ZELIK (ZALMAN, MORDEKHAI) BALABAN (June 11, 1883-June 3,
1949)
Born in Dzigovke (Dzyhivka), a small town
in the Yampol circuit, Podolia region.
By chance he happened to meet the Hebrew poet Yehuda-Leyb Levin who
encouraged him to write. He subsequently
published poems, stories, and tales for children in Ha-ginah (The
garden), Ha-perachim (The flowers), and Ha-shachar (The
dawn). In 1913 he moved to the United
States where he contributed to Ha-doar (The mail), Ha-doar le-noar
(The mail for children), Yehudah ha-tsair (The young Jew), and in Ts.
Sharfshteyn’s Shacharut (Prime of life).
Under the influence of the Yiddish journalist L. Y. Prenovits, he began
to write in Yiddish. He published poems,
stories, and legends in Forverts (Forward), Tog (Day), Fraye
arbeter shtime (Free voice of labor), Miler’s Vokhnshrift (Weekly
writings), Dos yidishe folk (The Jewish people), Yidisher kemfer
(Jewish fighter), and Dos folk (The people) in Canada; he also contributed
to Yidishe velt (Jewish world) in Philadelphia from 1914 until 1940, the
year this newspaper ceased publication.
He died in Philadelphia on the first day of Shavuot in 1949. A short time prior to his death, the first
volume of his stories was published there: Mini kedem (From days of yore).
Source:
Y. Tsuzmer, “Z. Balaban,” in Ha-doar (New York), p. ל
(1949).
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