MENDL KREYTSER

MENDL KREYTSER (1900-1959)

            He was a poet and author of stories, born in Sosnovits (Sosnowiec).  In his youth he came to Canada.  He was active among the left Labor Zionists.  He served as the director of Toronto’s HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society).  From 1951 he was living in Israel.  In 1919 he debuted in print with poems and stories in Der idisher zhurnal (The Jewish journal) in Toronto.  He contributed to the anthology Kanade (Canada) (Toronto, 1919), and to the journals: Nyuansn (Nuances) (1921), Der kval (The source), Royerd (Virgin soil), and Epokhe (Epoch), among others.  His poetry and stories may be found in: Baginen, lider-zamlung (Dawn, a poetry collection) (Toronto: Oyfgang, 1928), 98 pp.; and Dertseylungen (Stories) (Toronto: Oyfgang, 1929), 32 pp.  “In all [of his poems],” wrote Kh.-M. Kayzerman, “there is the beginning of a poetic tone, but only really a beginning.”  He died in Israel.

Source: Khanaye-Meyer Kayzerman, Yidishe dikhter in kanade (Yiddish poets in Canada) (Montreal, 1934), p. 200.

Khayim Leyb Fuks