AVROM KHASIN

AVROM KHASIN (1899-September 16, 1955)

            He was born in Mezhibizh, Podolia.  He was a choirboy under his father, the cantor in Mezhibizh, and later he became a Hebrew teacher.  He published children’s poetry in Bostomski’s Grininke boymelekh (Little green trees) in Vilna.  In the 1920s he emigrated to Brazil, became a teacher in the Hebrew Brazilian high school in Rio de Janeiro.  For many years he served as secretary of the editorial board of Idishe folkstsaytung (Jewish people’s newspaper) in Rio and published his poetry there.  He also translated Portuguese poetry into Yiddish.  For a time he worked as a teacher in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, where he won a great payoff in the lottery, returned to Rio, took up business, and became a wealthy man.  In 1955 he was a member of the editorial group responsible for the anthology Undzer baytrog (Our contribution), which appeared (with five children’s poems by Khasin included) after his sudden passing from a heart attack.

Sources: Notice in Undzer baytrog (Our contribution) (Rio de Janeiro, 1956), pp. 94-98; obituary notices in the Brazilian Yiddish press; written information from Rosa Palantik in Rio de Janeiro.

Zaynvl Diamant