GERSHON GROSMAN

GERSHON GROSMAN (b. 1887)

            He was born in Lodz, Poland, into a well-to-do Hassidic family.  He studied in religious elementary school, synagogue study hall, and secular subjects with private teachers.  He was one of the first Yiddish journalists in Lodz.  He contributed to the first local newspaper, Di lodzer nakhrikhten (Lodz news), 1907, and from its founding until 1924 of Lodzer tageblat (Lodz daily newspaper), in which he wrote feature pieces and was in charge of the weekly humorous section “Der lamtern” (The lantern).  For a longer period of time, he wrote every Friday a piece on world politics, politics in a humorous and satirical vein.  He contributed as well to: Lodzer lebn (Lodz life) in 1909; Lodzer folksblat (Lodz people’s newspaper) in 1912; Der yudisher zhurnalist (The Jewish journalist) in 1919; and in such humorous publications as Di baytsh (The lash) in 1909 and Peysekh-blat (Passover newspaper) in Warsaw.  He edited the humorous publications in Lodz: Di baytsh (1909), Peysekh-blat (1909), and Yontef gelekhter (Holiday laughter) (1910), among others.  He also wrote under such pen names as: Gershon Khokhem, Gershon, and Der Feter Mendl.  In 1924 he emigrated to Germany and there became involved in business until Hitler came to power in 1933.  His subsequent fate remains unknown.

Sources: A. Kirzhnits, Di yidishe prese in der gevezener rusisher imperye, 1823-1916 (The Yiddish press in the former Russian empire, 1823-1916) (Moscow, 1930); Khayim Leyb Fuks, in Fun noentn over 3 (New York, 1957).