KHAYIM SHVARTS (CHAIM SCHWARTZ)

KHAYIM SHVARTS (CHAIM SCHWARTZ) (December 25, 1903-1994)

            He was a poet, born in Berezin (Byerazino), Byelorussia.  He attended religious elementary school and yeshiva.  He was an upholsterer by profession.  In 1922 he settled in St. Louis, Missouri, later in New York, and in 1937 in Los Angeles.  For several years he worked as a teacher in the “Ordn” (International Workers’ Order) schools.  He was active in leftist literary circles.  He debuted in print with a poem in Yung kuznye (Young furrier) in New York (1925).  He went on to published poems in: Signal (Signal), Hamer (Hammer), Morgn frayhayt (Morning freedom), Yidishe kultur (Jewish culture), and Zamlungen (Collections)—in New York.  His work also appeared in: Revolutsyonerer deklamator zamlung fun lider, poemes, dertseylungen, eynakters, tsum farleyenen, shipln un zingen bay arbeter-farveylung (Revolutionary declamation, collection of songs, poems, stories, [and] one-act plays to read aloud, enact, and sing for workers’ entertainment) (New York, 1933); and Nakhmen Mayzil’s Amerike in yidishn vort (America in the Yiddish word) (New York, 1955).  His poetry books include: Ershte blitn (First blossoms) (St. Louis: Independent Jewish Labor Club, 1928), 111 pp.; Der groyser gerangl (The great struggle) (Los Angeles, 1943), 122 pp.; Unzer dor (Our generation) (Los Angeles, 1950), 168 pp.; In shayn fun baginen (In the glow of dawn) (New York: IKUF, 68), 252 pp.; Likhtike shtign (Illuminated staircase) (Los Angeles, 1975), 134 pp.

Sources: Aleksander Pomerants, in Proletpen (Kiev) (1935), p. 244; Zishe Vaynper, in Yidisher kultur (New York) 4 (1951); Nosn Fodemberg, Shafer un boyer, eseyen vegn shrayber un bikher (Creators and builders, essays on writers and books) (New York: IKUF, 1967), pp. 140-47; Y. Kalman, in Morgn frayhayt (New York) (April 20, 1969); Yeshurin archive, YIVO (New York).

Beyle Gottesman