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New Exhibit: Classic Yiddish Writers in Caricature
Zionist ideologue Menakhem Usishkin blocks Mendele (who straddles the
cornerstones of Hebrewand Yiddish) from entering the house of the Society of
Lovers of Hebrew because he writes inYiddish. Der groyser kundes, New York, 27
March 1914.
New York, NY – The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research is opening a new exhibition: Classic Yiddish Writers in Caricature. The exhibition showcases caricature portrayals of Yiddish’s “Di klasiker” – the three classic authors of Yiddish literature, Mendele Moykher-Sforim (S.Y. Abramovitsh), Y.L. Peretz, and Sholem Aleichem (Sholem Rabinovitsh). The caricatures are contemporary depictions from the writer’s times from Yiddish language newspapers in Europe and America: Der groyser kundes, Der bezem, and Der ashmeday.
Sholem Aleichem dubbed Mendele, Peretz, and himself, the grandfather, father, and the son of Yiddish writing. These three authors, each stellar in his own right, helped bring high literary form into Yiddish during the 19th century, a time when most Jewish intellectuals looked askance at the language as a vehicle for either art or education.
Yiddish newspapers and humor magazines contain dozens of caricatures of Yiddish writers, who were indeed major celebrities in the Jewish world. Ironically, perhaps, there are fewer cartoons of these classic writers than those writers who followed in their footsteps. However, those that do exist are testament to their status among readers and writers. Peretz, Sholem Aleichem, and Mendele all died one after another, in 1915, 1916, and 1917 – an inestimable loss to Yiddish literature – but their legacy remains.
Classic Yiddish Writers in Caricature is in conjunction with YIVO exhibit Laughter is Still Healthy: Sholem Aleichem 100 Years Later, which opened in May 2016 to commemorate the 100th yortsayt of Sholem Aleichem.
Classic Yiddish Writers is now open at The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research at the Center for Jewish History (located at 15 West 16th Street). Read more about the exhibit here.
About YIVO
The YIVO Institute for Jewish Research is dedicated to the preservation and study of the history and culture of East European Jewry worldwide. For nearly a century, YIVO has pioneered new forms of Jewish scholarship, research, education, and cultural expression. Our public programs and exhibitions, as well as online and on-site courses, extend our outreach to a global community. The YIVO Archives contains 24 million unique items and YIVO’s Library has over 400,000 volumes—the single largest resource for the study of East European Jewish life in the world. yivo.org / yivo.org/the-whole-story