Jacob Dinezon

An insightful and well-documented biography about the beloved and successful 19th century Yiddish writer, Jacob Dinezon. Called the "Father of the Jewish Realistic Romance" and author of the first bestselling Yiddish novel, Dinezon was closely associated with the leading Jewish writers of his day, including Sholem Abramovitsh (Mendele Moykher Sforim), Sholem Aleichem, and I. L. Peretz. Dinezon wrote poignant stories about Eastern European shtetl life and focused on the emotional conflicts affecting young people as the modern ideas of the Jewish Enlightenment challenged traditional religious practices and social norms. Frequently, the plight of his characters brought tears to the eyes of his devoted readers. In this Yiddish biography written in 1956 and translated into English for the first time by Yiddishist Miri Koral, the renowned literary historian Shmuel Rozshanski makes the case for including Jacob Dinezon in the "family" of classic Yiddish writers. Based on his extensive research and review of Dinezon's major works, Rozshanski concludes that Jacob Dinezon deserves to be recognized as a major figure in the development of Yiddish as a literary language. If, as scholars suggest, Sholem Abramovitsh is the grandfather, I. L. Peretz the father, and Sholem Aleichem the grandson of modern Yiddish literature, then Jacob Dinezon, Rozshanski insists, should be considered the "mother" for his gentle, kindhearted, and emotional approach to storytelling and to his readers. An important research book for scholars of Yiddish literature, history, and culture.