Israel Wachser facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Israel Wachser
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| Native name |
ישראל וואקסער
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| Born | 1892 Dashev, Kiev Governorate, Russian Empire |
| Died | 24 May 1919 (aged 26–27) Krivozer, Podolian Governorate, Russian Empire |
| Language | Yiddish, Hebrew |
Israel Wachser (Yiddish: ישראל װאַקסער; born in 1892, died May 24, 1919) was a writer from the Russian Empire. He wrote short stories and children's literature in both Yiddish and Hebrew.
Contents
About Israel Wachser
Early Life and Education
Israel Wachser was born in 1892 in Dashev, a town in the Russian Empire. His father, Aryeh Yehuda-Leib ha-Kohen, was a rabbi in their town. He later served as a rabbi in Tulchin and Pestshan.
Wachser's father taught him a lot. He knew a lot about Russian, Hebrew, and Yiddish literature. He also wrote for Hebrew newspapers that supported the Haskalah, which was a movement for Jewish enlightenment.
Teaching and Writing Career
Before World War I began, Wachser started working as a teacher in Kiev. He also began writing poems and stories in Hebrew and Yiddish.
In 1916, he took a teaching job in Baku. He taught at a school for people who had to leave their homes because of the war. However, he had to leave Baku when the Armenian–Azerbaijani War started. Before he left, he quickly destroyed most of his writings. Luckily, his older brother managed to save some of his work.
Wachser then spent some time in Odessa. Later, he settled in the town of Krivozer in Podolia.
His Final Days
On May 24, 1919, Israel Wachser was killed in Krivozer. He was defending the local Jewish community from attackers during a time of violence.
His Published Works
Israel Wachser only published one work while he was alive. It was a short story in Hebrew, printed in a newspaper called Ha-mevaser ha-kavkazi in Baku in 1915.
He left behind many writings that were not published yet. These included plays like On kinder ('Without Children') and Af mesires-nefesh ('Out of Devotion'). He also wrote stories such as Naftoli der soyfer ('Naftoli the Scribe') and A kindele ('A Small Child'). There was also a poem called "Dos indzele un di yam-tekhter" ('The Island and the Sea-Girl'), and a series of stories for children.
After he passed away, four of his children's stories in Yiddish were published together. His brother, Menashe Wachser, helped get two of his fairy tales published in 1923. These stories even included special introductions written by the famous poet Hayim Nahman Bialik. More of Wachser's work was published and translated later on.
Today, collections of Israel Wachser's writings, letters, and photos are kept safe. You can find them at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and the YIVO Archives in New York City.
