SHLOYME PERL (ALMAZOV)

SHLOYME PERL (ALMAZOV) (March 24, 1889-April 20, 1979)

            He was born in Rovno, Volhynia.  He contributed to the Russian newspaper Yugo-zapadnaia volin (Southwestern Volhynia).  In 1913 he made his way to Canada.  In 1921 he graduated from university in Manitoba, Canada.  He was a teacher of English and for a long time also worked in Jewish radical schools in Canada.  For some time he edited the monthly Hilf (Aid), and he was a correspondent for Forverts (Forward).  He later placed work in Frayhayt (Freedom) and Morgn-frayhayt (Morning freedom) in New York.  He served as secretary of YIKO (Jewish Cultural Organization) and editor of the YIKO journal Naylebn (new life) over the years 1931-1939.  In additional to journalistic work, he also published stories, sketches, impressions, and poetry.  He wrote under a variety of pen names.  Using the name Sh. Almazov, he published in book form: Iber amerike, kontrastn, bagegenishn, mein strit, natur vunder (Across America, contrasts, encounters, main street, natural wonders) (New York: Morgn-frayhayt, 1930), 320 pp.; Vi der sovetn-farband leyzt di problem fun zayne natsyonale minderheytn (How the Soviet Union is solving the problem of its national minorities) (New York, 1932), 15 pp.; Sotsyale farzikherung in amerike, in di andere kapitalistishe lender un in sovetn-farband (Social security in America, in the other capitalist countries, and in the Soviet Union) (New York: International Labor Order, 1932), 96 pp.; Tsen yor birobidzshan, 1928-1938, dokumentn, opshatsung, faktn, tsifern un a landkarte fun der idisher oytonomer gegnt (Ten years of Birobidzhan, 1928-1938, documents, evaluation, facts, figures, and a map of the Jewish Autonomous Region) (New York, 1938), 32 pp.; Der Sovetish-daytsher opmakh, vos meynt er? (The Soviet-German pact: What does it mean?) (New York, 1939), 16 pp.; Der sovetn-farband un der veltkrizis (The Soviet Union and the world crisis) (New York: Ikor, 1939), 15 pp.; Di untererdishe milkhome in eyrope (The underground war in Europe) (New York, 1943), 320 pp.; Mit dem vort zum folk, derfarungen fun a lector (With a word for the people, the experiences of a lecturer) (New York, 1947), 336 pp.  He translated: William Z. Foster, Der bankrot fun der amerikaner arbeter bavegung (The bankruptcy of the American labor movement [original: The Bankruptcy of the American Labor Movement]) (New York, 1924), 108 pp.; and Hewlett Johnson, Sovetnland, a zekstl fun der erd (Soviet terrain, a sixth of the Earth [original: The Socialist Sixth of the World]), preface by N. Buchwald (New York, 1941), 394 pp.  He died in Petaluma, California.

Sources: Zalmen Reyzen, Leksikon, vol. 2; R. Kahir, in Morgn-frayhayt (New York) (May 2, 1932); R. Yuklson, in Morgn-frayhayt (July 4, 1932); P. Novik, in Morgn-frayhayt (December 16, 1934).

Benyomen Elis

[Additional information from: Berl Kagan, comp., Leksikon fun yidish-shraybers (Biographical dictionary of Yiddish writers) (New York, 1986), col. 433.]