RABINOWITZ, YA'AKOV

RABINOWITZ, YA'AKOV (1875–1948), Hebrew journalist and author. Born in Volkovysk, Poland, Rabinowitz, after teaching for several years in Vitebsk, left in 1900 for Switzerland, where he started to write. Upon his return to Russia in 1904, he became active in Zionist affairs and began his long career as journalist and author. From 1907 until his departure for Ereẓ Israel in 1910, he was active in the *Odessa Committee, becoming M.M. *Ussishkin's principal aide. In Ereẓ Israel he first settled in Petaḥ Tikvah, but moved to Tel Aviv in 1923.

Rabinowitz became a regular contributor to Ha-Po'el ha-Ẓa'ir. Together with A. *Barash he founded the literary journal Hedim (1922), which became a forum for both the old and young generations of writers and an outstanding expression of the literary milieu in Ereẓ Israel from the time of the Third Aliyah. His own contributions consisted of monographs on various authors. In addition, he wrote a regular column for Davar, contributed to many literary periodicals, and published translations. Among Rabinowitz' books are Be-Ein Shoresh (1914), a historical novel; Or va-Ed (1922), stories; Setav (1926), poems; Nedudei Amasai ha-Shomer (2 vols., 1929), a story of the Second Aliyah period; Neveh Kayiẓ (1934), a novel; and Hassagot (1935), articles and essays. Y. Har-Even edited Rabinowitz's essays and published them with a biographical essay under the title Maslulei Sifrut (1971).

bibliography:

Kressel, Leksikon, 2 (1967), 3–8. add. bibliography: Y. Keshet, "Y. Rabinowitz, Mesapper shel Dor Ma'avar," in: Moznayim, 32 (1971), 45–51; Y. Hanani, "Iyyun ba-Nose ha-Ereẓ Yisraeli be-Sippurei Y. Rabinowitz," in: Katif, 8 (1971), 137–152; G. Shaked, Ha-Sipporet ha-Ivrit, 1 (1977), 467–77; N. Govrin, Aggadah u-Meẓiut be-'Nedudei Amasai ha-Shome'," in: Bikkoret u-Farshanut, 9–10 (1977), 47–91; N. Tamir-Smilanski, Tekhanim ve-Iẓẓuvim be-Sippu rei Ya'akov Rabinowitz (1991).

[Getzel Kressel]