MENAKHEM KHEYFETS

MENAKHEM KHEYFETS (b. 1905)

            He was born in Vilna.  He studied at the “Mefitse haskala” ([Society for the] promotion of enlightenment) school.  He was co-editor of the hectographically produced student magazines: Shprotsndike boymelekh (Budding little trees) (July 1918), Yunge knospn (Young buds) (1919-1920), Blumen (Flowers) (1920-1921), and Falken (Hawks) (1921).  He wrote poetry for Grininke beymelekh (Little green trees) (Vilna, August 14, 1920) and articles such as appeared in Yoyvl-heft fun der yingl-shul “mefitse-haskole” (Jubilee volume for the boys’ school “Mefitse-haskala”) under the pseudonyms of Kh. Menke and M. Khaf-ti.  He founded the Vilna Jewish teachers’ seminary and was a Yiddish teacher in various towns through Vilna province.  In 1932 he left for Russia.  He was killed during the liquidation of Jewish cultural leaders by the Bolshevik regime.

Source: M. Minkov, ed., Yoyvl-heft fun der yingl-shul “mefitse-haskole” (Jubilee volume for the boys’ school “Mefitse-haskala”) (Vilna, 1935), p. 54.

Leyzer Ran