LEYZER (ELIEZER) PINES

LEYZER (ELIEZER) PINES (November 10, 1886-December 30, 1984)

            He was born in Shklov (Szkłów), Byelorussia.  He studied in the Mir yeshiva and as an external student passed the examinations for high school.  In 1908 he received a teacher’s degree.  Over the years 1919-1921, he attended the pedagogical institute in Warsaw.  For many years he worked as a teacher in Jewish schools and earned great merit for work with the secular Jewish school curriculum as a leader and as a speaker.  In 1902 he was active in the Jewish labor movement, initially in the Bund and later with the Zionist Territorialist workers’ party and the Fareynikte (United socialist parties).  Together with H. D. Nomberg, in 1921 he traveled around on assignment for the Jewish emigration association of Poland through the Jewish colonies in Argentina and directed undertakings with the Argentinian government and with YIKO (Jewish Cultural Organization) concerned with settling homeless Jews from Ukraine (who were at the time in Poland) on the land.  He published his first correspondence pieces in the Russian press, later publishing children’s stories in Hashaḥar (The dawn), in the children’s magazine Ben-shaḥar (Son of dawn), and elsewhere.  From 1905 he was placing work in the Territorialist-Fareynikte press in Russia and Poland.  He also wrote for: Der veg (The way), Unzer veg (Our way), and Unzer shtime (Our voice) in Warsaw; and Arbeter tsaytung (Workers’ newspaper) in Częstochowa; among others.  He published articles, essays, and book reviews in: Yudishe tsaytung (Jewish newspaper) in Buenos Aires; and Letste nayes (Latest news) in Tel Aviv.  From 1952 he was co-editor of Di goldene keyt (The golden chain) in Tel Aviv.  Over the years 1943-1948, he edited Folklor (Folklore) in London.  When the Nazis occupied Poland, he fled to Vilna, and from there he traveled to Japan and Shanghai.  He spent 1942-1948 in London and from 1949 he was living in the state of Israel.  He died in Tel Aviv.

Sources: Meylekh Ravitsh, Mayn leksikon (My lexicon), vol. 3 (Montreal, 1958), p. 320; Y. Varshavski (Bashevis), in Forverts (New York) (June 5, 1965).

Khayim Leyb Fuks