NEKHEMYE KLEYN

NEKHEMYE KLEYN (October 1, 1892-August 11, 1956)

            He was a poet, born in Zhidik (Židikai), Lithuania.  He studied in religious elementary school until his bar mitzvah.  In 1906 he came to the United States.  He graduated from the Jewish teachers’ seminary and worked at Workmen’s Circle schools.  He also worked for a time in tailoring.  He debuted in print with a poem in Inzikh (Introspective).  For about ten years he wrote nothing.  From 1934 he contributed work to: Tsukunft (Future), Idisher kemfer (Jewish fighter), Oyfkum (Arise), Nyu-yorker vokhnblat (New York weekly newspaper), Yidishe shriftn (Jewish writings), Gerekhtikeyt (Justice), Fraye arbeter shtime (Free voice of labor), Morgn zhurnal (Morning journal), Tog (Day), Di feder (The pen), Eygns (One’s own) in Bayonne, Getseltn (Tents), and Kinder-zhurnal (Children’s magazine).  He poetry also appeared in Moyshe Shtarkmen’s Hamshekh-antologye (Hamshekh anthology) (New York, 1945) and Nakhmen Mayzil’s Amerike in yidishn vort (America in the Yiddish word) (New York, 1955).  He died in New York.

Sources: Hamshekh-antologye (Hamshekh anthology) (New York, 1945); Yeshurin archive, YIVO (New York); Kh. Finkelshteyn, Haynt, a tsaytung bay yidn, 1908-1939 (Haynt [Today], a newspaper for Jews, 1908-1939) (Tel Aviv, 1978), p. 182.

Berl Cohen