K. BENEK

K. BENEK (b. October 24, 1905)

Born in Lodz, his actual name was Bunem Kats.  In the 1930s he published stories, sketches, and reportage essays in the Parisian daily Naye prese (New press), Parizer zhurnal (Parisian magazine), Parizer heftn (Parisian notebooks), Unzer vort (Our word)—all in Paris; Shtern (Starn) in Kharkov; Yidishe kultur (Jewish culture) and Morgn-frayhayt (Morning freedom) in New York; Yisroel shtime (Voice of Israel) and Letste nayes (Latest news) in Tel Aviv; Dorem-afrike (South Africa) in Johanneburg.  Among his books: Parizer abazhur: reportazhn, novelas, bilder (Parisian lampshade: reportage, stories, sketches) (Paris, 1938), 166 pp.; Unter der parizer himlen, dertseylungen un reportazhn (Under Parisian skies, stories and reportage pieces) (Paris: Oyfsnay, 1957), 294 pp.; Di broyne mes-lesn, roman fun di milkhome-yorn (Brown days, a novel from the war years) (Paris, 1972), 253 pp.; Yisroel undzer land, dertseylungen un reportazhn (Israel, our land, stories and reportage pieces) (Paris, 1977), 285 pp.; Di yidn fun nekhtn, dertseylungen, reportazhn, eseyen un bilder (Jews of yesterday, stories, reportage pieces, essays, and images) (Paris, 1983), 245 pp.  During WWII, he was deported to Germany.  He later lived in Paris.

Sources: G. Kenig, “Der parizer yidisher shrayber-farband biz tsu der milkhome” (The Parisian Jewish writers’ association until the war), in Yizker-bukh, tsum ondenk fun 14 umgekumene parizer shrayber (Memory book, to the memory of fourteen murdered Parisian writers) (Paris, 1946); M. Shulshteyn, “Yidishe shrayber in pariz beysn krig” (Jewish writers in Paris during the war), in ibid.

[Additional information from: Berl Kagan, comp., Leksikon fun yidish-shraybers (Biographical dictionary of Yiddish writers) (New York, 1986), col. 99.]