Ida Fink
Encyclopedia
Ida Fink was an Israeli Polish
-language Jewish author who wrote about the Holocaust.
, Ukraine
) in 1 November 1921. Her father was a physician, and her mother worked as a teacher in a local school. She was a student of music at Lwow Conservatory. In 1941-1942, she spent two years in the Zbaraz ghetto
, before escaping with the help of Aryan
papers. After the Holocaust she married and had a daughter. In 1957, Fink immigrated to Israel
. She settled in Holon, where she worked as a music librarian and an interviewer for Yad Vashem
. She published her first story in 1971. She lived with her sister in Ramat Aviv
.
A documentary about Ida Fink, The Garden that Floated Away, was produced by Israeli filmmaker Ruth Walk.
The 2008 film Spring 1941, directed by Uri Barbash
, was based on her work.
, for literature.
She has also won the Anne Frank
Prize, the Buchman Prize and the Sapir Prize
.
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
-language Jewish author who wrote about the Holocaust.
Biography
Ida Fink was born in Zbaraż, Poland (now ZbarazhZbarazh
Zbarazh is a city in the Ternopil Oblast of western Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Zbarazh Raion , and is located in the historic region of Galicia....
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
) in 1 November 1921. Her father was a physician, and her mother worked as a teacher in a local school. She was a student of music at Lwow Conservatory. In 1941-1942, she spent two years in the Zbaraz ghetto
Ghetto
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...
, before escaping with the help of Aryan
Aryan
Aryan is an English language loanword derived from Sanskrit ārya and denoting variously*In scholarly usage:**Indo-Iranian languages *in dated usage:**the Indo-European languages more generally and their speakers...
papers. After the Holocaust she married and had a daughter. In 1957, Fink immigrated to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. She settled in Holon, where she worked as a music librarian and an interviewer for Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem
Yad Vashem is Israel's official memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953 through the Yad Vashem Law passed by the Knesset, Israel's parliament....
. She published her first story in 1971. She lived with her sister in Ramat Aviv
Ramat Aviv
Ramat Aviv is the name of several neighborhoods in the Northwest District of Tel Aviv, Israel:* Ramat Aviv Aleph * Ramat Aviv Bet * Ramat Aviv Gimmel...
.
Literary career
Fink wrote in Polish, primarily on Holocaust themes. Her stories revolve around the terrible choices that the Jews had to make during the Nazi era and the hardships of Holocaust survivors after the war.A documentary about Ida Fink, The Garden that Floated Away, was produced by Israeli filmmaker Ruth Walk.
The 2008 film Spring 1941, directed by Uri Barbash
Uri Barbash
Uri Barbash is an Israeli film director. His film co-wrote with Eran Preis, Beyond the Walls was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film...
, was based on her work.
Awards
In 2008, Fink was awarded the Israel PrizeIsrael Prize
The Israel Prize is an award handed out by the State of Israel and is largely regarded as the state's highest honor. It is presented annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state ceremony in Jerusalem, in the presence of the President, the Prime Minister, the Knesset chairperson, and the...
, for literature.
She has also won the Anne Frank
Anne Frank
Annelies Marie "Anne" Frank is one of the most renowned and most discussed Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Acknowledged for the quality of her writing, her diary has become one of the world's most widely read books, and has been the basis for several plays and films.Born in the city of Frankfurt...
Prize, the Buchman Prize and the Sapir Prize
Sapir Prize
The Sapir Prize for Literature of Israel is a prestigious annual literary award presented for a work of fine literature. The prize is awarded by Mifal Hapayis , and is a part of the organization's cultural initiatives...
.
Published work
- The Key Game (1986)
- A Scrap of Time and Other StoriesA Scrap of Time and Other StoriesA Scrap of Time and Other Stories,written by Ida Fink, is a collection of fictional short stories relating various characters to the Jewish experience of the Holocaust. Originally written in Polish, it was translated by Madeline Levine and Francine Prose. The novel won the first Anne Frank Prize,...
(1987) - The Journey (1990)
- Traces (1996)
External links
- Sara R. Horowitz, Biography of Ida Fink, Jewish Women's Encyclopedia
- Michael A. Rauch, Ida Fink: An Appreciation, The Forward, October 17, 2011 http://blogs.forward.com/the-arty-semite/144405/