Bialostotzky, Benjamin Jacob
BIALOSTOTZKY, BENJAMIN JACOB
BIALOSTOTZKY, BENJAMIN JACOB (1893–1962), Yiddish poet, essayist, and folklorist, born in Pumpenai (Pumpian), Lithuania. Bialostotzky was the son of the famed "Posvoler Maggid." He immigrated to the United States in 1911 and studied at the City College of New York. From 1914 a member of Poale Zion, he helped found Yiddish schools, was active in various organizations, co-edited Yiddish journals and, from 1922, wrote for the Yiddish daily Forverts. His works were first collected in Lider un Eseyen ("Poems and Essays," 1932). In 1953 he edited the memorial volume for the poet David *Edelstadt. His own volume of poetry Lid tsu Lid ("Poem to Poem," 1958), includes his bibliography by E.H. Jeshurin. His folklore studies resulted in several collections of legends: Fun Golus Bovl bis Roym ("From the Babylonian Exile to Rome," 1949), Di Mesholim fun Dubner Magid ("Parables of the Maggid of Dubno," 1962); Yidisher Humor un Yidishe Leytsim ("Jewish Humor and Jewish Jesters," 1963).
bibliography:
lnyl, 1 (1956), 277–8.; S.D. Singer, Dikhter un prozaiker (1959), 105.
[Melech Ravitch]