AVROM-KHAYIM ZAYTSHIK

AVROM-KHAYIM ZAYTSHIK

            He was born in Gluboke (Glubokoye or Hlybokaye), Vilna district, Byelorussia.  He was a bookkeeper, a member of the administration of the Jewish people’s library, and one of the most devoted school leaders.  He was a regular contributor to the weekly Gluboker lebn (Glubokoye life), in which he published (1930-1936) articles, feature pieces, essays and poems (both origins and translations).  He also published in: the journal Etyudn (Studies) 2 (1934) in Vilna; Vilner tog (Vilna day) (July-September 1935); Naye folkstsaytung (New people’s newspaper) (1934, 1937) in Warsaw; Yidish far ale (Yiddish for all) 4, 9, 10, 11 (1938-19309) in Warsaw.  He published (1936-1939) translations of children’s stories and poems by Cervantes, Pushkin, Samuil Marshak, Korney Chukovsky, and Agnia Barto in: the Vilna children’s and young people’s magazine Grininke beymelekh (Little green trees) (1936-1937) and Khaver (Comrade) (1937); Kleyne folkstsaytung (Little people’s newspaper) (1937) in Warsaw; Kinder fraynd (Children’s friend) (1936-1939) in Warsaw.  His translations in book form (for the Warsaw publishing house of “Kinder-fraynd”) include: Samuil Marshak, Mister tvister (Mister Twister) (Warsaw, 1936), 16 pp.; Korney Chukovsky, Der tuml in kikh (The racket in the kitchen) (Warsaw, 1936), 16 pp., illustrated by K. Rotov; and Chukovsky, Der vashtsukht; Di flig, di sheyne kale (The washing; The fly, a pretty bride) (Warsaw, 1937), 20 pp.  In 1938 he translated Wilhelm Tell for the Vilna Jewish Children’s Theater.  Together with his wife, a teacher at the Glubokoye Jewish school, Mire Rubin-Zaytshik, he was killed in Glubokoye.

Sources: Sh. Kahan, in Vilner tog (Vilna) (January 8, 1937); Lerer-yizker-bukh (Remembrance volume for teachers) (New York, 1954), p. 399; Dr. G. Y., in Etyudn (Vilna) 3 (1934).

Leyzer Ran