When the boys grew older and were able to give their father more assistance in the store, I had a little more time to catch up on my reading. As I mentioned previously, Hershl had been very active in the Workmen's Circle. I was nurtured by the monthly periodical "Zukunft" and to this very day I receive that magazine in my home . . . as well as "Zamlungen" (1) and other periodicals.
I also spent much time reading Sholem Asch, who captured my interest completely. The very first books of his that I read were: "Mary" and "The Road to Self." Eagerly and studiously I literally devoured his style of writing, particularly where it dealt with nature . . . as if brightly illuminated by light.
I must confess that his books "Dos Shtetl" ("The Town") and "Reb Shloime Nogid", "Jesus of Nazareth," as well as his "East River", which I pored over leisurely, influenced me greatly. This deepened my fervor for the Yiddish language.
In Yiddish translation in those days, I read Maxim Gorky's "Mother" and Jack London's "Iron Heel," as well as Leo Tolstoi's "Ivan Ilyitch" and "Resurrection." Also short stories by Checkov and Turgeniev.
About twenty years ago, I became acquainted with Sholem Shtern's poetry, which was of the highest caliber and read much of it - including his trilogy, "In Canada". I wrote to him of the great satisfaction I had derived from his works and I received a reply, with favorable comments on my command of the Yiddish language. I continued to write and when I sent him several of my poems, - and I especially remember one of them "I Would Like to Sing a Song" - his reply to me was quite a flattering one. This was the beginning of my further determination to write poetry. I continued to send my strivings to Sholem Shtern. The result of this correspondence was such, that it led to the publication of my first book several years later.
My poetry began to appear in the "Vochenblatt" ("The Canadian Jewish Weekly") which was published in Toronto, Canada . . . and later in the literary quarterly, "Zamlungen1". And in 1968, when I visited Israel for the first time, my poems appeared in "Die Yiddishe Tzeitung" ("The Jewish Press") in Tel Aviv. My poems appeared in this paper for several years afterwards . . . until one day, its editor, Israel Khadash, suddenly passed away.
After this, I turned all my efforts towards publication of my first book. I wrote and wrote . . . and very often I erased or tore up what I had written. Somehow, I did succeed in assembling enough material for a book. It was a book of poetry which I published (easier said than done) with the aid of my very able Hebrew translator, Esther Zametzky, who lived in Petah Tikvah, Israel.
During the years of the Holocaust, I lost all of my immediate family at the hands of the nazis. How can one convey, in words, the anguish and the eternal torment that a person must endure. The saying that "a person is stronger than iron" is most appropriate when applied to the number of Jews scattered all over the world . . . survivors of that terrible tragedy that befell our people, victims of the Holocaust.
About l9 years ago I made my first efforts at writing poetry, in Yiddish, naturally. By putting my thoughts down on paper, it was my idea to memorialize my loved ones and all that was near and dear to me in my old home, in Suwalki. I continued to write, and some of my poems were published. My first published poem, "Thoughts", appeared in "The Jewish Day" ("Der Tog") in 1961.
In 1968 on my first trip to Israel I came to know a former "landsman" from my home-town, Suwalki. He was a son of our old Rabbi from Suwalki. My countryman became quite interested in my style of writing. Israel Magentsa is one of the older teachers in Israel, who came to Israel from Suwalki in the early thirties. He is Professor of History and Hebrew. He sought and found, in Petach Tikvah, an extraordinarily able translator for my poetry from the Yiddish into Hebrew. Her name - Esther Zametsky. Both she and her husband, Chaim also came from Suwalki . . . and a friendly correspondence developed between us, beginning in 1969.
Esther became very fond of the folk-flavor of my poetry, and translated almost all of those that I had submitted to her within a year's time. I once again took a plane for Israel (. . . more easily said than done . . .). In 1972. My book, "Main Tatn's Yerushe2" was printed in Tel Aviv by the Publishing House "Hamenorah". It was published in two languages - in the original Yiddish and in the splendid Hebrew translation by Esther Zametsky.
1972 was one of the most joyful years of my life (so to speak), although I had far happier years in my life together with my beloved Hershl . . . that gentle person with whom I lived for 44 glorious years. It was difficult indeed to be severed from him.
Five years later, by happenstance, I sent my new poem, "Nit mer, Nit Mer3" to my then entirely unknown to me, translator, Yudel Cohen in New York. Bella Goldworth, the well-known Yiddish writer to whom I had sent this poem originally, recommended him to me, for which I am very grateful. In connection with this however, there was an awkward error. The poem took up three pages. Naturally, I made three copies of each page. By error, I sent him two copies of the first page. When I received my first letter from Yudel Cohen my embarrassment was extreme. I was abashed and at wits end, as to how to extricate myself. However, Yudel, in a genial letter, assured me that such errors are quite commonplace and understandable . . . and was quite interested in the conclusion of the poem. Of course, l got busy and answered him, with all the necessary apologies.
In subsequent letters, Yudel displayed much interest in my poems of anguish and pain, as well as sympathy with my various other literary efforts. Then a regular chain of correspondence began where I sent him my poems in Yiddish, and he, in turn sent me his able English translations.
This continued over a period of two years. Yudel and Jeanette Bailin Cohen's translations reached me with extraordinary punctuality and accuracy. Not only were the translations satisfactory, but they were neatly and elegantly typewritten and properly spaced. The fruit of our two years of labor emerged as an excellent bi-lingual tome in Yiddish and English. It made its appearance in New York, in 1979, and bore the title "For Whom Do I Sing My Songs."
This book drew favorable reviews and comments from various sources. And now I and both my translators are in the process, hopefully, of preparing for print my third book, which will encompass my autobiography and a number of poems which have not been translated into English until now. So, once again, we find ourselves engrossed, body and soul, so to speak, in our efforts to see that this book sees the light of day.
* * * * While I record all these thoughts, I wish, with great love and recognition, to mention my devoted friend, Paula Stromberg, who always exhibited deep understanding towards my poetry and to my writing in general. Indeed, when I compose a poem, or commit to paper whatever kindles the flame within my soul, I must first of all read it to Paula. With her enthusiasm, she instills in me a feeling of accomplishment that encourages me to write further. Paula, with her wonderment and breathless enthusiasm, brings forth thoughts that I never intended to relate. Paula's fervor is the magnetic pull at my very depths, bringing forth the long dormant emotions of the past.
* * * * It was thirty years ago that, with bated breath, I read in book form in Yiddish, "Motek and Salche" by I.E. Ronch. And as I turn to this trilogy, I have time now to read it again at a more leisurely pace.
When I wrote the poems which were included in "For Whom Do I Sing My Songs", I gave most of my attention to remembrances of my old home (in Europe), the destruction of my town and family - and the Holocaust, in general. I did not give too much attention to my nature poems. But when I.E. Ronch reviewed my book "For Whom Do I Sing My Songs" on the Literature and Art page of the "Morning Freiheit", he commented: "Personally, I derived great delight from her nature poems. She gives her full attention to the greenery about her, and tries to blend herself into the life of the trees and the silence of Nature . . . Her poem "The Plum Tree" breathes with poetry . . . and more." What a heavenly feeling overwhelmed me at those precious words. Incidentally, I read all of I.E. Ronch's articles in the "Morning Freiheit" or wherever I find them.
* * * * In 1977 I received as a gift from Jeanette Bailin Cohen and her husband, Yudel, two books written by her father, Israel B. Bailin: the second volume of "Persenlekhkeiten in der Geshichte fun die Yidn in Amerike4", published in 1965 and "Altz en ein Lebn5", the first volume of his autobiography, published in 1970. Both books were published posthumously by his daughter with the aid of the I.B. Bailin Book Committee and the Ykuf Club bearing his name.
I read them both avidly, as soon as I received them, and will, in the very near future return to read them once again, because they were so informative, so simply and beautifully written and so painstakingly accurate . . . both in his depiction of the personalities he wrote about, as well as in his autobiography, in which he described the years of tumult, revolt and revolutionary fervor during the years 1898-1912 in Czarist Russia. These books are an education by themselves.
* * * * I would like to dwell a bit about those times when one of my own poems would appear on the pages of "Zamlungen" (a Yiddish literary quarterly), edited by the great Yiddish poet and literary critic, Ber Green. When he would approve the publication of one of my poems, who was my equal in those days?
It was from- Ber Green's "Eibig Grhl" that I would read aloud to intimate circles of friends, who would understand and appreciate it. I refer especially to that extraordinary poem, considered by most as a high-point in our sublime Yiddish poetry - "My Song to Yiddish."
* * * * I previously mentioned my subscribing to - and reading - the monthly Yiddish periodical, "Die Zukunft". There were many times that I asked that my subscription be canceled - for various reasons. But, for some reason, they never did cancel it. They sent me numerous letters asking whether or not my cancellation was due to lack of ability to afford it. Once I ceased payment for two years. They persisted in sending it to me, and refused to scratch my name from their mailing list, despite my protests. So I read it - and it did me no harm. In fact, "Die Zukunft" has some excellent writers. Whether I am always in accord with their ideological position is quite another matter. I mentioned previously that I also read "Die Yiddishe Kultur". But there was a time when my time became so crowded that very often it became impossible for me to read vital articles by those same excellent writers that I read with gusto in the "Morgan Freiheit". At one point I also canceled this periodical for several years . . . but have recently resubscribed and am hoping to read it eagerly again.
I also receive many magazines and periodicals in the English language, all of which are Jewish in content and have a great deal of meaning for me . . . and they also must be read. Where does one get all that time to read?
- 1. ''Zamlungen " - a literary quarterly, literally meaning "collections'' or compendium.
- 2. My Father's Bequest
- 3. Nevermore Nevermore
- 4. Personalities in the History of the Jews in America.
- 5. All in One Lifetime