Jakob Dinesohn

Jakob Dinesohn (also: Jacob Dinesohn or Dineson , also Jankev Dineson ; * 1836 in Žagarė , Russian Empire (now Lithuania); † August 29, 1919 in Warsaw ) was a Yiddish writer, enlightener and educator. He introduced the genre of the sentimental novel into Yiddish literature, wrote numerous short stories and also worked as a translator. In his works and also in practice he was committed to the disadvantaged, advocated a loving upbringing of children and, in particular, campaigned for religious tolerance.

Life

Dinesohn and Jizchok Leib Perez . In the background a picture by Mendele Moicher Sforim

Jakob Dinesohn was raised in Mogiljow by his uncle Eisik Eliaschow, studied Talmud and the Hebrew language for several years and worked for a time as a tutor for Hebrew, also gave scientific lectures in the Mogiljow Talmud Torah school (later published under names such as Donner and Lightning , rain and snow , etc.). He initially wrote small articles for Hebrew magazines ( Hamagid , Hameliz , Haschachar and others) and published a selection of his letters there, but then, like many Maskilim who felt compelled to do so, switched to the Yiddish language in order to appeal to the general public who did not understand Hebrew. He then became the most popular Yiddish novelist in the late 19th century.

He never married, but remained true to his unhappy love for his student, the daughter of the wealthy Horowitz family, where he worked as a tutor and later as a financial administrator. At the end of 1885 he settled in Warsaw, where he opened an advertising office and was on friendly terms with Perez and Schalom Alechem, among others . After Perez 'death (1915) Dinesohn withdrew from public literary work and devoted himself to social work for Jewish children's homes and schools; During the World War he worked tirelessly for war widows and orphans.

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His first novel ( Ba'awon awot , Because of the guilt of fathers , portrayal of the tragic fate of a Jewish girl who dies voluntarily because of her parents' strict discipline and fanatical sentiments) was banned by Russian censors. His second work, The Black Jingermantschik (Wilna 1877; Jingermantschik = young person, man: the story of the prevention of a love marriage between two virtuous young people by a demonically marked, rich, characterless Hasid, to whom, although exposed as a bad person, further all external honors against Dinesohn's expectations, was a great success (10,000 copies were sold in a very short time). This was followed by Ewen niggof, a Stein aufn Weg (four parts, Warsaw 1890), the artistically superior stories Herschele and Jossele (1899, description of an unhappy and miserable orphan's fate with a fatal outcome; translated into German by Albert Katz).

Jakob Dinesohn also wrote a number of stories from children's life ( Kinderische Seelen , 1904, including the most important: Falek and his house , Jossel Algebrainik ), among the novellas the Golus pictures are particularly worth mentioning, which have appeared in various magazines in Russia and America . He also published a world history in Yiddish (1900) and edited Graetzen's Volkstümliche Geschichte der Juden (1885; Graetz was actually against a translation into Yiddish and made very derogatory comments about the Yiddish language, which led to a lengthy debate in various magazines: Volksblatt , Family friend etc., provoked, with Dinesohn defending the Yiddish language).

The numerous letters (later published in various places) that Dinesohn wrote to Yiddish and Hebrew writers are of particular literary and cultural historical value and represent an important part of his work. The whereabouts of his equally significant, extensive archive of letters, which he in turn from Jewish writers and various personalities is unknown.

Other works (selection)

• Funm Kinderischen Lebn , 1900 (autobiographical memoirs, published in Der Jid )
• Age , 1903
• The Crisis , Warsaw 1903
• The Mormons, Their Religion and History , 1904 (Appendix to the People's Friend )

Unpublished works

• A Brif zi a Mchaber
• Chederjinglech
• Chelmo tewa chasai (narration)
• The war
• Em habonim or the beautiful Ruchale (novel in four parts)
• Yom Kippur motifs
• Maasse b'chol jom (novel in two parts)
• R. Berl the Groisser
• Sepher sikkaron
• Bentschen in front of Lecht
• Wegn Robinson Crusoe
• Cutter
• In addition, biographical works on Dick and Mendele and studies on the Jewish theater

Web links

Commons : Jakob Dinesohn  - Collection of images, videos and audio files