YANKEV (JAKUB) BERMAN

YANKEV (JAKUB) BERMAN (December 26, 1901-April 10, 1984)

He was born in Warsaw into a well-to-do household, the brother of Dr. Adolf Berman.  He graduated from a Polish high school and studied at Warsaw University.  For many years he worked with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in Poland.  During WWII, he escaped to Soviet Russia.  After returning, he became one of the leaders of Poland.  He was a member of the Politburo of the Polish Communist Party as well as Vice-Premier of Poland.  He served on the editorial board (together with Rafael Mahler and Emanuel Ringelblum) of the journal Yunge historiker (Young historians): writings from a seminar in Jewish history at the Jewish Academic Home in Warsaw (Warsaw, 1926).  In it he published “Di oyfgabn fun der historisher sektsye fun yivo” (The publications of the historical section of YIVO) and “Materyaln tsu der geshikhte fun rekhtlekhn matsev fun di yidn in sof 18tn y״h” (Materials for the history of the legal situation of Jews at the end of the eighteenth century).