Silberfarb, Moses
SILBERFARB, MOSES
SILBERFARB, MOSES (1876–1934), political leader and writer in Russia. Silberfarb was born in Rovno, and studied law. He was one of the founders of the *Vozrozhdeniye group and *Jewish Socialist Workers' Party in Russia (1906), and helped to formulate their autonomistic program (see *Autonomism). He was imprisoned several times for political activities. After the 1917 Revolution Silberfarb became a leader of the *United Jewish Socialist Workers' Party. He headed the Ministry for Jewish Affairs of the Ukrainian Central Rada ("council, government"), and drew up a bill on national-personal autonomy. Between 1918 and 1920 he headed the Jewish People's University and Cultural League in Kiev. In 1921 he left for Warsaw where he continued to be active in Jewish affairs, becoming chairman of *ort and active in jeas (Jewish Emigrant Aid Society) and cysho (see *Education). In political outlook he moved closer to the ideology of the *Bund. Silberfarb wrote articles and books in Yiddish, Russian, and German, including Dos Yidishe Ministerium un di Yidishe Natsionale Avtonomye in Ukrayne (1919). His collected works were published posthumously (2 vols., 1935–37).
bibliography:
lnyl, 3 (1960), 616–20; O.I. Janowsky, Jews and Minority Rights (1898–1919) (1933), 69f., 230–40.
[Max Wurmbrand]