AVROM-ABE RUBENTSHIK

AVROM-ABE RUBENTSHIK (1868-1944)

            He was born in Minsk and studied in yeshiva, later turning to self-education.  In 1893 he passed the examinations to be a school teacher and for several years taught in a private Jewish school in Ekaterinoslav.  For two years he studied in the philosophy department in Berlin.  He was the principal theoretician of the first labor Zionist groups, later switching to territorialism, and later still withdrawing completely from party activities.  In 1914 he made his way to the United States.  He wrote political articles for: Dos naye leben (The new life) in Vilna (one issue appeared), and the weekly Di yudishe virklikhkeyt (The Jewish reality) in Vilna (1907).  Under his editorship and as principal author, he brought out in Vilna the pamphlets: Der yudishe virkungskrayz un di politik (The Jewish influential circle and politics); Der forberaytender tsuzamenfohr fun poyle-tsien (The preparatory meeting of Labor Zionists); Der obyektiver historisher protses un der teritoryalizm (The objective historical process and territorialism).  He also translated two volumes of Dor dor vedorshav (Each generation and its scholars) by Isaac Hirsch Weiss (Ayzik Hirsh Vays) under the title Di grinder un boyer fun yudentum (The founders and builders of Judaism) (New York: Idish, 1920).  He subsequently moved away from community and literary work.

Sources: Zalmen Reyzen, Leksikon, vol. 4; Minsk, ir veem (Tel Aviv) 1 (1974/1975), see index.

Berl Cohen