YANKEV-MATISYAHU KIRSHBOYM

YANKEV-MATISYAHU KIRSHBOYM (b. August 10, 1896)

            A journalist and writer of history, he was born in Lodz.  He studied in religious primary school and yeshiva.  From 1920 he was living in Berlin, and from 1923 until late 1937 in Danzig.  He made his way to the United States in 1938, and in 1963 to Israel.  He began his journalistic career with Lodzer tageblat (Lodz daily newspaper).  He wrote for the Berlin-based weekly Unzer frayhayt (Our freedom), edited by Khayim Arlozorov and Sh. Ravidovitsh, and he edited (1926-1937) the weekly Dantsiger informator (Danzig informer).  He was linked with Forverts (Forward) in New York from 1942 to 1963, and for many years he was also its Danzig correspondent.  In book form: Di geshikhte fun di yidn in dantsig fun yohr 1310 biz tsu der enṭshtehung fun der itstiger frayshtat in 1920 (The history of Jews in Danzig, from 1310 until the origin of the Free State in 1920) (Danzig: G. Kahan, 1924), 89 pp.; Flikhtlinge un heldn, geshikhtlekher iberblik vegn di flikhtlinge in Amerike, 1492-1940 (Refugees and heroes, a historical overview of refugees in America, 1492-1940) (New York, 1954), 160 pp.; Ṿos yidn hobn gegebn amerike, 1654-1954, geshikhtlekher iberblik vegn der aktiṿer yidisher bateylikung in di kamfn far der amerikaner frayhayt un demoḳratye un in dem virtshaftlekhn un gaystik-visnshaftlekhn oyfboy un antviklung fun land (What Jews have given America, 1654-1954, a historical overview of the active Jewish contribution to the struggles for American freedom and democracy and in the economic and spiritual-scientific construction and development of the country) (New York, 1954), 160 pp.; 200 yor amerike-yisroel, historisher iberblik vegn di farbindungen tsvishn beyde lender afn sotsyaln un kultur-gebit in der tsayt fun 1770-1970 (Two hundred years of America-Israel, a historical overview of the ties between the countries in the social and cultural realms over the years 1770-1970) (Tel Aviv: Perets Publ., 1971), 175 pp.  In Hebrew he published: Miyerusholayim ad yerusholayim (From Jerusalem to Jerusalem), chapters in the history of the redemption of the land.

Source: Khayim Leyb Fuks, Lodzh shel mayle, dos yidishe gaystiḳe un derhoybene lodzh, 100 yor yidishe un oykh hebreishe literatur un kultur in lodzh un in di arumiḳe shtet un shtetlekh (Lodz on high, the Jewish spiritual and elevated Lodz, 100 years of Yiddish and also Hebrew literature and culture in Lodz and in the surrounding cities and towns) (Tel Aviv: Perets Publ., 1972), pp. 27, 66. 93.

Ruvn Goldberg