Abraham Cahan
Encyclopedia
Abraham "Abe" Cahan was a Lithuanian-born American socialist newspaper editor, novelist, and politician.
but then part of the Russian empire
, into an Orthodox Jewish
family. His grandfather was a rabbi
in Vidz, Vitebsk
, his father a teacher of Hebrew language
and the Talmud
. The family, which was devoutly religious, moved in 1866 to Wilna (Vilnius)
, where the young Cahan received the usual Jewish preparatory education for the rabbinate. He, however, was attracted by secular knowledge and clandestinely studied the Russian language
, ultimately prevailing on his parents to allow him to enter the Teachers Institute of Wilna, from which he was graduated in 1881. He was appointed teacher in a Jewish government school in Velizh
, Vitebsk, in the same year.
On March 13, 1881, Tsar Alexander II
was assassinated by terrorist members of the Socialist Revolutionary Party. Reprisals by the Russian state were quick and massive. A visit from the police prompted the young socialist schoolteacher to escape to the United States through emigration.
of the city, "meeting them on their own ground and in their own language." Cahan's contribution to Yiddish-language socialist propaganda was massive, as before his arrival educated Jewish émigrés from the old Russian empire tended to speak Russian.
Historian Gerald Sorin notes:
During his years of activity, Cahan was either originator, collaborator, or editor of almost all the earlier socialist periodicals published in that language in the United States.
From 1903 until 1946, Cahan ran the Jewish Daily Forward (Forverts), a socialist Yiddish-language daily in New York. In 1906 he introduced an advice column named A Bintel Brief
. As a rule, Cahan was one of the more temperate voices in the Socialist Party of America
, respecting his readers' religious beliefs and preaching an increasingly moderate version of the socialist gospel as time progressed. By 1924 Forverts had over a quarter of a million readers, making it the most successful non-English-language
newspaper in the U.S.
and the leading Yiddish paper in the world.
Cahan quickly mastered the English language
, and four years after his arrival in New York taught immigrants in one of the evening schools. Later he began to contribute articles to the Sun and other newspapers printed in English, and was for several years employed in a literary capacity by the Commercial Advertiser
, where we was a regular contributor.
," where he lived and worked for more than 20 years. Cahan is regarded as having been one of America's preeminent Yiddish novelists, a language which was previously regarded as a somewhat uncultured jargon of the common folk.
His first novel, Yekl: A Tale of the New York Ghetto, was published in 1896. (In 1975
it would be released as the film, Hester Street). The graphic story of an Americanized Russo-Jewish immigrant, it attracted much attention and was favorably commented on by the press both in America and in England. W. D. Howells compared Cahan's work to that of Stephen Crane
, and prophesied for him a successful literary future (The World
, New York, July 26, 1896). Cahan's next work of fiction, The Imported Bridegroom, and Other Stories, published in 1898, was also well received and favorably noticed by the general press. Of his shorter publications, the article on the Russian Jews in the United States, which appeared in the Atlantic Monthly, July, 1898, deserves special mention. His other important work, The Rise of David Levinsky
, was published in 1917. Cahan also wrote a 5-volume Yiddish-language autobiography, Bleter fun mayn Leben, the first three volumes of which were translated into English as The Education of Abraham Cahan.
Early years
Abraham Cahan was born July 7, 1860, in Podberezhie, now part of LithuaniaLithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
but then part of the Russian empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, into an Orthodox Jewish
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
family. His grandfather was a rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
in Vidz, Vitebsk
Vitebsk
Vitebsk, also known as Viciebsk or Vitsyebsk , is a city in Belarus, near the border with Russia. The capital of the Vitebsk Oblast, in 2004 it had 342,381 inhabitants, making it the country's fourth largest city...
, his father a teacher of Hebrew language
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
and the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
. The family, which was devoutly religious, moved in 1866 to Wilna (Vilnius)
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
, where the young Cahan received the usual Jewish preparatory education for the rabbinate. He, however, was attracted by secular knowledge and clandestinely studied the Russian language
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, ultimately prevailing on his parents to allow him to enter the Teachers Institute of Wilna, from which he was graduated in 1881. He was appointed teacher in a Jewish government school in Velizh
Velizh
Velizh is a town and the administrative center of Velizhsky District of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, situated on the bank of the Western Dvina, from Smolensk. Population:...
, Vitebsk, in the same year.
On March 13, 1881, Tsar Alexander II
Alexander II of Russia
Alexander II , also known as Alexander the Liberator was the Emperor of the Russian Empire from 3 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881...
was assassinated by terrorist members of the Socialist Revolutionary Party. Reprisals by the Russian state were quick and massive. A visit from the police prompted the young socialist schoolteacher to escape to the United States through emigration.
Cahan in America
Cahan arrived in New York City in June 1882. Cahan transferred his commitment to socialism to his new country, and he devoted all the time he could spare from work to the study and teaching of radical ideas to the Jewish working men of New York. Cahan joined the Socialist Labor Party of America writing articles on socialism and science, and translating literary works for the pages of its Yiddish language paper, the Arbeiter Zeitung ("Workers' News"). Cahan saw himself as an educator and enlightener of the impoverished Jewish working classWorking class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
of the city, "meeting them on their own ground and in their own language." Cahan's contribution to Yiddish-language socialist propaganda was massive, as before his arrival educated Jewish émigrés from the old Russian empire tended to speak Russian.
Historian Gerald Sorin notes:
"As early as the summer of 1882, however, Abraham Cahan, in the United States only a very short time, challenged the Russian-speakers by pointing out that the Jewish workers did not understand the propaganda that the intellectuals were disseminating. It was proposed, almost as a lark, that Cahan lecture in Yiddish; and relatively quickly this so-called folk vernacular became the primary medium of communication. For some time, however, the consensus continued to be that Yiddish was strictly an expedient in the conduct of socialist activitiy and not a value in itself."
During his years of activity, Cahan was either originator, collaborator, or editor of almost all the earlier socialist periodicals published in that language in the United States.
A Bintel Brief
A Bintel Brief was a Yiddish advice column. It printed a reader's question and posted an answer meant to help others as well. The column was started by Abraham Cahan the editor of Der Forvertz in 1906...
. As a rule, Cahan was one of the more temperate voices in the Socialist Party of America
Socialist Party of America
The Socialist Party of America was a multi-tendency democratic-socialist political party in the United States, formed in 1901 by a merger between the three-year-old Social Democratic Party of America and disaffected elements of the Socialist Labor Party which had split from the main organization...
, respecting his readers' religious beliefs and preaching an increasingly moderate version of the socialist gospel as time progressed. By 1924 Forverts had over a quarter of a million readers, making it the most successful non-English-language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
newspaper in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and the leading Yiddish paper in the world.
Cahan quickly mastered the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, and four years after his arrival in New York taught immigrants in one of the evening schools. Later he began to contribute articles to the Sun and other newspapers printed in English, and was for several years employed in a literary capacity by the Commercial Advertiser
Commercial Advertiser
The New-York Commercial Advertiser was an evening American newspaper.It was published, with slight name variations, from 1797-1904, though it originated as the American Minerva founded in 1793.-History:...
, where we was a regular contributor.
Cahan as novelist
While his Yiddish writings are mostly confined to propaganda, his literary work in English is mainly descriptive; and he has few, if any, equals in the United States in depicting the life of the so-called "ghettoGhetto
A ghetto is a section of a city predominantly occupied by a group who live there, especially because of social, economic, or legal issues.The term was originally used in Venice to describe the area where Jews were compelled to live. The term now refers to an overcrowded urban area often associated...
," where he lived and worked for more than 20 years. Cahan is regarded as having been one of America's preeminent Yiddish novelists, a language which was previously regarded as a somewhat uncultured jargon of the common folk.
His first novel, Yekl: A Tale of the New York Ghetto, was published in 1896. (In 1975
1975 in film
The year 1975 in film involved some significant events, with Steven Spielberg's thriller Jaws topping the box office.-Events:*March 26 - The film version of The Who's Tommy premieres in London....
it would be released as the film, Hester Street). The graphic story of an Americanized Russo-Jewish immigrant, it attracted much attention and was favorably commented on by the press both in America and in England. W. D. Howells compared Cahan's work to that of Stephen Crane
Stephen Crane
Stephen Crane was an American novelist, short story writer, poet and journalist. Prolific throughout his short life, he wrote notable works in the Realist tradition as well as early examples of American Naturalism and Impressionism...
, and prophesied for him a successful literary future (The World
New York World
The New York World was a newspaper published in New York City from 1860 until 1931. The paper played a major role in the history of American newspapers...
, New York, July 26, 1896). Cahan's next work of fiction, The Imported Bridegroom, and Other Stories, published in 1898, was also well received and favorably noticed by the general press. Of his shorter publications, the article on the Russian Jews in the United States, which appeared in the Atlantic Monthly, July, 1898, deserves special mention. His other important work, The Rise of David Levinsky
The Rise of David Levinsky
The Rise of David Levinsky is a novel by Abraham Cahan. It was published in 1917, and remains Cahan's best known work.-Book I: Home and School:...
, was published in 1917. Cahan also wrote a 5-volume Yiddish-language autobiography, Bleter fun mayn Leben, the first three volumes of which were translated into English as The Education of Abraham Cahan.
Further reading
- Irving Howe, World of Our Fathers. New York: Harcourt, 1989.
- Ronald Sanders, "The Lower East Side Jews. An Immigrant Generation". Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, Inc., 1987
- Gerald Sorin, The Prophetic Minority: American Jewish Immigrant Radicals, 1880-1920. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1985.