KHAYIM HAKOHEN HURVITS

KHAYIM HAKOHEN HURVITS

            He was born in Jerusalem and served for many years as the director of a yeshiva in Mea Shearim.  He was the author of Mayse hakhayim kemayse alfes (The story of life, like Alfes’s story), a “genuine Jewish novel built upon the words of the sages” (Jerusalem, 1924), 60, 4 pp.—with a preface in which the author explains the goal of his book: to afford the yeshiva lad “novels and stories” to read that will not force him to deviate from the proper course.  The book was written in the style of old edifying texts and in the distinctive Jerusalem Yiddish.  Particularly interesting are several lines in the preface: “Simultaneously one must note that one of the most important reasons for the rejection of Torah youth by the rabble was their economic state—namely, the yeshiva lad for the most part is able to manage his life.”  This book is also outfitted with an afterword on the inside back cover: “On behalf of the marriage of a poor girl” (Letoyves hakhnoses kale)—a way of gaining approval for the author to write a novel.

Source: P. Vyernik, in Morgn-zhurnal (New York) (February 21, 1926).

Khayim Leyb Fuks