YANKEV RAYKH

YANKEV RAYKH (b. October 31, 1894)

            He was born in Yelsk (Yel’sk), Minsk district.  He worked as a journalist with the Americanized surname of Rich.  His birth name was Yisroel-Yankev Zaritski.  He attended religious elementary school in Petrikov and privately studied Hebrew and Russian.  In 1907 he emigrated to the United States to join his father.  He attended middle school and studied at Harvard College.  He began writing in English and contributed to numerous English-language newspapers, mainly trade union ones.  He published a pamphlet in English concerning Forverts (Forward).  His main work in Yiddish began with his joining the staff of Forverts in 1920.  From 1921 he became a regular contributor and continues down to the present [ca. 1981].  He wrote reportage pieces and on union activities, and for a long period of time he served as news editor.  In later years he wrote general political articles.  His pen names included: Yoysef Rakhlin (only concerning gardening) and rarely Ester Milman.

Sources: Hillel Rogof, Der gayst fun “forverts” (The spirit of the Forverts) (New York, 1954), pp. 165-69; Dovid Shub, in Forverts (New York) (November 20, 1966); Shimen Veber, in Forverts (December 4, 1974); Yeshurin archive, YIVO (New York).

Yekhezkl Lifshits