SHIMSHON (SAMSON) APTER

SHIMSHON (SAMSON) APTER (May 15, 1907-May 21, 1986)

Born in Opatov (Opatow), Kelč region, Poland.  He studied in religious school through high school, and thereafter at a teachers’ course of study in Warsaw.  In 1928 he published a poem in Y. M. Vaysenberg’s Inzer hofenung (Our hope) and a story in Yugnt-frayhayt (Youth freedom).  He emigrated to Canada in 1930.  He published stories and essays in Yidisher zhurnal (Yiddish journal) (Toronto), Proletarisher gedank (Proletarian thoughts), and in the collection Bay undz (With us), among others.  In 1936 he settled in New York.  Among his books: Tsvishn shtet, dertseylungen (Between cities, stories) (Toronto, 1936), 131 pp.; Der bunt un andere dertseylungen (The uprising and other stories) (New York, 1942), 93 pp.; In der roymishe geto, historisher roman fun yidishn lebn in 16tn yorhundert (In the Roman ghetto, a historical novel of Jewish life in the sixteenth century) (New York, 1946), 375 pp., in Hebrew translation [Be-geto roma] (Tel Aviv, 1948), 247 pp.  In 1943 he received the literary prize from IKUF (Jewish Cultural Association) for his work, Der bunt.  In 1956 his novel In a nayer velt (In a new world) (New York, 425 pp.) appeared, concerning the first Jews in America.  Other books include: Di praysingers, roman (The Praysingers, a novel) (New York: Tsiko, 1964), 368 pp. which has also been published in English translation by Joseph Singer as The Preisingers: A Novel (South Brunswick, 1980); Ven di kunstmakher veln kumen un andere dertseylungen (When the magicians arrive and other stories) (New York: Tsiko, 1973), 312 pp.; Di maranen-mishpokhe da silva, historisher roman dun di anusim in brazil un portugal on onheyb 8tn y”h (The Marrano family Da Silva, historical novel of Marranos in Brazil and Portugal at the beginning of the eighth century) (Tel Aviv: Peretz Publ., 1982), 430 pp.  He died in New York.

Sources: Dr. A. Mukdoni, in Morgn-zhurnal (November 18, 1936, August 10, 1947); P. Amster, in Undzer shtime (Paris) (March 14, 1948); M. Kats, in Morgn-frayhayt (January 10 and 19, 1947).