BENYOMEN MESHMAN

BENYOMEN MESHMAN (b. 1891)

            He was born in Shepetovke (Shepetivka), Volhynia district, Ukraine.  He studied in religious elementary school and on his own in synagogue study hall, and he later graduated from a Russian state school.  In 1914 he arrived in the United States, settled in Philadelphia, and worked as a carpenter.  He was active in the community in the National Jewish Workers’ Alliance, with Labor Zionism, and principally in the Alliance school in Philadelphia.  He debuted in print as a writer with poetry in Russian in Voskhod (Sunrise) in St. Petersburg (1906), and he later published poems in Hebrew in Hazman (The times) in Vilna.  In America he contributed to: Tog (Day) in New York; and Di idishe tsaytung (The Jewish newspaper) in Philadelphia; among other serials.  In book form: Far kinder un kindskinder (For children and posterity) (Philadelphia, 1947), 96 pp., with a foreword by the author and an introduction by A. L. Belkovits—it was used in Alliance schools in America.  He was last living in Philadelphia.  In more recent years he had pulled back from work and was full engaged with writing.

Sources: A. L. Belkovits, introduction to Far kinder un kindskinder (Philadelphia, 1947), pp. 5-6; Tsukunft (New York) (July 1947); information from Sh. Davidzon in Philadelphia.

Khayim Leyb Fuks