MOYSHE STRUGATSH (MOISHE STRUGATCH)

MOYSHE STRUGATSH (MOISHE STRUGATCH) (July 25, 1892-January 15, 1973)

            He was born in Slutsk, Byelorussia.  He studied in religious elementary school and in the Slutsk yeshiva, later in a high school in Odessa.  In 1915 he came to Warsaw, studied in the History and Philosophy Department at Warsaw University, while at the same time joining the Jewish student group “Tsukunft” (Future).  He was later a teacher of Yiddish and literature in the evening classes run by the Labor Zionists and in the schools of the Jewish Folkspartey.  In 1920 he graduated from university and that same year came to the United States, where he worked as a teacher initially in the Workmen’s Circle schools and from 1924 in the unaffiliated schools; later, he worked in schools of the International Labor Order.  He began writing in Warsaw.  In 1917 he debuted in print with a poem in the Warsaw weekly Dos folk (The people), organ of the Folkspartey, and he later published poems in the weekly supplement to the Bund’s Folkstsaytung (People’s newspaper) in Warsaw (and republished in the journal Di naye velt [The new world], organ of the Jewish Socialist Federation in America).  He published poems and stories in the Communist Frayhayt (Freedom), later named Morgn-frayhayt (Morning freedom), and from 1954 in Zamlungen (Collections), “quarterly writing for literature, criticism, cultural-social studies,” published in New York by IKUF (Jewish Cultural Association).  He also published children’s poetry in the journals: Kinderland (Children’s land), published by the Workmen’s Circle in New York; and Yungvarg (Youth), published in New York by the schools of the International Labor Order.  In book form: Lider fun nekhtn un haynt (Poems from yesterday and today) (New York: Kultur, 1922), 63 pp.; Der letster prints, a maysele (The last prince, a story) (New York, 1952), 96 pp.; In heln tog, lider, baladn un mayselekh (On a bright day, poetry, ballads, and stories) (New York, 1960), 124 pp.; Af fliglen fun tsayt, lider un baladn (On the wings of time, poems and ballads) (New York: Yidish bukh, 1962), 222 pp.; Af zunike vegn, lider un fablen (On sunny roads, poetry and fables) (New York: IKUF, 1965), 158 pp.; Gezamlte dertseylungen (Coillected stories) (New York: IKUF, 1969), 2 vols.; Letste trit, lider (Last steps, poetry) (New York: IKUF, 1977), 167 pp  He was last working in the Jewish “progressive” schools.  He was writing for leftist Yiddish publications in New York.  He died in New York.

Sources: M. Yung (M. Olgin), in Frayhayt (New York) (May 27, 1922); information from Al. Pomerants in New York.

Leyb Vaserman

[Additional information from: Berl Kagan, comp., Leksikon fun yidish-shraybers (Biographical dictionary of Yiddish writers) (New York, 1986), col. 404.]