Y. L. OSTRINSKI (YEHUDA-LEYB OSTRINSKY)

Y. L. OSTRINSKI (YEHUDA-LEYB OSTRINSKY)

     He came from the town of Ostrin near Grodno in Poland.  He lived in Vilna.  He was a follower of the Jewish Enlightenment and a fighter on behalf of the cause of Jewish Enlightenment.  He was a writer of the old school, a contemporary of Ayzik Mayer Dik and Y. L. Budzohn, among others.  He was the author of numerous books for mass production, such as: Libe nokhn toyt, a bild fun lebn (Love after death, an image of life) (first printing 1895 [Vilna], many reprintings; final reprinting in Vilna by Farlag Rozenkrantz and Shriftzetser), 31 pp.; Nayes fun yener velt, eyn vare ertseylung (News from the other world, a true story) (Vilna, 1896; 1927 printing by Farlag Rozenkrantz and Shriftzetser), 32 pp.; Di velt hot zikh ibergekert (The world tipped over) (Vilna, 1911), 32 pp.  These booklets used a style from its time of the Muser enlightenment.  Ostrinski wrote other short books under various pen names which have not been identified.  He “sold in perpetuity” his books—according to the conditions pertaining at that time—to the publishers.