KHAYIM KANTOROVITSH

KHAYIM KANTOROVITSH (November 4, 1891-August 18, 1936)

            He was born in Lakhve (Lyakhivtsi), Minsk Province.  He attended religious elementary school and graduated from a Russian public school.  In 1907 he came to the United States and studied law.  An active Labor Zionist, he later moved over to left Labor Zionism and in 1924 joined the Jewish socialist alliance.  He was a teacher and director of Workmen’s Circle middle schools.  He debuted in print in London’s Arbayter fraynd (Workers’ friend).  He wrote literary and mostly socialist programmatic articles for: Vokhnshrift far literatur (Weekly writing for literature), Literarishe bleter (Literary leaves), Idisher kemfer (Jewish fighter), Glaykhhayt (Equality), Fraye arbeter shtime (Free voice of labor), Idish-sotsyalistishe zamel-bikher (Jewish socialist anthologies), Yugend (Youth), Veker (Alarm) which he edited for a short time, Bleter (Sheets), Tsukunft (Future), Feder (Pen), and Idisher velt almanakh (Jewish world almanac) of 1926.  He also published on pedagogical matters.  His books include: Der sotsyalist (The socialist) (New York: Poyle-tsien, 1917), 14 pp.; Di geshikhte fun der amerikaner arbayter bavegung (The history of the American labor movement) (New York: Labor Zionist Party School, 1920), 143 pp.; In likht fun marksizm (In the light of Marxism) (New York: M. N. Mayzil, 1925), 175 pp.; Afn veg tsum sotsyalizm (On the road to socialism) (New York: Veker, 1930), 24 pp.; A shmues tsvishn tsvey arbeter vegn sotsyalizm un kapitalizm (A conversation between two workers about socialism and capitalism) (New York: Veker, 1932), 21 pp.  His translations include: Karl Kautsky, Etik un di materialistishe oyffasung fun der geshikhte (Ethics and the materialist conception of history [original: Ethik und materialistische Geschichtsauffassung]) (New York: Heym, 1919), 176 pp.; A. Luria, Sotsyologye (Sociology) (New York: Heym, 1919), 112 pp.; A. Bogdanov, Politishe ekonomye (Political economy), with Khayim Holmshtok (New York: Heym, 1920), 2 vols.; Kautsky, Paul Lafargue, et al., Geshikhte fun sotsyalistishen gedank (History of the socialist idea), vol. 1 (New York: Kultur, 1921), 181 pp.  He later composed theoretical socialist works for the English-language journal The Modern Quarterly, and he edited (with N. Khanin) the anthology Marksizm in unzer tsayt (Marxism in our time) (New York: Veker, 1933), 80 pp.  He died in New York.

Sources: Zalmen Reyzen, Leksikon, vol. 3; Sh. Rozenfeld, in Tog (New York) (December 22, 1926); Literarishe bleter (Warsaw) (August 21, 1936); Y. Yeshurin, in Arbeter ring boyer un tuer (Builders and leaders of the Workmen’s Circle) (New York, 1962); D. Shub, Fun di amolike yorn (From years gone by) (New York, 1970), p. 672.

Yekhezkl Lifshits