PERETS GUTERMAN

PERETS GUTERMAN (1901-May 11, 1980)

            He was born in Lodz, Poland, into a poor Hassidic family.  His father died when he was still quite young.  He studied in religious primary school, a public school, and for a time in a Polish-Jewish technical school.  From his earliest years, he was active in the Jewish socialist youth movement.  In 1919 he served as a delegate from Lodz to the founding conference of “Tsukunft” (Future), the youth Bund, in Poland, and for many years he was a member of its central committee.  Until WWII, he was living in Warsaw, working in the compositor’s room of the Folkstsaytung (People’s newspaper).  When the Germans approached Warsaw, in 1939, he escaped to Vilna.  He was arrested there by the Soviet authorities and dragged off to Russian camps.  Following the amnesty in 1941, he was freed, joined the Polish army, and with it went to Iran and the Land of Israel.  He took part in the battles on the Italian front against the Germans.  From 1946 he was in Paris.  He was a member of the senior management of the Bund and Workmen’s Circle in France.  He worked as a lecturer and speaker.  He began writing chronicles and reportage pieces in Lodzher folksblat (Lodz people newspaper), and contributed articles, reportage pieces, and polemics to: Sotsyalistishe yugnt-shtime (Voice of socialist youth) and Yugnt-veker (Youth alarm) in Warsaw; Lodzher sotsyalistishe yugnt-shtime (Lodz voice of socialist youth), Lodzher veker (Lodz alarm), and Unzer tsayt (Our time) in New York; and Unzer shtime (Our voice) in Paris.  He served as one of the editors of this last one.  He also published under the pen names: Feferl, Perets, and others.  He died in Paris.

Sources: Y. Sh. Herts, Di geshikhte fun a yugnt (The story of a youth) (New York, 1946); Kh. L. Fuks, in Fun noentn over (New York) 3 (1957).