SHMUEL GRINTSVAYG

SHMUEL GRINTSVAYG (1868-ca. 1917)

            He was born in Lublin.  He received a Jewish education.  He was a well-known personality among the ordinary Lublin Jewish populace.  He was called by the nickname “Shmuel Royfe” (“Dr.” Shmuel).  His shop was in the overcrowded Jewish area of the city.  There, between customers, he composed his numerous folksongs that were sung in Lublin and other Jewish cities in Poland.  A small number of his creations are included in the collection Elf yudishe natsyonale lider (Eleven ethnic Jewish songs), which he published in Lublin in 1904, 55 pp.  These songs included “notation for singing with piano accompaniment.”  Some of the titles of the songs run as follows: “Der simkhes-toyre fon” (The banner of Simchat Torah); “Al nehares bovl oder di heylige shvue” (By the rivers of Babylon or the solemn oath); “Tsur yisroel oder akt mit yisroel” (The Rock of Israel or the scandal of Israel); “Nafle ateres rosheynu oder der yudisher nisref” (The crown of our head has fallen [died] or the Jewish house burned down); “Dos pintele yud” (The quintessential Jew); “Yisroelik ligt in shpitol” (Yisroelik lies in the hospital).  He left in manuscript a number of his works which were subsequently lost.  He died in Lublin.

Source: Oral biographical information from Yankev Glatshteyn.