ARN MAYZL (MAYZEL, AARON MEISEL)

ARN MAYZL (MAYZEL, AARON MEISEL) (July 8, 1890-July 8, 1936)

            He was born in Berezin (Berezino), Minsk district, Byelorussia.  He attended religious primary school and later a Russian school.  At age twelve he left to go to work, and in 1911 he arrived in the United States.  From 1919 he was teacher in the Workmen’s Circle schools first in New Haven, Connecticut, and later (1927-1935) in the Bronx, New York.  He wrote for: Di naye velt (The new world), Der emes (The truth), Yunyon skver (Union Square), Morgn-frayhayt (Morning freedom), and Der hamer (The hammer)—in which he published tendentious Communist poetry, stories, critical treatments of literature, and two plays: Af naye erd (On new soil) and Huvervil (Hooverville).  In book form: Der vayser ber un andere dertseylungen (The white bear and other stories) (New York, 1927), 189 pp.; Geshikhte fun yidn in di fareynikte shtatn fun amerike (History of the Jews in the United States of America) (New York, 1929), 229 pp.; with B. Fridman, Di arbeter shul, lernbukh far ershtn yor (The workers’ school, a textbook for the first year) (New York, 1934), 158 pp.; Tom muni, der gefangener in san-kventin ṭurme (Tom Mooney, the prisoner in San Quentin prison) (New York, 1935?), 16 pp.; Di mali megvayers (The Molly McGuires) (New York, 1936?), 30 pp.  After his death, there was published his Geklibene dertseylungen (Selected stories), compiled by M. Blekhman (New York, 1939), 312 pp., and Dertseylungen (Stories) (New York, 1953), 232 pp.  His stories and poetry were also published in Yidishe kultur (Jewish culture) and other periodicals, as well as in the anthology Amerike in yidishn vort (America in the Yiddish word) (New York, 1955).  He died in New York.

Sources: M. Olgin, in Morgn-frayhayt (New York) (March 2, 1931); Olgin, in Der hamer (New York) (March-April 1931); D. Farba, in Morgn-faryhayt (April 16, 1935); A. Pomerants, Proletpen (Proletarian pen) (Kiev, 1935), pp. 58, 218; M. Kats, in Morgn-frayhayt (July 11, 1954); Y. A. Rontsh, in Geklibene shriftn (Selected writings) (New York, 1960).

Benyomen Elis