AVROM-MORTKHE LEYB

AVROM-MORTKHE LEYB (b. July 20, 1898)

            He was born in Lodz, Poland.  He had a traditional Jewish education.  He studied in a Russian school and mastered a number of European languages.  In 1922 he arrived in the United States.  He taught in Workmen’s Circle schools and later in International Labor Order schools.  He wrote children’s stories in: Grininke beymelekh (Little green trees) in Vilna; and later in Yungvald (Young forest) and Proletarishe dertsiung (Proletarian education) in New York; and Argentiner beymelekh (Little Argentinian trees) in Buenos Aires.  He wrote numerous children’s plays, some of which were performed and a number were also published: Mir forn in artef-teater (We are going to Artef [Communist-inspired Yiddish theater]) (New York, 1931), 5 pp.; Kolektiv (Collective), in Morgn frayhayt (Morning freedom) (New York) (January 8, 1933); In di gasn tsu di masn (In the streets to the masses), in Morgn frayhayt (June 18, 1933); Tsu gast (Visitor) (New York: Royte fedim, 1934), 16 pp.; Der kluger rikhter (The wise judge), in Yungvald (May 1939); Yidn fun amerike (Jews of the United States), in Yungvald (November-December 1939); A sod (A secret), in Yungvald (January 1945).

Sources: Zalmen Zilbertsvayg, Leksikon fun yidishn teater (Handbook of the Yiddish theater) (New York, 1934).

Berl Kagan, comp., Leksikon fun yidish-shraybers (Biographical dictionary of Yiddish writers) (New York, 1986), cols. 332-33.