A. HURVITSH

A. HURVITSH (1866-1899)

            He was born in Kiev, Ukraine.  He studied in religious primary school, later becoming a laborer.  He came to the United States in 1886.  He published humorous poetry in Yidishes tageblat (Jewish daily newspaper), Der teglekher herald (The daily herald), and Ashmodai, among others—in New York.  He was the author of a string of parodies and humorous sketches, such as: Der amerikaner makhzer leshvues (The American prayer book for Shavuot); Di amerikaner naye hagode lepeysekh velekhol hashone (The new American Haggadah for Passover and for the entire year)—“a satire on Jewish life in the United States, the sad condition of the recent immigrants with a poem by Y. Yonatanzon (an inference)” (New York, 1895), 16 pp. (reprinted in several editions during Hurvitsh’s life and after his death in Di natsyon [The nation], “Passover sheet,” 1902, with remarks from the editors and a characterization of the author’s talent as a humorist and parodist).  He was also the author of: Di amerikaner prokim oder der koolisher ribayzen (The American “Ethics [of the Father]” or the community grater), “a satire on the political, social, and religious life of American Jews” (New York, n.d.), 16 pp.; and Dem telegrafs hagode shel peysekh (The telegraph’s Haggadah for Passover), a satire on the life of Russian Jews in America (New York, n.d.), 4 pp.  He also edited Di takse in amerike (The tax on kosher meat in America), a single-issue humorous publication.  It is possible that Hurvitsh is identical with the author of Hagode shel peysekh, al pi nusekh khadash, af ivre taytsh fir peysekh un a gants yor (Haggadah for Passover, according to a new version in Judeo-German for Passover and the entire year) (London, 1900), 15 pp., which was signed with the pseudonym “Yener” (That one).  He published under the name “Ish Kiev” (Man from Kiev).  He lived in great poverty and died in New York.

Source: Di natsyon, “Passover sheet” (New York, 1902); Israel Davidson, Parody in Jewish Literature (New York, 1907), p. 224.

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