MENAKHEM MORGENSHTERN

MENAKHEM MORGENSHTERN (1889-June 6, 1952)

            He was born in Ostrów-Mazowiecka (Ostrov-Mazovyetsk), Poland, a descendant of the Kotsker Rebber.  Until age eighteen he studied in religious elementary school, yeshiva, and on his own; later, through self-study he acquired secular knowledge.  Over the years 1919-1921, he was active in the party of the right Labor Zionists in Warsaw and supported himself giving Hebrew lessons—later, he emigrated to the United States.  He graduated from the Jewish teachers’ seminary and for many years worked as a teacher at the Jewish National Labor Alliance in New York, while at the same time remaining active in the Labor Zionist Party, in Histadrut actions, and mainly in the “Jewish Vegetarian Society.”  He published poetry, articles, and translations from Hebrew, Russian, Polish, and English in: Di vegetarishe velt (The vegetarian world) in New York (1921-1922); and Der vegetarisher gedank (The vegetarian idea) in Philadelphia (1932) and Los Angeles (1935).  He also contributed to: Fraye arbeter-shtime (Free voice of labor) and Der idisher kemfer (The Jewish fighter), among other serials, in New York.  He edited Dos kol fun dem vegetaryer (Voice of the vegetarian) (New York, 1952), 94 pp., in which he also placed a poem and translations from Hebrew and English.  He also wrote under such pen names as “Mem-Mem.”  He died in New York.

Sources: Der tog (New York) (June 8, 1952); Idisher kemfer (New York) (June 20, 1952); Fraye arbeter-shtime (New York) (July 4, 1952); Dos kol fun dem vegetaryer (Voice of the vegetarian) (New York, 1952), p. 6.

Khayim Leyb Fuks