MENAKHEM SHTERN (MANACHEM STERN)

MENAKHEM SHTERN (MANACHEM STERN) (b. March 10, 1916)

            He was a poet, born with the original surname of Morgnshtern in Shedlets (Siedlce), Poland.  He attended religious elementary schools and studied secular subject matter in mandatory school, and later he attended Poznanski’s Teachers’ Seminary in Warsaw.  He was active in “Haḥaluts” (The pioneer).  In 1938 he made his way to Cuba and in 1940 to the United States where he worked as a teacher in New York Jewish schools.  He debuted in print in 1938 with stories in Havaner lebn (Havana life).  He went on to contribute poems and stories to: Getseltn (Tents), Fraye arbeyter shtime (Free voice of labor), Tsukunft (Future), Idisher kemfer (Jewish fighter), Oyfsnay (Afresh), Kinder-zhurnal (Children’s magazine), and Kinder-tsaytung (Children’s newspaper), as well as in Hebrew and English-language Jewish publications.  In book form: Lider fun khtsos (Poems at midnight) (New York, 1971), 64 pp.  From 1977 he was publishing articles, stories, and poetry in: Algemeyner zhurnal (General journal) in New York.  He also placed work in: Olam ḥadash (New world), Lamishpaḥa (For the family), and Hadoar lanoar (The mail boy); World Over, American Zionist, Jewish Frontier, and Jewish Spectator—in New York.  His work also appeared in: Berish Vaynshteyn’s Opklayb (Selection) (New York, 1976); and the anthology Leket min hasifrut haivrit baamerika (Selection of Hebrew literature in America) (New York, 1972).  He also published a volume of Bible stories in English: The Sun and the Clouds: Bible Tales and Legends (New York: Ktav, 1971), 141 pp.

Sources: Yisroel Emyot, in Forverts (New York) (November 14, 1971); Ber Grin, in Morgn frayhayt (New York) (June 18, 1972); Tsvi Shtok, in Idisher kemfer (new York (June 23, 1972).

Berl Cohen

[Additional information from: Berl Kagan, comp., Leksikon fun yidish-shraybers (Biographical dictionary of Yiddish writers) (New York, 1986), col. 555.]