GETSL KRESL (GETZEL KRESSEL)

GETSL KRESL (GETZEL KRESSEL) (June 12, 1911-1986)

            He was a Hebrew lexicographer, bibliographer, and cultural researcher, born in Zablotov (Zabolotiv), Galicia.  He was the author of: Leksikon hasifrut haivrit (Handbook of Hebrew literature), 2 vols. (Merḥavya, 1965-1967).  He published over fifty books on the Hebrew press, Zionism, Palestinography, Tanakh research, and other topics.  His main work was in Hebrew, but he also concerned himself with Yiddish literature.  After a solitary article in Lemberg’s Morgn (Morning) in 1930, Kressel began in the 1960s to published articles on Yiddish literature in Idisher kemfer (Jewish fighter) in New York and in Tel Aviv’s Heymish (Familiar), Folksblat (People’s newspaper), and Di goldene keyt (The golden chain), among other serials.  He published Shalom alekhem, ḥayav veyetsirato (Sholem-Aleichem, his life and work) (Tel Aviv: Devir, 1959), 103 pp. and a collection of N. Sokolov’s Yiddish writings (translated by L. Olitski) with a chapter by Kressel on Sokolov’s writings in Yiddish (Tel Aviv, 1967).  He also compiled: Kitve dov sadan, bibliografiya (The writings of Dov Sadan, a bibliography), part 1 (Tel Aviv: Am oved, 1981), 129 pp.  In book form in Yiddish: Di tsienistishe kongresn (The Zionist Congresses) (Tel Aviv: Heḥaluts, 1948), 65 pp.  He died in Ḥolon, Israel.

Sources: Dov Sadan, Avne gader, al sofrim vesefarim (Stone fence, on writers and books) (Tel Aviv, 1970), pp. 124-34; Y. Tolkes, Besod sofrim vehogim (In the confidence of writers and thinkers) (Tel Aviv, 1976), pp. 103-8.

Ruvn Goldberg

[Additional information from: Berl Kagan, comp., Leksikon fun yidish-shraybers (Biographical dictionary of Yiddish writers) (New York, 1986), col. 493.]