UKHMANI, AZRIEL

UKHMANI, AZRIEL (1907–1978), Israel writer and literary critic. Born in Sanok, Poland, Ukhmani studied in Sanok at the yeshivah of Rabbi Meir Shapiro and was ordained by the Taḥkemoni Rabbinical Seminary in Warsaw, later graduating in agronomy from the University of Toulouse, France. In 1932 he joined kibbutz Ein Shemer and was secretary of the labor council of Karkur. He served as editor of the literary supplement of Ha-Shomer ha-Ẓa'ir.

Ukhmani was one of the founders and editor of the daily newspaper Al ha-Mishmar. Together with Lea *Goldberg, R. Eliaz and Ezra *Sussman, he was a member of the editorial board of the literary weekly Ittim, which was edited by *Shlonsky. He was a founder of the progressive culture (Tarbut Mitkademet) and Ẓavta movements. He was editor of the belles lettres section (now the poetry section) of the Sifriat ha-Poalim publishing company and a member, for 20 years, of the Central Committee of the Hebrew Writers' Association in Israel, and for a number of years edited its publication Moznayim. He was a member of the pen committee in Israel and was co-editor with Israel *Cohen of the annual for literature, criticism, and thought – Me'assef. Ukhmani published works on literary criticism: Le-Ever ha-Adam (1935); Tekhanim ve–Ẓurot (1957, enlarged and expanded edition, 2 vols. 1977); and Kolot Adam (1967). His poetical works, written under the pseudonym of Ron Adi, are Aval Laylah Laylah Ani (1968), Mi-Sha'ah le-Sha'ah, mi-Nes le-Nes (1970), Emor Pelaim (1973) and Atar Kadum (1976, awarded the Talpir Prize). Yehudit Kafri edited a volume in his memory, entitled Bi-Ẓeva'im mi-Makor Rishon (1983).

bibliography:

Y. Rabi, "Mah Yitaron la-Sofer be-Khol Amalo?" in: Moznayim, 50:2 (1980), 135–37; R. Kritz, '"AzrielUkhmani ve-Ran Adi: Bibliografiyyah," in: Erev Rav (1990), 334–39; A. Holtzman, "Le-Ever ha-Adam o me-Ever la-Sifrut," in: Alei Siaḥ, 36 (1995), 127–40.

[Getzel Kressel]