H. (HYMAN) ERLIKH

H. (HYMAN) ERLIKH (May 15, 1888-June 19, 1981)

            He was born in Dankere (Dankeri), Latvia, to a father who was a cobbler.  He received a traditional education in religious elementary school.  For political reasons, he immigrated to South Africa in 1906 and settled in Johannesburg.  He was a cofounder of the local Yiddish literary association.  He contributed humorous sketches, monologues, and feature pieces to Johannesburg publications: Dos naye vort (The new word), Dorem-afrike (South Africa), and Afrikaner yidishe tsaytung (African Jewish newspaper) for which he was a regular writer.  His book-length works include: Ot azoy, humoreskes, stsenkes, monologn (That’s the way, humorous sketches, stage scenes, monologues) (Johannesburg: Kayor, 1950), 95 pp.; Dankere, ṭipn un epizodn fun a shtetl in letland mit 60 yor tsurik (Dankeri, types and episodes from a town in Latvia sixty years ago) (Johannesburg: Kayor, 1956), 64 pp.; Vaksn, vaksn blimelekh, kinder-lider (Little flowers growing, children’s songs) (Johannesburg: Kayor, 1964), 46 pp.; Shtile vegn (Quiet roads) (Johannesburg, 1979), 97 pp.  He also published under the pen name: E. Blum.  He died in Johannesburg.

Benyomen Elis

[Additional information from: Berl Kagan, comp., Leksikon fun yidish-shraybers (Biographical dictionary of Yiddish writers) (New York, 1986), col. 420.]