Wolf Younin

Title: Wolf Younin

Inclusive Dates: c. 1863-2012

ID: RG 1971

Extent Information

66 bankers boxes; 23 x 5"; 3 x 2 1/2"; 9 oversized; 1 small box

Administrative/Biographical History

Born on February 29, 1908 in Irkutsk, Russia with the surname Hochman, Wolf Younin was raised in Bialystok and Bielsk Podlaski. He was a poet, folklorist, theater figure, newspaper columnist, and book collector educated in part in a Yiddish folk school. In Bialystok he received vocational training as a locksmith and blacksmith. In 1928, while still in Bialystok, he published his first book of poems, 7 lider, and immigrated to the United States in 1930, settling in New York. Shortly thereafter, he began contributing poems to New York-based Yiddish journals and published a second book, Lider, in 1936. He was a Yiddish instructor for Berlitz in 1964/65 and at Rutgers and Columbia universities. During World War II, he hosted a Yiddish radio program, and in 1943, became a regular columnist and editor for the Tog-morgn zshurnal (Day-Morning Journal). His column, entitled “Shprakh-vinkl” (“Language Corner”) pertained to the Yiddish language, linguistics, and folklore. After that newspaper folded in 1971, Younin continued writing the column for the Forverts (The Jewish Daily Forward) until 1980. Among his numerous articles, was a series of columns that ran from 1979-1980 in the Forverts, which formed a dictionary of Hebrew words and phrases used in Yiddish. His poetry, songs, and a serialized novel appeared in additional Yiddish-language publications, including Tsukunft (New York, 1933), Oyfkum (New York, 1935), Signal (New York, 1936), Literarishe bleter (Warsaw, 1937), Yidishe kultur (New York, 1943), Goldene keyt, Vayter (New York, 1955), Arbeter-vort (Paris), Frimorgn (Riga), Fraye arbeter-shtime, Kinder-zshurnal, Kinder-tsaytung, Yungvarg (New York), Kinderfraynd (Warsaw), and Argentiner beymelekh. Younin trained theater singers and actors, which included Mandy Patinkin, to perform in Yiddish. Musicians wrote music to his song lyrics. He played in a few German films produced by the UFA (Universum Film AG) film company. Among his yet unmentioned book publications are the following titles: Lomir lernen Yidish – Let’s Learn Yiddish (New York, 1973), Der 31ter sheyvet: roman in ferzn (New York, 1956), Faroys tsum kamf: a shpil spetsyel geshribn farn “Kinder ring” 1935 5391 (New York, 1935), Ḳurtser ṿerṭerbukh: fun hebreishe ṿerṭer in Idish (New York, 1978), 5 Yidishe eynakters: fun Sholem Aleykhem, Y. L. Perets, Y. Ṭunkl, Y. Marshelik (New York, 198-), and Ester Hamalkeh: kantate far tenor solo, gemishtn khor mit pyano bagleytung (New York, 1946). He was a discriminating collector of Yiddish-related books and documents, several of which date back to the mid-16^th century. He died on May 31, 1984 in New York.

Subjects (links to similar collections)

Forms of Material (links to similar genres)

Languages of Materials

English
French
German
Ladino
Hebrew
Polish
Romanian
Russian
Yiddish
Spanish

Administrative Information

Acquired: 2009.

Access 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.

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Acquisition Note: Dina Younin Mann and Sylvia Guberman Younin

Related Materials: A few thousand books were initially donated to the YIVO Archives, along with the Wolf Younin Papers, but now reside in the YIVO Library. The majority of these works are in Yiddish, although Russian, English, French, and German-language works are also represented. The books date from the beginning of the 20th century through the 1970s, with a sizeable collection of works dating from the 1920s through the 1940s. This collection is strongest in fiction and poetry, but also, in Jewish history and socialism. A number of works are also autographed by their authors and bear dedications to Wolf Younin.

Collection Material Type: Personal Papers

Description: The collection pertains primarily to Wolf Younin’s career as a poet, lyricist, folklorist, linguist, playwright, newspaper columnist, Yiddish teacher, and book collector. A significant portion of the collection pertains to the regular newspaper column, “Shprakh-vinkl” (“Language Corner”) that Mr. Younin wrote for the Tog-morgn zshurnal (Day-Morning Journal) and later, for the Forverts (The Jewish Daily Forward), about Yiddish language, linguistics, and Jewish folklore; Yiddish language teaching materials that he used for courses at various institutions, including Queens College, Rutgers University, and the joint YIVO-Columbia University summer program; and newspaper clippings regarding matters pertaining to language, linguistics, and folklore. Included is correspondence of a professional and personal nature with writers, theater personalities, religious laypersons, communal activists, and scholars including: Zelig Broshi, Rachmil Bryks, Mattes Deitch, Israel Emiot, William Glicksman, Chaim Grade, Dina Halpern Newman, Elchanan Indelman, Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, Miriam Kressyn, Curt Leviant, Ezekiel Lifschutz, Sam Liptzin, Mascha Benya Matz, Peretz Miransky, Velvel Pasternak, David Roskies, Mordkhe Schaechter, Israel Silberberg-Cholewa, and Shimon Wincelberg, primarily in English, Hebrew, and Yiddish, 1923-2005. Clippings and journal publications (original and copies), primarily in English, Hebrew, Russian, and Yiddish, 1932-1988. Newsletters, bulletins, and brochures, 1936-1977. Flyers, broadsides, and posters in English and Yiddish, 1939-1998. Books, primarily in Yiddish, some of which are of a rare nature, 1940-1983. Manuscripts, which include poetry authored by Abraham Sutzkever in the Vilna ghetto, and the badkhones of Moyshe Gliner, c. 1863. Poetry, short stories, speeches, articles, drafts, notes, and other related writings (original and copies) primarily in English and Yiddish, 1920-1979. Programs, playbills, promotional materials, and tickets in English and Yiddish, 1932-1995. Music, songbooks, and song lyrics in English and Yiddish, 1919-1974. Bibliographic and terminological lists. Games, jokes, and skits, 1946-1967. Teaching materials (including lecture notes, student exams, essays, and rosters, course schedules, and class registers), 1946-1976. Memoranda, resolutions, and reports, 1959-1978. Media transcripts of television broadcasts, radio programs, and radio program schedules in English and Yiddish, 1945-1964. Biographies and resumes, 1974-1977. Eulogies and obituaries in English and Yiddish, 1954-2012. Mixed print and handwritten materials including calendars, library book requests, questionnaires, banquet books, membership forms, address books, and business cards in English and Yiddish, 1932-1979. Drawings and photographs (original and copies), 1923-1973. Materials of a personal nature (including legal documents, birth certificates, diplomas, and financial records), 1922-1980. Also contained to a lesser degree within the collection are materials relating to Younin’s wife, Sylvia Guberman Younin—a Yiddish writer, translator, artist, and sculptor—including an obituary, articles (rough drafts), a Yiddish language primer, Yidish far alemen (Yiddish for Everyone), which Ms. Younin co-authored with her husband, school diplomas, correspondence with Ms. Younin's father, an autobiographical essay, and a DVD containing biographical details, scanned photographs, poetry, paintings, and other artwork by Ms. Younin.