AVROM-MOYSHE DILON (ABRAHAM MOSES DILLON)

AVROM-MOYSHE DILON (ABRAHAM MOSES DILLON) (July 1883-October 3, 1934)

            His former family name was Zhuravitski.  He was born in Zhetel (Zdzięcioł), near Grodno, into an elite family.  He studied with private teachers in Borki, an estate that belonged to his grandfather on his mother’s side, and later in Biten (Byten) and Slonim.  In 1904 he emigrated with his parents and family to the United States, where his father changed the surname to Dilon (Dillon), his wife’s maiden name.  He began writing poetry at an early age.  In 1910 he published for the first time, poems in the second anthology of Literatur (New York).  He subsequently published in: Dos naye lebn (The new life), Shriftn (Writings), Der onheyb (The beginning) in New York, and in Renesans (Renaissance) in London.  He was a follower of the group “Yunge” (Young).  The last seven or eight years of his life—highly productive years—he published primarily in Tsukunft (Future) in New York.  Among his books: Gele bleter (Yellow leaves), a poetry collection, with ornately drawn letters and adorned with illustrations by Z. Maud (New York, 1919), 32 pp.; Di lider (The poems), published by his friends (New York, 1935), 127 pp.  He died in New York.  “The driving force in his life,” wrote Y. Kisin, “was dark, but he always found for it a sheer expression in verse.  He did not write much, but the source within him of poetry always brought forth new poetic lines and stanzas.”

Sources: D. Ignatov, in Tsukunft (New York) (December 1944); M. Yafe, in Letste nayes (Tel Aviv) (January 1, 1954); Dr. M. Mukdoni, in Morgn-zhurnal (New York) (May 8 and 22, 1935); Shmuel Niger, in Tsukunft (August 1933); Niger, in Tog (New York) (October 28, 1934); Y. Kisin, in Tsukunft (November 1934); Kisin, Lid un esey bukh (Poem and essay book) (New York, 1954), pp. 217-22; M. Ravitsh, in Vokhnshrift (Warsaw) (October 18, 1934); Y. Rolnik, Mayne zikhroynes (My memoirs) (New York, 1954), p. 163; L. Shapiro, in Studyo 2 (1934); Sh. Meltser, in Al naharot (By the rivers) (Jerusalem, 1955), p. 430; Sh. Slutski, Avrom reyzen biblyografye (Avrom Reyzen’s bibliography) (New York, 1956), no. 4839; Ignatov, Opgerisene bleter (Torn off leaves) (Buenos Aires, 1957), pp. 25-32.