SHMUEL GORDON (November 25, 1909-1998)
He was born in Kovno. According to another story, he was born in Poltava,
Ukraine. He was a relative of
Yehuda-Leyb Gordon. He was raised in
Soviet children’s homes, later becoming a laborer. He was a member of the Communist Youth
Association. He graduated from the
literature section of the Jewish division of the second Moscow State
University. For sending letters and
poems to Literarishe bleter (Literary leaves) in Warsaw, he was barred
from Komyug ([Jewish] Communist Youth).
He started with poems and later became one of the most significant,
younger Soviet prose writers. For a time
he lived in Birobidzhan. He served as
editor of the section “Literature of the Peoples of the Soviet Union” for
volume 11 of the Great Soviet Encyclopedia (Moscow, 1939). Among his books: Tsvishn azover un
shvartsn (Between the Azov and the Black [Seas]), stories (Moscow, 1934),
128 pp.; Patryotn (Patriots), concerning Birobidzhan (Kiev, 1936), 118
pp.; Birebidzhaner kinder (Birobidzhan children) (Moscow, 1937), 27 pp.;
Milkhome-tsayt (Wartime) (Moscow, 1946), 176 pp.; Birebidzhaner
toyshvim (Birobidzhan settlers), travel images (Moscow, 1947), 158 pp.; In veg (On the road) (Moscow, 1957); Friling: roman, dertseylungen, rayze-bilder
(Spring: novel, stories, travel images) (Moscow: Sovetski pisatel, 1970), 526
pp.; Aheym (Homeword) (Moscow: Sovetski
pisatel, 1973); Bam vayngortn (At the
vineyard) (Moscow: Sovetski pisatel, 1976); Di
eybike mos, roman dertseylungen (The eternal measurement, novel, stories) (Moscow:
Sovetski pisatel, 1979), 548 pp.; A
khasene in krizhopol (A wedding in Krizhopol’) (Moscow: Sovetski pisatel,
1980), 62 pp. He published a series of
travel narratives under the titles: “Iber yidishe yishuvim in krim” (Through
the Jewish settlements in Crimea) in Eynikeyt
(Unity) in Moscow (1946-1947); and “Shtetlekh” (Towns) in Sovetish heymland (Soviet homeland) (1966-1969). His work was also included in: Tsum zig
(Toward victory) (Moscow, 1944); and Birebidzhan
(Birobidzhan) (Moscow, 1936). In 1956 when a number of Yiddish writers
returned from deportation, he was living in Moscow.
Sources:
Literarishe bleter (Warsaw), no. 52 (1928) and nos. 11, 14, and 16
(1929); N. Mayzil, Literarishe bleter (October 23, 1931); Y. Dobrushin,
in Emes (Moscow) 72 (1935); A. Kushnirov, in Naye prese (Paris)
(July 27, 1945); N. Notovitsh, in Eynikeyt (Moscow) (March 22, 1947); Y.
Yonasovitsh, in Naye tsayt (Buenos Aires) (October 22, 1953); Lo emut
ki eḥye
(I shall not die but go on living) (Tel Aviv, 1956).
Aleksander Pomerants
[Additional
information from: Berl Kagan, comp., Leksikon
fun yidish-shraybers (Biographical dictionary of Yiddish writers) (New
York, 1986), cols. 146-47.]
G. Estraikh, “Shmuel Gordon”, in J. אין
ReplyDeleteSherman and R. Robertson, The Yiddish
¨Presence in European Literature, 2005
Æ אָקספֿאָרד
יזכור", ירושלים 2003"
ReplyDeleteOne more work of Shmuel Gordon. Information is taken from Khayim Beyder and Gennady Estraikh. Leksikon fun Yidishe shrayber in Ratn-farband = Biographical Dictionary of Yiddish Writers in the Soviet Union. New York: Aroysg. fun Alveltlekhn Yidishn kultur-kongres, 2011.
: לײד און פרײד
ReplyDeleteראמאן, דערצײלונגען און נאװעלעס /שמועל גארדאן; קינסטלער - ד. שימיליס
מאסקװע: סאװעטסקי פיסאטעל, 1989