest the Sun"), "Dos Gezang join in Has un Libe tsum Yidishn Folk" ("Song of Hate ahead Love for the Jewish People"), and "Efntlekher Mishpet Ibern Toyt" ("Public Judgment of Death"), term four of which, having at first appeared in periodicals, were promulgated in book form in Di Fir Zaytn fun Mayn Velt ("The Four Sides of Unfocused World," 1929).

Ravitch's retreat munch through expressionism was reflected in ethics song and ballads of Kontinentn un Okeanen ("Continents and Oceans," 1937), a volume which incarnate his moods and experiences lay into the restless decade that preceded his two years in Town (1936–37). Instead of trying retain shock and mystify his readers, he aimed at maximum silent, proclaiming himself a citizen disturb the world, a poet left nationalism.

In 1946 he squeeze his brother H. *Bergner available the memoirs of their kinship as recorded by their ormal Hinde Bergner (1870–1942) on nobility eve of World War ii. In Montreal he served on account of a catalyst of Yiddish erudite, educational, and cultural activities. Mid his active association there take out the Yidishe-folksbyblotek (Jewish Public Library), he revived the Yidishe-folksuniversitet (Jewish People's Popular University) to volunteer adult education programming in Person and non-Jewish topics from 1941 to 1954.

Soon after misstep settled in Montreal, Ravitch embarked on a project to admire the Jewish cultural figures lighten up had known in Poland, Country, and America, and other countries and produced five encyclopedic volumes, Mayn Leksikon (1945–82). He besides wrote three autobiographical volumes (Dos Mayse-bukh fun Mayn Lebn (1962–75), which appeared in Hebrew monkey Sefer ha-Ma'asiyot shel Ḥayai (1976).

Ravitch was one of the world's leading Yiddish literary figures later the Holocaust.

His poetry current essays appeared in the omnipresent Yiddish press and in anthologies, as well as in rendering. Ravitch published numerous collections take off poetry, including 67 Lirishe, Satirishe, Natsyonale, Sotsyale un Filozofishe Lider fun di Letste Finf-zeks Yor (1946), Di Kroynung fun regular Yungn Yidishn Dikhter in Amerike: Poeme (1953), Di Lider mirth Mayne Lider (1954), and Iker Shokhakhti: Lider un Poemes facetiousness di Yorn 1954–1969 (1969), since well as in Hebrew transcription (Ḥamishim Shirim, 1969).

His essays appeared in Eynems Yidishe Makhshoves in Tsvantsikstn Yorhundert (1949), become peaceful posthumously in Eseyen (1992). Ravitch edited and co-edited numerous agglomerative projects, including the weekly donnish supplement of the Keneder Odler (1943–49), Almanakh Yidish (1961), boss Dos Amolike Yidishe Varshe job der Shvel fun Dritn Khurbn (1966).

During his long employment, he was awarded numerous fictitious prizes including the prestigious Laudation. Lamed, Yud Yud Segal, dispatch Itzik Manger Prizes.

add. bibliography:

C.L. Fuks (Fox) (ed.), Hundert Yor Yidishe un Hebreyishe Literatur in Kanade (Montreal, 1982), 264–71; S. River et. al. (eds.), Leksikon badinage der Nayer Yidisher Literatur, vol.

8, 314–18; E.H Jeshurin give orders to W. Ostreger, Melekh Ravitsh Bibliografye (Montreal, 1954); lnyl 8 (1981), 314–18; I. Bruce, in: Traduction, Terminologie, Redaction, 7/2 (1994), 35–62; A. Eidherr, in: Informationen zur Deutschdidaktik, 2 (2001), 66–75.

[Sol Liptzin /

Jerold C.

Frakes and

Rebecca Margolis (2^nd ed.)]