HIRSH LION D’OR

HIRSH LION D’OR

            The son of Levin Avrom Lion D’or, he was the author of Brif-lehre, oder nayer briefenshteller (Letter lesson, or a new manual of letter writing), “including all handwritten letters, ethics, business letters, and computations by Hirsh Liondor” (second edition) (Vilna, 1856).  He also wrote Geshprekh, frantseyz idesh-daytsh (Conversation, French-Judeo-German), “recently compiled and brought out by Hirsh Ben-Leyb Liondor” (Vilna, 1936), 29 pp.  There is an introduction in this booklet by his father, “Levin Avrom Liondor,” and a textbook for the French language: Nouvelle méthode à la language française pour les Israélites de H. Lion d’or (New method [to learn] the French language for Jews, by H. Lion d’or), which also carried the Yiddish title, Naye metode der frantseyzeshe shprakhe (New method for the French language) by “Hersh Lion D’or” (Vilna: Yoysef-Ruvn Rom, 1859), 54 pp.  In the YIVO library in New York, there is a copy of Eyn naye brifen shteller (A new letter-writing manual), published in handwritten calligraphy (Vilna: Sh.-Y. Fin, A.-Ts. Rozenkrants, M.-M. Shriftzetser, 1875), 144 pp., “which is comprised of numerous letters concerning various essential matters, written with great diligence, with great feeling, in the best style, also with beautiful anecdotes and fables in these letters, with the very best morals, wonderful to write out and to read, selected for both sexes (male and female).  Also (Hebrew and Aramaic) words which one needs to speak alphabetically.  Also (abbreviations) which are needed in writing in the most beautiful manner.”

Sources: Zalmen Reyzen, Leksikon, vol. 1, under the biography of his father; P. Kon, in Filologishe shriftn (Vilna: YIVO) 1 (1926); Kon, Dos ershte poylish-yidish verterbukh un zayn mekhaber leven liond’or (The first Polish-Yiddish dictionary and its author Levin Lion D’or) (Vilna, 1926); Sh. Bastomski, Di naye shul (The new school) (Warsaw, 1931); Kh. Sh. Kazdan, Fun kheyder un shkoles biz tsisho (From religious and secular primary schools to Tsisho) (Mexico City, 1956), pp. 80-85.

Zaynvl Diamant

[Additional information from: Berl Kagan, comp., Leksikon fun yidish-shraybers (Biographical dictionary of Yiddish writers) (New York, 1986), col. 328.]