YITSKHOK-ARN BERGER (A. BERGER)

YITSKHOK-ARN BERGER (A. BERGER) (July 30, 1889-July 16, 1979)

He was born in Birzh (Biržai), Lithuania.  He emigrated to the United States with his family in 1902.  In Boston he studied general subjects.  From 1911 he was living in New York.  His first piece of writing was a poem published in Tsaytgayst (Spirit of the times) in New York.  He later published poems in Folk (Folk), Naye velt (New world), Idisher kemfer (Jewish fighter), and Tsukunft (Future), among other venues.  He took a stance close to the “Yunge” (Young) group and contributed to Literatur un lebn (Literature and life), Indzl (Island), and Shriftn (Writings).  Among his books: Haynt vi amol (Today like the past) (New York, 1936), 63 pp.; In sof fun teg, a zamlung lider (At the end of days, a poetry collection) (New York, 1965), 157 pp.  His work also appeared in: M. Basin, Antologye, 500 yor yidishe poezye (Anthology, 500 years of Yiddish poetry) (New York, 1917); and Z. Landoy (Zishe Landau), comp., Antologye, di idishe dikhtung in amerike biz yor 1919 (Anthology, Yiddish poetry in America until 1919) (New York, 1919).  He died in New York.

Sources: Zalmen Reyzen, Leksikon, vol. 1; A. Leyeles, in Inzikh (New York, 1937); N. B. Minkov, in Tsukunft (New York, 1938 and 1940); Dr. A. Mukdoni. in Morgn-zhurnal (1936); Shmuel Niger, in Tog (1937).

[Additional information from: Berl Kagan, comp., Leksikon fun yidish-shraybers (Biographical dictionary of Yiddish writers) (New York, 1986), col. 104]