Icchokas Meras facts for kids
Icchokas Meras (born October 8, 1934 – died March 13, 2014) was a famous Lithuanian writer. He is known for his powerful stories, especially those about the Holocaust and how people survived difficult times.
Contents
A Writer's Journey
Early Life and Survival
Icchokas Meras was born in 1934 in Kelmė, a town in Lithuania. His family was Jewish. When he was very young, a terrible event called the Holocaust happened. This was when the Nazis tried to kill all Jewish people.
In 1941, Meras's family was killed. But young Icchokas managed to escape. He later wrote about this time, saying he was almost shot but was saved by chance. He was then hidden and adopted by a kind Lithuanian farming family. This helped him survive the war.
Starting His Writing Career
After the war, Meras went to secondary school. He soon showed a talent for writing. He started working for a local newspaper in Kelmė.
In 1958, he finished his studies at the Kaunas Polytechnic Institute. He studied radio electronics. But he spent most of his free time writing stories.
Important Books and Challenges
In 1960, Meras published his first collection of stories. It was called Geltonas lopas (The Yellow Patch). These stories were based on his own experiences during the Holocaust.
He published two more important works in 1963. One was Žemė visada gyva (The Earth is Always Alive). The other was his most famous book, Lygiosios trunka akimirką (A Stalemate Lasts But a Moment).
Meras continued to write more novels. These included Ant ko laikosi pasaulis (What the World Rests On) in 1965. Later, in 1971, he published Mėnulio savaitė (The Week of the Moon) and Senas fontanas (The Old Fountain). Some of his writings were not liked by the government officials at the time.
Because of difficulties with the authorities, Meras moved from Lithuania in 1972. He went to live in Israel, where he stayed until he passed away.
Awards and Recognition
Icchokas Meras received several important awards for his writing:
Lithuania: He won the Lithuanian National Prize in 2010. This is a very high honor for artists in Lithuania.- Lithuania: He was also given the Commander's Cross of the Order of Gediminas in 1995. This award recognizes people who have done great things for Lithuania.
