Moyshe Kulbak
Encyclopedia
Moyshe Kulbak was a Yiddish-language writer, born in Smarhon
(present-day Belarus
) to a Jewish family. He studied at the Volozhin Yeshiva
in Lithuania
.
; in 1920, after the Soviet Revolution, to Berlin
; and in 1923 to Wilna
(then a city in Poland), a center of Yiddish literary culture. In 1927 he returned to Minsk.
Kulbak wrote poems, fantastical or "mystical" novels, and, after moving to the Soviet Union
, what are described by one source as "Soviet" satires. But his novel, The Zelmenyaners, depicted with some realism the absurdities of Soviet life. In September 1937, during the Stalinist purges, Moyshe Kulbak was arrested and one month later executed.
His mystical novel, The Messiah of the House of Ephraim, draws together many strands of Jewish folklore and apocalyptic belief, presenting them from a perspective that owes much to German
expressionist cinema. It principally concerns the poor man Benye, who may or may not be a Messiah
, and whose destiny is intertwined with the Lamed-Vavniks. (In Jewish mysticism, the Lamed-Vavniks are a group of 36 holy Jews on whose goodness the whole of humanity depends.) Benye, and the many other characters, undergo experiences the strangeness of which approaches incomprehensibility, to themselves as well as the reader. Legendary figures such as Lilith
and Simkhe Plakhte are characters in the novel.
Smarhoń
Smarhoń is a city in Hrodna Voblast, Belarus. It is located at . It was the site of Smarhoń air base, now mostly abandoned. Smarhoń is located 107 km from the capital, Minsk....
(present-day Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
) to a Jewish family. He studied at the Volozhin Yeshiva
Volozhin yeshiva
The Volozhin Yeshiva, also known as Etz Chaim Yeshiva, was a prestigious Lithuanian yeshiva located in the town of Volozhin, Russia, . It was founded by Rabbi Chaim Itzkovitz, a student of the famed Vilna Gaon, and trained several generations of scholars, rabbis, and leaders...
in Lithuania
Lithuania
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...
.
Overview
In 1914 he moved to the Russian city of MinskMinsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
; in 1920, after the Soviet Revolution, to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
; and in 1923 to Wilna
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...
(then a city in Poland), a center of Yiddish literary culture. In 1927 he returned to Minsk.
Kulbak wrote poems, fantastical or "mystical" novels, and, after moving to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, what are described by one source as "Soviet" satires. But his novel, The Zelmenyaners, depicted with some realism the absurdities of Soviet life. In September 1937, during the Stalinist purges, Moyshe Kulbak was arrested and one month later executed.
His mystical novel, The Messiah of the House of Ephraim, draws together many strands of Jewish folklore and apocalyptic belief, presenting them from a perspective that owes much to German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
expressionist cinema. It principally concerns the poor man Benye, who may or may not be a Messiah
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
, and whose destiny is intertwined with the Lamed-Vavniks. (In Jewish mysticism, the Lamed-Vavniks are a group of 36 holy Jews on whose goodness the whole of humanity depends.) Benye, and the many other characters, undergo experiences the strangeness of which approaches incomprehensibility, to themselves as well as the reader. Legendary figures such as Lilith
Lilith
Lilith is a character in Jewish mythology, found earliest in the Babylonian Talmud, who is generally thought to be related to a class of female demons Līlīṯu in Mesopotamian texts. However, Lowell K. Handy notes, "Very little information has been found relating to the Akkadian and Babylonian view...
and Simkhe Plakhte are characters in the novel.
Works
- Lider (Poems), 1922.
- The Messiah of the House of Ephraim. English translation in: Yenne Velt, ed. and trans. Joachim NeugroschelJoachim NeugroschelJoachim Neugroschel was a well known literary translator from French, German, Italian, Russian, and Yiddish, and also to German. He also published poetry and was a poetry magazine founder.- Biography :...
(1976; repr. New York: Wallaby, 1978).
- "The Wind Who Lost His Temper", in Yenne Velt (above).
- The Zelmenyaners. An English translation is in progress.