Yekhiel Yeshaye Trunk
Title: Yekhiel Yeshaye Trunk
Inclusive Dates: 1940's - 1950's
ID: RG 1453
Extent Information
11'3"; 27 5"ltr
Administrative/Biographical History
Born in Lowicz in 1897 and grew up in Lodz. Yiddish and Hebrew writer who began writing Hebrew novels, but then switched to Yiddish in 1908 under the influence of Y. L. Peretz, whom he regularly visited in Warsaw. Later depicted Peretz's literary salon in his memoir Poyln: Zikhroynes un bilder. Came from a wealthy, rabbinic family, yet was an active member of the socialist Bund. For this reason, his colleague, Isaac Bashev Singer, characterized him as a man of contradictions. Moved to Warsaw in 1925 and became the director of the Yiddish PEN club in 1936. In September 1939, he and his wife fled to Vilna, following the German invasion of Poland. The two arrived in New York via Siberia and Japan in March 1941. Was a prolific writer who mastered a variety of genres: the short story, literary criticism, memoir, folktales, and philosophical and historical essays. Also edited an important anthology of Yiddish short stories with the poet Arn Zeitlin, titled Antologye fun der yidisher proze in Poyln: Tsvishn beyde velt milkhomes (1914-1939). Wrote several critical works, including: Sholem-Aleykhem: Zayn vezn un zayne verk, Tevye un Menakhem-Mendl in yidishn velt-goyrl, and Idealizm un naturalizm in der yidisher literatur. Between the years 1951 and 1960, he published eight books based on popular folktales and Jewish folklore, including stories about Khelem, Hershele Ostropolyer, the Bove-mayse, Shabetai Tsevi, and other Jewish figures in hsitory. Died in New York in 1961.
Subjects (links to similar collections) Administrative InformationAccess Notes: YIVO Archives collections are open to researchers only by appointment with an archivist. To inquire about papers and records, write to
Chief Archivist, archives@yivo.cjh.org. To inquire about photographs and films, write to Photo and Film Archivist at Photofilm@yivo.cjh.org. To inquire about sound recordings, write to Sound Archivist, lsklamberg@yivo.cjh.org. For art works and artifacts,
write to Chief Archivist at archives@yivo.cjh.org.
Rights:
YIVO owns the compilation of content that is posted on this website, which consists of text, images, and/or audio, and video. However, YIVO does not necessarily own each component of the compilation. Some content is in the public domain and some content is protected by third party rights. It is the user's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other use restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in YIVO websites.
The materials on this web site may be used for personal, research and educational purposes only. Publication (including posting on the Internet and online exhibitions) or any other use without prior authorization is prohibited. Please visit https://www.yivo.org/Rights-Reproductions for more information about use of materials from this website.
YIVO has employed due diligence in seeking to identify copyright holders of the materials in this compilation. We invite any copyright owners who are not properly identified to contact us at yivomail@yivo.cjh.org.
Acquisition Note:
Yekhiel Yeshaye Trunk; Acc.
Collection Material Type: Personal Papers
