MEIR ARONSKI

MEIR ARONSKI (1898*-1944)

     He was born in Ovruch, Ukraine.  For many years he was a teacher in Soviet Jewish schools.  He died on the front during WWII.  He wrote novels, stories, and reportage pieces on Soviet Jewish life.  Subject matter for children occupied a special place in his work.  Among his writings: Nina un mayortshik (Nina and Mayortshik) (Kharkov, 1930), 298 pp.; Di fabrik ruft (The factory calls) (Moscow, 1931), 20 pp.; In gli (Glowing) (Kharkov, 1932), 217 pp.; Komune b. n. l., roman in dray teyln (Commune B.N.L., a novel in three parts), (Kharkov, 1932), 279 pp.; In vokhedikn kamf, tipn un siluetn (A weekly struggle, personages and silhouettes), (Kharkov-Kiev, 1932), 43 pp.; Af shtolene shlyakhn, rayze-fartseykhenungen (On steel roads, travelogues) (Kharkov, 1932), 70 pp.; Gebut (Prayer), first book (Kharkov-Kiev, 1934), 210 pp.; Ershte (First), a novel (Kharkov, 1934), 285 pp.; Iber baryern (Over barriers), a novel (Kharkov-Kiev, 1934), 219 pp.; In eynem a zumer-tog (Together on a summer day), children’s stories (Kharkov, 1935); Shpil-afderemesn (A play, for real) (Kiev-Kharkov, 1935); Di ershte rayze (The first trip), stories for children (Kharkov, 1938); A vinter-tog in yishev lenino (A winter day in the Lenino settlement) (Kiev, 1938), 36 pp.; Bam kurgan (With the Kurgan brigade) (Khakov, 1939), 54 pp.; Landslayt (Countrymen) (Kharkov, 1939), 31 pp.; Kombl un zayne fraynt (Kombl and his friends) (Kiev, 1939), 383 pp.; Dertseylungen un noveln (Stories and novellas) (Kharkov, 1940), 174 pp.; and a translation of Boris Lavrenev, Sorok pervyi (Y. Der eyn un fertsikster = The forty-first) (Warsaw, 1928), 85 pp.  He also contributed to Almanakh fun yidishe sovetishe shrayber (Handbook of Soviet Jewish writers).  He was represented in Komsomolye (Communist Youth) (Kiev, 1938).

Sources: Declaration of the Association of Revolutionary Yiddish Writers of Ukraine, Royte velt (Kharkov) (May-June 1927); Shmuel Niger, “In der sovetish-yidisher literatur” (In Soviet Yiddish literature), Tsukunft (New York) (February 1930); Shmuel Zhukovski, in Prolit (October-November 1930); Shmuel Zhukovski, Pruvn (Endeavors) (Kharkov, 1934), p. 101; D. Rumanove, in Kritish-biblyografisher byuletin 2 (Minsk) (1933); H. Bloshteyn, in Shtern 55 (Kharkov) (1933); Kh. Dunets, in Oktyabr 102 (Minsk) (1934); M. A., letter to the editor, in Shtern 109 (Kharkov) (1939); Sh. Hirsh (Sh. Karovski), in Farmest 12 (Kharkov) (1934); A. Kozak, in Proletarishe fon 158 (Kiev) (1935); Y. Rabinovitsh, Zay greyt 5 (Kharkov) (1936); Eynikeyt (Moscow) (April 15, 1943); Eynikeyt (Moscow) (May 17, 1945); A. Kushnirov, in Naye prese (Paris) (July 27, 1945); to the eternal memory of the murdered writers, Eynikeyt (Moscow) (November 16, 1946); Dovid Sfard, Shrayber un bikher (Writers and books) (Lodz, 1949), p. 47.

*According to another source, he was born in Dvinsk in 1897.  The Sovetish Heymland biographical dictionary give “Moyshe” as his first name.