NAFTOLI BUKHVALD (NATHANIEL BUCHWALD)

NAFTOLI BUKHVALD (NATHANIEL BUCHWALD) (April 14, 1890-June 7, 1956[1])

            He was born in Lublin, Volhynia.  He studied in religious primary school, in a crown public school, and was an external student.  In 1910 he emigrated to the United States, graduating in 1918 from New York University.  His first published articles appeared in Di naye velt (The new world) in New York, and he became a regular contributor to this periodical and other Yiddish labor publications.  With the founding of Frayhayt (Freedom) in New York in 1922, he served on the editorial board and was its theater critic.  Later, he wrote for Morgn frayhayt (Morning freedom) in New York.  Among his books: Farvos men hot gemishpet di 21 in moskve (Why the twenty-one were sentenced in Moscow) (New York: Idbyuro, 1938), 31 pp.; Teater (Theater) (New York, 1943), 457 pp.; Pogromshtshikes farfleytsn amerike, faktn vegn der aynvanderung fun natsis, fashistn un gorgl-shnayder (Pogromists invade America, facts about the immigration of Nazis, fascists, and cut-throats) (New York, 1952), 31 pp.  He translated: Alfonz Goldshmidt, Dos lebn un shtrebn in sovet-rusland (Life and aspiration in Soviet Russia) (New York, 1921); Anatoly Lunacharsky, Kunst un sotzyalizm (Art and socialism); Lenin’s Teorye un praktik fun revolutsye (The theory and practice of revolution); Rosa Luxembourg, Reform oder revolutsye (Reform or revolution)—all in New York, 1920 or 1921.  He also translated books from English.  Among his pen names: B. Tulin, B. Brand, N. Poloner, and Bert Toulens (in English).  He died in New York.

Sources: Zalmen Reyzen, Leksikon, vol. 1; A. Pomerants, in Proletpen (Kiev, 1935), p. 197.

Berl Kagan, comp., Leksikon fun yidish-shraybers (Biographical dictionary of Yiddish writers) (New York, 1986), cols. 72-73.

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[1] According to another source, it was July 7, 1957.