HERSH-LEYB YUNG (YOUNG)

HERSH-LEYB YUNG (YOUNG) (November 17, 1892-February 18, 1976)

            He was born in the village of Lakhovits (Lyakhovichi), Carpathian Russia, into the family of an innkeeper.  He was raised in the town of Skole (Skola), Galicia.  He studied in religious primary school and in the Baron Hirsch School; later, he worked as a watchmaker in various towns in Hungary.  In late 1913 he made his way to the United States, settled in New York, and worked as a watchmaker, and in the evenings he studied English and English literature.  In April 1915 he published in Fraye arbeter-shtime (Free voice of labor) in New York his story “Der ungerekhter khurbn” (The unjust destruction); later he published poems and stories in: Tog (Day), Fraye arbeter-shtime, Dos yidishe folk (The Jewish people), Der groyser kundes (The great prankster), and Di frayhayt (The freedom)—all in New York.  He then ceased publishing, and in 1950 he began writing new poems.  He also contributed poetry to Yerlekhe gedenk-bukh (Annual remembrance volume) (Buenos Aires: Galitsye, 1961), pp. 194-97.  Subsequent books include: Hekher di volkns, lider (Higher than the clouds, poems) (Tel Aviv: Perets Publ., 1962), 434 pp.; Durkh likht un fintsternish, lider (Through light and darkness. poems) (Tel Aviv: Perets Publ., 1967), 424 pp.; Iber tseflamte horizontn (Over burning horizons) (Tel Aviv: Perets Publ., 1970), 404 pp.; In di astral-sfires (In the astral counting of the omer) (Tel Aviv: Perets Publ., 1974), 309 pp.; Af zunzink-shlyakh (On the Zunzink road) (Tel Aviv: Perets Publ., 1976), 239 pp.  He died in New York.

Zaynvl Ciamant

[Additional information from: Berl Kagan, comp., Leksikon fun yidish-shraybers (Biographical dictionary of Yiddish writers) (New York, 1986), col. 300.]