AVIGDOR-BEYREKH RUF

AVIGDOR-BEYREKH RUF

            A follower of the Jewish Enlightenment from Warsaw, he was active on the literary scene in the 1850s and 1860s.  He published his own and adapted others’ stories: Historye fon algirden, a fishers zohn mit dem vunderbaren ring (Story of Algirden, a fisherman’s son and the wonderful ring) (Warsaw, 1857), a fantasy tale written in folkish style.  The motifs were taken from 1001 Nights and other sources.  He also wrote Adelye roze mit dem kleynem glik (Adelie-Roza with a bit of joy) (Warsaw, 1859-1860?), 48 pp.  And he translated: the novel Rinaldo rinaldini, beshraybung fun der shreklekhen italyenishen rayber (Rinaldo Rinaldini, a description of the fearful Italian bandit) (Warsaw: Nosn Shriftgiser, 1865-1866), 428 pp.; Der beynazmanim oder beyn regl leregl (Between times or from moment to moment) (Warsaw, 1866), 28 pp., second printing (1873), from an original social story of Hassidic life in Warsaw; Der shiker oder di makhloyke tsvishn r’ trinkman un dem shnaps (The drunkard or the quarrel between Reb Drinker and the liquor) (Warsaw, 1867), second printing (1871), a rhymed, witty dialogue.  It may be that Ruf was a wedding entertainer.

Sources: Nokhum Oyslender, in Biblyographisher zamlbukh (Kharkov) 1 (1930), pp. 172-80; Shmuel Niger, Dertseylers un romanistn (Storytellers and novelists), vol. 1 (New York: Tsiko, 1946), pp. 28-29; Yankev Shatski, Geshikhte fun yidn in varshe (History of Jews in Warsaw), vol.3 (New York, 1953), p. 265; Yisroel Tsinberg, Di geshikhte fun literatur bay yidn (The history of Jewish literature), vol. 9 (New York, 1966), pp. 110-13.

Yekhezkl Lifshits