SHIYE BLOKH (JOSHUA BLOCH)

SHIYE BLOKH (JOSHUA BLOCH) (December 10, 1890-September 26, 1957)

     He was born in Dobryan, Lithuania.  From 1907 he was living in the United States.  He studied in Hebrew Union College, Dropsie College, the Jewish Theological Seminary, Columbia University, and the University of Cincinnati.  From 1923, Dr. Shiye Blokh was the head of the Jewish Division the New York Public Library.  He contributed to a number of academic and Jewish religious institutions.  He began publishing in Yiddish on literary topics in 1910 in Yidish folk (Jewish people) in New York; later, he published with Varhayt (Truth) in 1916 and Morgn-zhurnal (Morning journal) in 1915-1916, both in New York; Idishe velt (Jewish world) in Philadelphia; Idisher ekspres (Jewish express) in London; Idishe shtime (Jewish voice) in Cincinnati; Yidishe kultur (Jewish culture) and Yivo-bleter (Pages from YIVO) in New York.  In Arkhiv fun der geshikhte fun yidishn teater un drame (Archive of the history of Yiddish theater and drama) (Vilna-New York, 1930), pp. 298-301, he published the text of Goldfaden’s Hebrew-language drama, David bemilḥama (David at war); and in Pinkes (Records) (New York, 1927-1928), vol. 1, he published an unknown letter by Moses Mendelssohn.  In Hebrew he published in Hazman (The times) in Vilna, and Hayom (Today) and Hadoar (The mail), both in New York.  He was also the author of books on Jewish themes in English.  He died in New York.

Sources: The Universal Jewish Encyclopedia (New York, 1944), vol. 2, p. 401; Who Is Who in World Jewry (New York, 1952.