SHIYE RIVIN

SHIYE RIVIN (October 8, 1884-late January 1981)

            He was a poet, born in Kiev.  In 1898 he emigrated to the United States.  He moved from a sweatshop to a major business in Cleveland.  He began writing poetry in Russian, later in Yiddish.  He published his poems in: Keneder odler (Canadian eagle) in Montreal, Ilustrirte literarishe bleter (Illustrated literary leaves) in Buenos Aires, Fraye arbeter shtime (Free voice of labor), Oyfsnay (Afresh), Zayn (To be), and Dorem-afrike (South Africa).  In book form: Mayn tatns brokhe, lider (My father’s blessing, poems) (New York, 1961), 128 pp.; Regnboygn fun gezang, gezamlte lider (Rainbow of verse, collected poetry) (Tel Aviv: Hamenorah, 1972), 170 pp.  He also translated numerous poems from Russian and English.  He died in Cleveland.

Sources: Nokhum Sumer, in Yidishe kultur (New York) 2 (1977); Elvi (Z. Levi), in Dorem-afrike (Johannesburg) (March-April 1978); Yeshurin archive, YIVO (New York).

Berl Cohen