KHAYIM MALITS

KHAYIM MALITS (1861-1924)

        He was born in Tarashtshe (Tarashcha), Kiev district, Ukraine.  He attended religious elementary school, later studying Hebrew and secular subject matter.  While still young, he demonstrated an inclination to write.  His literary activities began in: Hatsfira (The siren), Hamelits (The spectator), and Yudishe folks blat (Jewish people’s newspaper), for which he wrote correspondence pieces, articles, and features, also using the pseudonym “Khomets [lit., the leavening that marks foods forbidden on Passover and must be burned] from Tarashcha.”  In 1889 he came to the United States.  In 1893 he was editor of the weekly newspaper Filadelfyer shtodt tsaytung (Philadelphia city newspaper), before settling in New York.  He was chief contributor to Nyu yorker obend post (New York evening mail) and later to Morgn-zhurnal (Morning journal), in which he published articles, feature pieces, stories, and novels under the pen name “Dr. Morison.”  His final novels were: Fenis kholem oder ferliebt in a piktshur (Fanny’s dream or in love with a picture) (1924) and Shlekhte menshen (Bad people) (1925).  He was also an active community leader.  In Philadelphia, he founded the United Hebrew Relief Society and a “Hospitality” (Hakhnasat Orḥim) society for the poor.  He also participated in a variety of Jewish institutions and organizations in New York.  From his works, he produced the following books: Toyre, tsu got un tsu layt, droshes un reders fun ale parshes fun yor (Torah, for God and for the people, sermons and speeches for all the weekly Torah portions of the year) (New York, 1918), 254 pp.; Di heym un di froy (Home and wife), sermons and speeches (New York, 1918), 245 pp.; Liebe un leben (Love and life) (New York, 1925), 112 pp.; Katherina, historisher roman fun rusland un der rusisher kayzerlikher dinastye (Catherine, historical novel of Russia and the Russian Tsarist dynasty) (New York: Jewish Press Pub. Co., 1920), part 1, 426 pp., part 2, 442 pp.; Droshes, redes un lektshurs (Sermons, speeches, and lectures) (New York, 1925), 231 pp.

Sources: Zalmen Reyzen, Leksikon, vol. 2; Moyshe Shtarkman, in Hadoar (New York) (May 23, 1947); Y. Tsuzmer, Beikve hador (In the footprints of a generation) (New York, 1957).

Mortkhe Yofe