YOYSEF LYAKUMOVITSH

YOYSEF LYAKUMOVITSH (b. 1859)

            He graduated from the medical school of Kiev University and went on to practice medicine in the towns of Shpole (Shpola) and Horodishche (Gorodishche).  He published a series of articles on natural science and medicine in Yudishe folkstsaytung (Jewish people’s newspaper), edited by Kh. D. Hurvitz and M. Spektor (Warsaw-Cracow) (1902-1903); he later contributed to the daily Fraynd (Friend), which began publication in 1903 in St. Petersburg, and to the monthly Dos leben (The life), a publication of Fraynd (St. Petersburg, 1905) in which Lyakumovitsh (in issues 1 and 8-9) penned the articles: “Vifiel darf a mensh leben?” (How long should one live?) on Professor Metshnikov’s Etyudy o prirode cheloveka (Studies of human nature); “Infektsyeze krankheyten” (Infectious diseases); and “Kholera” (Cholera), a lengthy treatment.  He was a fine popularizer with a pure, flowing, and rich Yiddish.  He also translated from Russian: Staniukovich, Shayke (Gang) (St. Petersburg: Naye biblyotek, 1904); Korolenko, Di shtume tsung (The mute tongue [original: Bez yazyka (Without language)]), in Dos leben 2-8; and Aleksander Yablonovsky, Avrom der aynbinder (Abraham the bookbinder), in Fraynd (1907); among others.

Source: Zalmen Reyzen, Leksikon, vol. 2.

Borekh Tshubinski