TUVYE-YEHUDE GUTENTAG

TUVYE-YEHUDE GUTENTAG (1882-1953)

            He was born in Ripin (Rypin), Plotsk region, Poland.  He studied in religious primary school and yeshiva.  He was student of the famous rebbe of Sokhatshov (Sochaczew), who ordained him into the rabbinate.  In 1910 he was selected to serve as the rabbi of Seroczyn.  He was one of the modern Orthodox rabbis as well as an author in Poland.  He wrote articles on a variety of Jewish and societal questions for Yud (Jew), Togblat (Daily newspaper), and Ortodoksishe yugnt-bleter (Orthodox youth pages) in Warsaw, and he wrote in a fine style.  He also contributed to the journal Beys yankev (House of Jacob) in Lodz, Deglanu (Our banner), and Darḥenu (Our way), among other periodicals.  Among the religious works that he published in Yiddish: Tal leyisrael (The dew of Israel) (Warsaw, 1934), 360 pp.; Ateret tsvi (Crown of Zvi) (Warsaw, 1936), 224 pp.; and Mayse tuvye (Tuvye’s work) (Warsaw, 1938), 274 pp., which contains popular sermons and articles about questions of the day.  In 1936 he settled in Tel Aviv and there published religious works in both Hebrew and Yiddish, including: Ateret tsvi; Sheelot veteshuvot, erets tova (Questions and answers, a good land); Evel kaved (Burdensome mourning) (Jerusalem, 1949), 102 pp.; Yekara deḥai (The value of life); and two volumes of Tal orot (Dew of lights) (Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, 1947-1953).  He edited the reader for Beys Yankev Schools, Yidishe shprotsungen (Jewish sprouts) (Lodz, 1927), 150 pp.  He also published under the pseudonym: Tavyomi.  He died in Tel Aviv.

Sources: Sh. Greyniman, in Dos vort (Vilna) (May 25, 1927); Sefer hashana lebiblyografya yehudit bepolanya (Yearbook of Jewish bibliography in Poland) (Warsaw, 1934); information from R. Meyer Shvartsman in Winnipeg.