MORTKHE TARADAYKE

MORTKHE TARADAYKE (1870-1936)

            He was born in Lodz, Poland.  He studied in religious primary school and on his own in the synagogue study chamber.  From 1902 he was working as a wedding entertainer.  He was the author of songs, humorous stories, and sermons which became a part of Lodz folklore.  Among his books: Fir naye vunderbare lider (Four new wonderful songs) (Warsaw, 1902), 32 pp.; Der pogrom oder dos umglik fun kishinev (The pogrom or the unhappiness of Kishinev) (Warsaw, 1903), 16 pp.; Di naye kines af kishinev (The new destruction in Kishinev) (Warsaw, 1903), 16 pp.; Di sheyne vitsen, lider fun damen-hoyzen (Beautiful jokes, songs from women’s homes) (Warsaw, 1905), 11 pp. and (Pyetrikov, 1911), 12 pp.; Lider tsu zingen (Songs to sing) (Lodz, 1909), 32 pp.; Di naye hagode (The new Haggada) (Lodz, 1919), 32 pp.

Sources: Ts. Cohen, in Folksblat (Lodz) (June 1, 1917); Khayim Leyb Fuks, in Fun noentn over (New york) 3 (1957), p. 270; A. Yaari, in Kriyat sefer (Jerusalem) (Kislev [= December] 1959).

Khayim Leyb Fuks