YOYSEF AKSENTSOV

YOYSEF AKSENTSOV (1888-June 9, 1956)

Born in the Jewish village of Slobode, Byelorussia.  His parents were agricultural workers.  In 1907 he graduated from the agricultural school in Minsk run by YIKO (Jewish Cultural Organization).  The following year he emigrated to Argentina and lived for a time in the Jewish colonies there.  He devoted his attentions to various professions.  In 1915 he published a work in verse entitled “A kinder-shpil” (A children’s play) in Di yidishe tsaytung (The Jewish newspaper) in Buenos Aires.  Later, he wrote articles and correspondences for an array of publications in Argentina.  In 1916 he settled in Buenos Aires.  He became assistant editor of the weekly Der kolonist (The colonist), and later the technical editor of the monthly Kolonist kooperator (Colonist cooperative).  From 1922 he was a member of the editorial board of Di prese (The press).  Among his books: Pondo komunal amol un haynt (Pondo Komunal, then and now), a pamphlet (Buenos Aires, 1919).  His published translations from Spanish include: Javier de Viana, Gauchos, geveylter detseylungen un bilder (Gauchos, selected stories and images) (Buenos Aires, 1925), 190 pp.; Francisco Pi y Arsuaga, Preludyes fun kamf (Preludes to a fight) (Buenos Aires, 1928), 90 pp.; Rafael Barrett, Kurtse dertseylungen (Short stories) (Buenos Aires, 1929), 84 pp.  Among his pen names: Votsenski, M. Sloboder, M. Sekhov, A. Y. Kempenisa.