YITSKHOK-ZELIK RAYZMAN (SIDNEY I. RAIZMAN)

YITSKHOK-ZELIK RAYZMAN (SIDNEY I. RAIZMAN) (July 15, 1901-August 1, 1976)

            He was born in Sokolov-Podlask (Sokolów-Podlaski), Poland.  He attended religious elementary school and yeshiva.  In 1925 he emigrated to Argentina and later to Brazil.  From 1946 he was a teacher in Detroit.  In 1967 he settled in Tsfat (Safed).  He debuted in print with a story in Yidishe arbeter yugnt (Jewish working youth) in Warsaw.  He published stories, historical essays, and translations in: Far groys un kleyn (For big and small), Di pen (The pen), Di prese (The press), and Der shpigl (The mirror) in Buenos Aires; Yidishes tageblat (Jewish daily newspaper) and Tsukunft (Future) in New York; Kiem (Existence) in Paris; and in Israeli publications as well.  He edited: Dos naye vort (The new word) in Porto Alegre (six issues, 1927); San-pauler yidisher tsaytung (São Paolo Jewish newspaper); and co-edited Brazilyaner idishe prese (Brazilian Jewish press).  In book form: Idish, ilustrirter hantbukh, ersht bukh (Yiddish, illustrated handbook, vol. 1) (São Paolo: Bukh-prese, 1934), 70 pp.; Geshikhte fun idn in brazil (History of Jews in Brazil) (São Paolo, 1935), 114 pp., Portuguese edition, História dos Israelitas no Brasil; desde o descobrimento até o fim do domínio hollandez (History of the Jews in Brazil, from the discovery to the end of the Dutch dominion (São Paolo: Bukh-prese, 1937), 102 pp.; Lebns in shturem, roman (Lives in turmoil, a novel), a novel of Jewish life in Brazil (Tel Aviv: Measef Yisrael, 1965), 238 pp.; A fertl yorhunderṭ yidishe prese in brazil, 1915-1940 (A quarter of a century of the Yiddish press in Brazil, 1915-1940) (Tsfat: Muzeon leomanut hadefus, 1968), 224 pp.; Yidishe sheferishkayt in lender fun portugalishn loshn, portugal un brazil (Jewish creativity in lands of the Portuguese language, Portugal and Brazil) (Tsfat: Muzeon leomanut hadefus, 1975), 395 pp.  His pen names in journalism: Y. Zelikman, Sokolovski, and Ayarman.  He died in Tsfat.

Rayzman’s wife, BELA RAYZMAN, published stories and sketches in: Keneder odler (Canadian eagle) in Montreal, Tsukunft and Idisher kemfer (Jewish fighter) in New York), and in Israeli periodicals.

Sources: Zalmen Reyzen, Leksikon, vol. 4; Shmuel Niger, in Tog (New York) (October 23, 1935); Yerusholaimer almanakh (Jerusalem) 4 (1975); Yeshurin archive, YIVO (New York)

Ruvn Goldberg