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Isaac Bashevis Singer ( yi, יצחק באַשעװיס זינגער; November 11, 1903 – July 24, 1991) was a Polish-born American Jewish writer who wrote and published first in
Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ve ...
and later translated himself into English with the help of editors and collaborators. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1978. A leading figure in the Yiddish literary movement, he was awarded two U.S.
National Book Award The National Book Awards are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors. The Nat ...
s, one in Children's Literature for his memoir '' A Day of Pleasure: Stories of a Boy Growing Up in Warsaw'' (1970) and one in Fiction for his collection ''
A Crown of Feathers and Other Stories ''A Crown of Feathers and Other Stories'' is a 1973 book of short stories written by Isaac Bashevis Singer. It shared the 1974 National Book Award for Fiction with Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon. Isaac Bashevis Singer was born in 1903 to a Jewish family in Leoncin village near
Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
,
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
. The Polish form of his birth name was Icek Hersz Zynger. The exact date of his birth is uncertain, but most sources say it was probably November 11, a date similar to the one that Singer gave to his official biographer Paul Kresh, his secretary Dvorah Telushkin, and Rabbi William Berkowitz. The year 1903 is consistent with the historical events that his brother refers to in their childhood memoirs, including the death of
Theodor Herzl Theodor Herzl; hu, Herzl Tivadar; Hebrew name given at his brit milah: Binyamin Ze'ev (2 May 1860 – 3 July 1904) was an Austro-Hungarian Jewish lawyer, journalist, playwright, political activist, and writer who was the father of modern po ...
. The often-quoted birth date, July 14, 1904 was made up by the author in his youth, possibly to make himself younger to avoid the draft. His father was a Hasidic
rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
and his mother, Bathsheba, was the daughter of the rabbi of
Biłgoraj Biłgoraj ( yi, בילגאריי, ''Bilgoray'', ua, Білґорай) is a town in south-eastern Poland with 25,838 inhabitants as of December 2021. Since 1999 it has been situated in Lublin Voivodeship; it was previously located in Zamość V ...
. Singer later used her first name in an initial literary pseudonym, ''Izaak Baszewis'', which he later expanded. Both his older siblings, sister
Esther Kreitman Hinde Ester Singer Kreytman (31 March 1891 – 13 June 1954), known in English as Esther Kreitman, was a Yiddish-language novelist and short story writer. She was born in Biłgoraj, Vistula Land to a rabbinic Jewish family. Her younger brother ...
(1891–1954) and brother
Israel Joshua Singer Israel Joshua Singer (Yiddish: ישראל יהושע זינגער ; November 30, 1893, Biłgoraj, Congress Poland — February 10, 1944 New York) was a Polish-Jewish novelist who wrote in Yiddish. Biography He was born Yisruel Yehoyshye Zinger ...
(1893–1944), became writers as well. Esther was the first of the family to write stories. The family moved to the court of the Rabbi of Radzymin in 1907, where his father became head of the Yeshiva. After the Yeshiva building burned down in 1908, the family moved to Warsaw, a flat at Krochmalna Street 10. In the spring of 1914, the Singers moved to No. 12. The street where Singer grew up was located in the impoverished,
Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ve ...
-speaking Jewish quarter of Warsaw. There his father served as a rabbi, and was called on to be a judge, arbitrator, religious authority and spiritual leader in the Jewish community. The unique atmosphere of pre-war Krochmalna Street can be found both in the collection of ''Varshavsky-stories'', which tell stories from Singer's childhood, as well as in those novels and stories which take place in pre-war Warsaw.


World War I

In 1917, because of the hardships of World War I, the family split up. Singer moved with his mother and younger brother Moshe to his mother's hometown of Biłgoraj, a traditional ''
shtetl A shtetl or shtetel (; yi, שטעטל, translit=shtetl (singular); שטעטלעך, romanized: ''shtetlekh'' (plural)) is a Yiddish term for the small towns with predominantly Ashkenazi Jewish populations which existed in Eastern Europe before ...
,'' where his mother's brothers had followed his grandfather as rabbis. When his father became a village rabbi again in 1921, Singer returned to
Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
. He entered the
Tachkemoni Yehuda Alharizi, also Judah ben Solomon Harizi or al-Harizi ( he, יהודה בן שלמה אלחריזי, ''Yehudah ben Shelomo al-Harizi'', ar, يحيا بن سليمان بن شاؤل أبو زكريا الحريزي اليهودي من أه� ...
Rabbinical Seminary and soon decided that neither the school nor the profession suited him. He returned to Biłgoraj, where he tried to support himself by giving
Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
lessons, but soon gave up and joined his parents, considering himself a failure. In 1923, his older brother Israel Joshua arranged for him to move to Warsaw to work as a proofreader for the Jewish magazine ', of which the brother was an editor.


United States

In 1935, four years before the
Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...
invasion, Singer emigrated from
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
to the United States. He was fearful of the growing threat in neighboring Germany. The move separated the author from his common-law first wife Runia Pontsch and son Israel Zamir (1929–2014); they emigrated to
Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 millio ...
and then Palestine. The three met again in 1955. Singer settled in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, where he took up work as a journalist and columnist for ''
The Jewish Daily Forward ''The Forward'' ( yi, פֿאָרווערטס, Forverts), formerly known as ''The Jewish Daily Forward'', is an American news media organization for a Jewish American audience. Founded in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily socialist newspaper, '' ...
'' (), a Yiddish-language newspaper. After a promising start, he became despondent and for some years felt "''Lost in America''" (title of his 1974 memoir published in Yiddish; published in English in 1981). In 1938, he met Alma Wassermann née Haimann (1907–1996), a German-Jewish refugee from
Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...
. They married in 1940, and their union seemed to release energy in him; he returned to prolific writing and to contributing to the ''Forward''. In addition to his pen name of "Bashevis", he published under the pen names of "Warszawski" (pron. Varshavsky) during World War II, and "D. Segal". They lived for many years in the
Belnord The Belnord is an Apartment, apartment building at Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway and 86th Street (Manhattan), 86th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. It is a New York City Landmark and it was added to the National Regist ...
apartment building on Manhattan's Upper West Side.. In 1981, Singer delivered a commencement address at the University at Albany, and was presented with an honorary doctorate. Singer died on July 24, 1991, in Surfside, Florida, after suffering a series of strokes. He was buried in Cedar Park Cemetery, Paramus, New Jersey.. A street in Surfside, Florida is named Isaac Singer Boulevard in his honor; and so is a city square in Lublin, Poland, and a street in
Tel-Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the ...
. The full academic scholarship for undergraduate students at the
University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, i ...
is also named in his honor.


Literary career

Singer's first published story "Oyf der elter" ("In Old Age", 1925) won the literary competition of the ''Literarishe Bletter'', where he worked as a proofreader."Singer, Isaac Bashevis"
by Joseph Sherman, '' YIVO Encyclopedia''
A reflection of his formative years in "the kitchen of literature" can be found in many of his later works. Singer published his first novel, '' Satan in Goray'', in installments in the literary magazine ''Globus'', which he had co-founded with his lifelong friend, the Yiddish poet
Aaron Zeitlin Aaron Zeitlin (3 June 1898 – 28 September 1973) was a Jewish American educator and writer. He authored several books on Yiddish literature, poetry and parapsychology. Biography Zeitlin was born in Uvarovichi, Russia (now Belarus) to Hillel Z ...
in 1935. It is set in the years following 1648, when the Chmielnicki massacres, considered one of the greatest Jewish catastrophes, occurred. The story describes the Jewish messianic cult that arose in the village of Goraj. It explores the effects of the faraway false messiah, Shabbatai Zvi, on the local population. Its last chapter imitates the style of a medieval Yiddish chronicle. With a stark depiction of innocence crushed by circumstance, the novel appears to foreshadow coming danger. In his later work ''The Slave'' (1962), Singer returns to the aftermath of 1648 in a love story between a Jewish man and a gentile woman. He portrays the traumatized and desperate survivors of the historic catastrophe with even deeper understanding.


''The Family Moskat''

Singer became a literary contributor to ''
The Jewish Daily Forward ''The Forward'' ( yi, פֿאָרווערטס, Forverts), formerly known as ''The Jewish Daily Forward'', is an American news media organization for a Jewish American audience. Founded in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily socialist newspaper, '' ...
'' only after his older brother Israel died in 1944. That year, Singer published ''The Family Moskat'' in his brother's honor. His own style showed in the daring turns of his action and characters, with double adultery during the holiest of nights of Judaism, the evening of
Yom Kippur Yom Kippur (; he, יוֹם כִּפּוּר, , , ) is the holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, the first month of the Hebrew calendar. Primarily centered on atonement and repentance, the day' ...
(despite being printed in a Jewish family newspaper in 1945). He was nearly forced to stop writing the novel by his editor-in-chief, Abraham Cahan, but was saved by readers who wanted the story to continue. After this, his stories—which he had published in Yiddish literary newspapers before—were printed in the ''Forward'' as well. Throughout the 1940s, Singer's reputation grew. Singer believed in the power of his native language and thought that there was still a large audience, including in New York, who longed to read in Yiddish. In an interview in ''
Encounter Encounter or Encounters may refer to: Film *''Encounter'', a 1997 Indian film by Nimmala Shankar * ''Encounter'' (2013 film), a Bengali film * ''Encounter'' (2018 film), an American sci-fi film * ''Encounter'' (2021 film), a British sci-fi film * ...
'' (February 1979), he said that although the Jews of Poland had died, "something—call it spirit or whatever—is still somewhere in the universe. This is a mystical kind of feeling, but I feel there is truth in it." Some of his colleagues and readers were shocked by his all-encompassing view of human nature. He wrote about female homosexuality ("Zeitl and Rickel", "Tseytl un Rikl"), published in ''The Seance and Other Stories'',
transvestism Transvestism is the practice of dressing in a manner traditionally associated with the opposite sex. In some cultures, transvestism is practiced for religious, traditional, or ceremonial reasons. The term is considered outdated in Western ...
("Yentl the Yeshiva Boy" in ''Short Friday''), and of rabbis corrupted by demons ("Zeidlus the Pope" in ''Short Friday''). In those novels and stories which refer to events in his own life, he portrays himself unflatteringly (with some degree of accuracy) as an artist who is self-centered yet has a keen eye for the sufferings and tribulations of others.


Literary influences

Singer had many literary influences. Besides the religious texts he studied, he grew up with a rich array of Jewish folktales and worldly Yiddish detective-stories about " Max Spitzkopf" and his assistant "Fuchs". He read Russian, including
Dostoyevsky Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky (, ; rus, Фёдор Михайлович Достоевский, Fyódor Mikháylovich Dostoyévskiy, p=ˈfʲɵdər mʲɪˈxajləvʲɪdʑ dəstɐˈjefskʲɪj, a=ru-Dostoevsky.ogg, links=yes; 11 November 18219 ...
's ''
Crime and Punishment ''Crime and Punishment'' ( pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform rus, Преступление и наказание, Prestupléniye i nakazániye, prʲɪstʊˈplʲenʲɪje ɪ nəkɐˈzanʲɪje) is a novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. ...
'' at the age of fourteen. He wrote in memoirs about the importance of the Yiddish translations donated in book-crates from America, which he studied as a teenager in Bilgoraj: "I read everything: Stories, novels, plays, essays... I read Rajsen,
Strindberg Johan August Strindberg (, ; 22 January 184914 May 1912) was a Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist and painter.Lane (1998), 1040. A prolific writer who often drew directly on his personal experience, Strindberg wrote more than sixty p ...
, Don Kaplanowitsch,
Turgenev Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev (; rus, links=no, Ива́н Серге́евич Турге́невIn Turgenev's day, his name was written ., p=ɪˈvan sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪtɕ tʊrˈɡʲenʲɪf; 9 November 1818 – 3 September 1883 (Old Style dat ...
,
Tolstoy Count Lev Nikolayevich TolstoyTolstoy pronounced his first name as , which corresponds to the romanization ''Lyov''. () (; russian: link=no, Лев Николаевич Толстой,In Tolstoy's day, his name was written as in pre-refor ...
,
Maupassant Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant (, ; ; 5 August 1850 – 6 July 1893) was a 19th-century French author, remembered as a master of the short story form, as well as a representative of the Naturalist school, who depicted human lives, destin ...
and
Chekhov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...
." He studied the philosophers
Spinoza Baruch (de) Spinoza (born Bento de Espinosa; later as an author and a correspondent ''Benedictus de Spinoza'', anglicized to ''Benedict de Spinoza''; 24 November 1632 – 21 February 1677) was a Dutch philosopher of Portuguese-Jewish origin, ...
, Arthur Schopenhauer, and
Otto Weininger Otto Weininger (; 3 April 1880 – 4 October 1903) was an Austrian philosopher who lived in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In 1903, he published the book ''Geschlecht und Charakter'' (''Sex and Character''), which gained popularity after his suici ...
. Among his Yiddish contemporaries, Singer considered his elder brother to be his greatest artistic example. He was also a life-long friend and admirer of the author and poet
Aaron Zeitlin Aaron Zeitlin (3 June 1898 – 28 September 1973) was a Jewish American educator and writer. He authored several books on Yiddish literature, poetry and parapsychology. Biography Zeitlin was born in Uvarovichi, Russia (now Belarus) to Hillel Z ...
. His short stories, which some critics feel contain his most lasting contributions, were influenced by Anton Chekhov and
Guy de Maupassant Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant (, ; ; 5 August 1850 – 6 July 1893) was a 19th-century French author, remembered as a master of the short story form, as well as a representative of the Naturalist school, who depicted human lives, destin ...
. From Maupassant, Singer developed a finely grained sense of drama. Like those of the French master, Singer's stories can pack enormous visceral excitement in the space of a few pages. From Chekhov, Singer developed his ability to draw characters of enormous complexity and dignity in the briefest of spaces. In the foreword to his personally selected volume of his finest short stories he describes the two aforementioned writers as the greatest masters of the short story form. Of his non-Yiddish-contemporaries, he was strongly influenced by the writings of
Knut Hamsun Knut Hamsun (4 August 1859 – 19 February 1952) was a Norwegian writer who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1920. Hamsun's work spans more than 70 years and shows variation with regard to consciousness, subject, Point of view ...
, many of whose works he later translated, while he had a more critical attitude towards Thomas Mann, whose approach to writing he considered opposed to his own. Contrary to Hamsun's approach, Singer shaped his world not only with the egos of his characters, but also from Jewish moral tradition embodied by his father in the stories about Singer's youth. There was a dichotomy between the life his heroes lead and the life they feel they should lead—which gives his art a modernity his predecessors did not express. His themes of witchcraft, mystery and legend draw on traditional sources, but they are contrasted with a modern and ironic consciousness. They are also concerned with the bizarre and the grotesque. An important strand of his art is intra-familial strife, which he experienced when taking refuge with his mother and younger brother at his uncle's home in Biłgoraj. This is the central theme in Singer's family chronicles such as ''The Family Moskat'' (1950), ''The Manor'' (1967), and ''The Estate'' (1969). Some critics believe these show the influence of Thomas Mann's novel ''
Buddenbrooks ''Buddenbrooks'' () is a 1901 novel by Thomas Mann, chronicling the decline of a wealthy north German merchant family over the course of four generations, incidentally portraying the manner of life and mores of the Hanseatic bourgeoisie in th ...
''; Singer had translated Mann's ''Der Zauberberg'' ('' The Magic Mountain'') into Yiddish as a young writer.


Language

Singer always wrote and published in Yiddish. His novels were serialized in newspapers, which also published his short stories. He edited his novels and stories for publication in English, which was used as the basis for translation into other languages. He referred to his English versions as his "second original". This has led to an ongoing controversy whether the "real Singer" is the Yiddish original, with its finely tuned language and sometimes rambling construction, or in the more tightly edited American versions, where the language is usually simpler and more direct. Some of Singer's stories and novels have not been translated.


Illustrators

The artists who have illustrated Singer's novels, short stories, and children's books, include
Raphael Soyer Raphael Zalman Soyer (December 25, 1899 – November 4, 1987) was a Russian-born American painter, draftsman, and printmaker. Soyer was referred to as an American scene painter. He is identified as a Social Realist because of his interest in men ...
, Maurice Sendak,
Larry Rivers Larry Rivers (born Yitzroch Loiza Grossberg) (1923 – 2002) was an American artist, musician, filmmaker, and occasional actor. Considered by many scholars to be the "Godfather" and "Grandfather" of Pop art, he was one of the first artists ...
, and Irene Lieblich. Singer personally selected Lieblich to illustrate two of his books for children, ''A Tale of Three Wishes'' and ''The Power of Light: Eight Stories for Hanukkah,'' after seeing her paintings at an Artists Equity exhibition in New York City. A
Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ...
survivor, Lieblich was from Zamosc, Poland, a town adjacent to the area where Singer was raised. As their memories of ''shtetl'' life were so similar, Singer found Lieblich's images ideally suited to illustrate his texts. Of her style, Singer wrote that "her works are rooted in Jewish folklore and are faithful to Jewish life and the Jewish spirit."


Summary

Singer published at least 18 novels, 14 children's books, a number of memoirs, essays and articles. He is best known as a writer of short stories, which have been published in more than a dozen collections. The first collection of Singer's short stories in English, ''
Gimpel the Fool "Gimpel the Fool" (1953) is a short story by Isaac Bashevis Singer, translated into English by Saul Bellow in 1953. It tells the story of Gimpel, a simple bread maker who is the butt of many of his town's jokes. It also gives its name to the colle ...
'', was published in 1957. The title story was translated by
Saul Bellow Saul Bellow (born Solomon Bellows; 10 July 1915 – 5 April 2005) was a Canadian-born American writer. For his literary work, Bellow was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, the Nobel Prize for Literature, and the National Medal of Arts. He is the only w ...
and published in May 1953 in the ''
Partisan Review ''Partisan Review'' (''PR'') was a small-circulation quarterly "little magazine" dealing with literature, politics, and cultural commentary published in New York City. The magazine was launched in 1934 by the Communist Party USA–affiliated Joh ...
''. Selections from Singer's "Varshavsky-stories" in the ''Daily Forward'' were later published in anthologies such as ''My Father's Court'' (1966). Later collections include ''A Crown of Feathers'' (1973), with notable masterpieces in between, such as ''The Spinoza of Market Street'' (1961) and ''A Friend of Kafka'' (1970). His stories and novels reflect the world of the East European Jewry in which he grew up. After his many years in America, his stories also portrayed the world of the immigrants and their pursuit of an elusive American dream, which seems always beyond reach. Prior to Singer's winning the Nobel Prize, English translations of dozens of his stories were published in popular magazines such as ''
Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from H ...
'' and '' Esquire'' that published literary works. Throughout the 1960s, Singer continued to write about questions of personal morality. Because of the controversial aspects of his plots, he was a target of scathing criticism from many quarters, some of it for not being "moral" enough, some for writing stories that no one wanted to hear. To his critics, he replied, "Literature must spring from the past, from the love of the uniform force that wrote it, and not from the uncertainty of the future." Singer was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1978.. Between 1981 and 1989, Singer contributed articles to Moment Magazine, an independent magazine which focuses on the life of the American Jewish community.


Film adaptations

His novel ''Enemies, a Love Story'' was adapted as a film by the same name (1989) and was quite popular, bringing new readers to his work. It features a Holocaust survivor who deals with varying desires, complex family relationships, and a loss of faith. Singer's story, "Yentl, the Yeshiva Boy" was adapted into a stage version by Leah Napolin (with Singer), which was the basis for the film '' Yentl'' (1983) starring and directed by
Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...
.
Alan Arkin Alan Wolf Arkin (born March 26, 1934) is an American actor, director and screenwriter known for his performances on stage and screen. Throughout his career spanning over six decades, he has received various accolades, including an Academy Award ...
starred as Yasha, the principal character in the film version of '' The Magician of Lublin'' (1979), which also featured
Shelley Winters Shelley Winters (born Shirley Schrift; August 18, 1920 – January 14, 2006) was an American actress whose career spanned seven decades. She appeared in numerous films. She won Academy Awards for ''The Diary of Anne Frank'' (1959) and ''A Patch o ...
, Louise Fletcher,
Valerie Perrine Valerie Ritchie Perrine (born September 3, 1943) is an American actress. For her role as Honey Bruce in the 1974 film ''Lenny'', she won the BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles, the Cannes Film Festival Award for Bes ...
and Lou Jacobi. In the final scene, Yasha achieves his lifelong ambition of being able to fly, though not as the magic trick he had originally planned. Perhaps the most fascinating Singer-inspired film is ''Mr. Singer's Nightmare and Mrs. Pupkos Beard'' (1974) directed by Bruce Davidson, a renowned photographer who became Singer's neighbor. This unique film is a half-hour mixture of documentary and fantasy for which Singer wrote the script and played the leading role. The 2007 film ''
Love Comes Lately ''Love Comes Lately'' (german: Bis später, Max!) is a 2007 film written for the screen and directed by Jan Schütte. The film is based on the short stories of Isaac Bashevis Singer. Plot Elderly Jewish writer Max Kohn (Otto Tausig) is an Austria ...
'', starring
Otto Tausig Otto Tausig (13 February 1922 – 10 October 2011) was an Austrian writer, director and actor. Although he usually appeared in German language films, he also played in English language films such as '' Love Comes Lately'', and in French language fi ...
, was adapted from several of Singer's stories.


Views and opinions


Judaism

Singer's relationship to Judaism was complex and unconventional. He identified as a skeptic and a loner, though he felt a connection to his Orthodox roots. Ultimately, he developed a view of religion and philosophy which he called "private mysticism". As he put it, "Since God was completely unknown and eternally silent, He could be endowed with whatever traits one elected to hang upon Him." Singer was raised Orthodox and learned all the Jewish prayers, studied Hebrew and learned Torah and Talmud. As he recounted in the autobiographical short story "In My Father's Court", he broke away from his parents in his early twenties. Influenced by his older brother, who had done the same, he began spending time with non-religious Bohemian artists in Warsaw. Although Singer believed in a God, as in traditional Judaism, he stopped attending Jewish religious services of any kind, even on the High Holy Days. He struggled throughout his life with the feeling that a kind and compassionate God would never support the great suffering he saw around him, especially the
Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ...
deaths of so many of the Polish Jews from his childhood. In one interview with the photographer Richard Kaplan, he said, "I am angry at God because of what happened to my brothers": Singer's older brother died suddenly in February 1944, in New York, of a
thrombosis Thrombosis (from Ancient Greek "clotting") is the formation of a blood clot inside a blood vessel, obstructing the flow of blood through the circulatory system. When a blood vessel (a vein or an artery) is injured, the body uses platelets (t ...
; his younger brother perished in Soviet Russia around 1945, after being deported with his mother and wife to Southern
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
in Stalin's purges. Despite the complexities of his religious outlook, Singer lived in the midst of the Jewish community throughout his life. He did not seem to be comfortable unless he was surrounded by Jews; particularly Jews born in Europe. Although he spoke English,
Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
, and Polish fluently, he always considered
Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ve ...
his natural tongue. He always wrote in Yiddish and he was the last notable American author to be writing in this language. After he had achieved success as a writer in New York, Singer and his wife began spending time during the winters in Miami with its Jewish community, many of them New Yorkers. Eventually, as senior citizens, they moved to Miami. They identified closely with the Ashkenazi Jewish community. After his death, Singer was buried in a traditional Jewish ceremony in a Jewish cemetery in Paramus, New Jersey.


Vegetarianism

Singer was a prominent Jewish vegetarian for the last 35 years of his life and often included vegetarian themes in his works. In his short story ''The Slaughterer'', he described the anguish of an appointed slaughterer trying to reconcile his compassion for animals with his job of killing them. He felt that the ingestion of meat was a denial of all ideals and all religions: "How can we speak of right and justice if we take an innocent creature and shed its blood?" When asked if he had become a vegetarian for health reasons, he replied: "I did it for the health of the chickens." Vegetarianism is a recurrent theme in Singer's novel ''Enemies, a Love Story.'' One character, a Holocaust survivor, declares that "God himself eats meat—human flesh. There are no vegetarians—none. If you had seen what I have seen, you would know that God approves of slaughter," and another character points out "that what the Nazis had done to the Jews, man was doing to animals." In ''The Letter Writer'', Singer wrote "In relation to nimals all people are Nazis; for the animals, it is an eternal
Treblinka Treblinka () was an extermination camp, built and operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland during World War II. It was in a forest north-east of Warsaw, south of the village of Treblinka in what is now the Masovian Voivodeship. The cam ...
," which became a classic reference in the discussions about the legitimacy of the comparison of animal exploitation with the Holocaust.Patterson, Charles (2002). '' Eternal Treblinka: Our Treatment of Animals and the Holocaust''. New York: Lantern Books, pp. 181–188. In the preface to Steven Rosen's ''Food for Spirit: Vegetarianism and the World Religions'' (1986), Singer wrote, "When a human kills an animal for food, he is neglecting his own hunger for justice. Man prays for mercy, but is unwilling to extend it to others. Why should man then expect mercy from God? It's unfair to expect something that you are not willing to give. It is inconsistent. I can never accept inconsistency or injustice. Even if it comes from God. If there would come a voice from God saying, 'I'm against vegetarianism!' I would say, 'Well, I am for it!' This is how strongly I feel in this regard."


Politics

Singer described himself as "
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
," adding that "I don't believe by flattering the masses all the time we really achieve much." His conservative side was most apparent in his Yiddish writing and journalism, where he was openly hostile to Marxist sociopolitical agendas. In ''
Forverts ''The Forward'' ( yi, פֿאָרווערטס, Forverts), formerly known as ''The Jewish Daily Forward'', is an American news media organization for a American Jews, Jewish American audience. Founded in 1897 as a Yiddish-language daily socialis ...
'' he once wrote, "It may seem like terrible ''apikorses'' eresy but conservative governments in America, England, France, have handled Jews no worse than liberal governments.... The Jew's worst enemies were always those elements that the modern Jew convinced himself (really hypnotized himself) were his friends.".


Zionism

Issac Bashevis was ambivalent on the question of
Zionism Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after '' Zion'') is a nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is known in Je ...
, and he viewed the immigration of Jews to Palestine critically. As a Polish Jew from Warsaw, he was historically confronted with the question of the Jewish fate during Nazi persecution. He exercised social responsibility towards the immigration of European and American Jewish groups to Israel after
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. Strictly based on Jewish family doctrine rather than politics and socialism, his former partner Runya Pontsch and his son Israel Zamir emigrated to Palestine in 1938, in order to live a typical kibbutz life there. In his story ''The Certificate'' (1967), which has autobiographical character, he fictionalizes this question from a time in the mid-1920s when he was himself considering moving to the British Mandate Palestine. The protagonist of the story decides to leave Palestine, however, to move back into his shtetl. For Singer then, Zionism becomes the "road not taken". However, through his journalistic assignments in late 1955, Singer made his first trip to Israel, accompanied by his wife Alma. Describing the trip to his Yiddish readers, he introduces the world for the first time to the young state of Israel. In a change of mind, he then describes the Land of Israel as a "reality, and part of everyday life." Interestingly enough, he notes the cultural tensions between Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jewish people during the boat trip from
Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
to
Haifa Haifa ( he, חֵיפָה ' ; ar, حَيْفَا ') is the third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropol ...
and during his stay in the new nation. With the description of Jewish immigration camps in the new land, he foresaw the difficulties and socio-economic tensions in Israel, and hence turned back to his critical views of Zionism. He scrutinized the ideology further, as he was advancing his thought of critical Zionism.


Legacy and honors

*
Jewish Book Council The Jewish Book Council (Hebrew: ), founded in 1944, is an organization encouraging and contributing to Jewish literature.Itzik Manger Prize, 1973 * National Book Award (United States), 1974 * Nobel Prize for Literature, 1978 * A street in Surfside, Florida named in his honor * A street in New York City named in his honor (W. 86th st.) * A street in Leoncin named in his honor (ul. Isaaca Bashevisa Singera) * A commemorative plaque attached to a front wall of a building resided by Isaac Singer and his family during their dwelling in
Radzymin Radzymin is a town in Poland and is one of the distant suburbs of the city of Warsaw. It is located in the powiat of Wołomin of the Masovian Voivodeship. The town has 8,818 inhabitants (as of 2008, but the surrounding commune is heavily pop ...
(ul. Stary Rynek 7, 05-250 Radzymin) * A park square in Radzymin named in his honor (skwer im. Isaaca Bashevisa Singera) * A city square in Lublin, a hometown of the protagonist of '' The Magician of Lublin'' novel, named in writer's honor (pl. Isaaka Singera) * A street in
Biłgoraj Biłgoraj ( yi, בילגאריי, ''Bilgoray'', ua, Білґорай) is a town in south-eastern Poland with 25,838 inhabitants as of December 2021. Since 1999 it has been situated in Lublin Voivodeship; it was previously located in Zamość V ...
named in his honor (ul. Isaaca Bashevisa Singera) * Induction into the Jewish-American Hall of Fame Singer is the only American Nobel Laureate in Literature to not receive a Pulitzer Prize award or citation.


Published works

Note: Publication dates refer to English editions, not the Yiddish originals, which often predate the versions in translation by 10 to 20 years.


Novels

* '' Satan in Goray'' (serialized: 1933, book: 1935)—Yiddish original: * ''Eulogy to a Shoelace''—Yiddish original: * '' The Family Moskat'' (1950)—Yiddish original: * '' The Magician of Lublin'' (1960)—Yiddish original: * '' The Slave'' (1962)—Yiddish original: * '' The Manor'' (1967) * '' The Estate'' (1969) * '' Enemies, a Love Story'' (1972)—Yiddish original: * '' The Wicked City'' (1972) * '' Shosha'' (1978) * ''Old Love'' (1979) * ''Reaches of Heaven: A Story of the Baal Shem Tov'' (1980) * '' The Penitent'' (1983)—Yiddish original: * ''Teibele and Her Demon'' (1983) (play) * ''The King of the Fields'' (1988) * ''Scum'' (1991) * '' The Certificate'' (1992) * ''Meshugah'' (1994) * '' Shadows on the Hudson'' (1997)


Short story collections

* ''Gimpel the Fool and Other Stories'' (1957)—Yiddish original: * ''The Spinoza of Market Street'' (1961) * ''Short Friday and Other Stories'' (1963) * ''The Séance and Other Stories (1968) * ''A Friend of Kafka and Other Stories'' (1970) * ''The Fools of Chelm and Their History'' (1973) * ''
A Crown of Feathers and Other Stories ''A Crown of Feathers and Other Stories'' is a 1973 book of short stories written by Isaac Bashevis Singer. It shared the 1974 National Book Award for Fiction with Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon.Gravity's Rainbow ''Gravity's Rainbow'' is a 1973 novel by American writer Thomas Pynchon. The narrative is set primarily in Europe at the end of World War II and centers on the design, production and dispatch of V-2 rockets by the German military. In particular, ...
'' by
Thomas Pynchon Thomas Ruggles Pynchon Jr. ( , ; born May 8, 1937) is an American novelist noted for his dense and complex novels. His fiction and non-fiction writings encompass a vast array of subject matter, genres and themes, including history, music, scie ...
"National Book Awards – 1974"
National Book Foundation The National Book Foundation (NBF) is an American nonprofit organization established, "to raise the cultural appreciation of great writing in America". Established in 1989 by National Book Awards, Inc.,Edwin McDowell. "Book Notes: 'The Joy Luc ...
. Retrieved 2012-03-26.
With essay by Harold Augenbraum from the Awards 60-year anniversary blog.
* ''Passions and Other Stories'' (1975) * ''Old Love'' (1979) * ''The Collected Stories'' (1982) * ''The Image and Other Stories'' (1985) * ''The Death of Methuselah and Other Stories'' (1988)


Juvenile literature

* '' Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories'', illustrated by Maurice Sendak (1966) – runner up for the
Newbery Medal The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished cont ...
(Newbery Honor Book)"Newbery Medal and Honor Books, 1922–Present"
.
Association for Library Service to Children The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) is a division of the American Library Association, and it is the world's largest organization dedicated to library service to children. Its members are concerned with creating a better future ...
. ALA. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
* ''Mazel and Shlimazel'', illus.
Margot Zemach Margot Zemach (November 30, 1931 – May 21, 1989) was an American illustrator of more than forty children's books, some of which she also wrote. Many were adaptations of folk tales from around the world, especially Yiddish and other Eastern Euro ...
(1967) * ''The Fearsome Inn'', illus. Nonny Hogrogian (1967) – Newbery Honor Book * ''When Shlemiel Went to Warsaw and Other Stories'', illus. Margot Zemach (1968) – Newbery Honor Book—Yiddish original: * '' The Golem'', illus.
Uri Shulevitz Uri Shulevitz ( he, אורי שולביץ; born February 27, 1935) is an American people, American writer and illustrator of children's books. He won the 1969 Caldecott Medal for U.S. picture book illustration, recognizing ''The Fool of the Worl ...
(1969) * ''Elijah the Slave: A Hebrew Legend Retold'', illus. Antonio Frasconi (1970) * ''Joseph and Koza: or the Sacrifice to the Vistula'', illus. Symeon Shimin (1970) * ''Alone in the Wild Forest'', illus. Margot Zemach (1971) * ''The Topsy-Turvy Emperor of China'', illus.
William Pène du Bois William Sherman Pène du Bois (May 9, 1916 – February 5, 1993) was an American writer and illustrator of books for young readers. He is best known for ''The Twenty-One Balloons'', published in April 1947 by Viking Press, for which he won the 194 ...
(1971) * ''The Wicked City'', illus.
Leonard Everett Fisher Leonard Everett Fisher (born June 24, 1924) is an American artist best known for illustrating children's books. Since 1955 he has illustrated about 250 books for younger readers including about 88 that he also wrote. Fisher was born in the Bronx ...
(1972) * ''The Fools of Chelm and Their History'', illus. Uri Shulevitz (1973) * ''Why Noah Chose the Dove'', illus.
Eric Carle Eric Carle (June 25, 1929 – May 23, 2021) was an American author, designer and illustrator of children's books. His picture book '' The Very Hungry Caterpillar'', first published in 1969, has been translated into more than 66 languages and sol ...
(1974) * ''A Tale of Three Wishes'', illus. Irene Lieblich (1975) * ''Naftali the Storyteller and His Horse, Sus'', illus. Margot Zemach (1976) * ''The Power of Light – Eight Stories for Hanukkah'', illus. Irene Lieblich (1980) * ''Yentl the Yeshiva Boy'', illus. Uri Shulevitz (1983) * ''Stories for Children'' (1984) – collection * ''Shrew Todie and Lyzer the Miser and Other Children's Stories'' (1994) * ''The Parakeet Named Dreidel'' (2015)


Nonfiction

* ''The Hasidim'' (1973)


Autobiographical writings

* —Yiddish original: * . National Book Award, Children's Literature"National Book Awards – 1970"
National Book Foundation The National Book Foundation (NBF) is an American nonprofit organization established, "to raise the cultural appreciation of great writing in America". Established in 1989 by National Book Awards, Inc.,Edwin McDowell. "Book Notes: 'The Joy Luc ...
. Retrieved February 8, 2012.
* . * . * . * . *


Short stories

* . * .


Collected works

* . * . * .


Films and stage productions based on Singer's work

* '' Enemies, A Love Story'' (1989) * ''
Love Comes Lately ''Love Comes Lately'' (german: Bis später, Max!) is a 2007 film written for the screen and directed by Jan Schütte. The film is based on the short stories of Isaac Bashevis Singer. Plot Elderly Jewish writer Max Kohn (Otto Tausig) is an Austria ...
'' (2007) * '' The Magician of Lublin'' (1979) * '' Yentl'' (1983) * ''Mr. Singer's Nightmare or Mrs. Pupkos Beard''"Warsaw Stories"
(various reprints beginning with a version of this biography). Eilat Gordin Levitan.
* '' Fool's Paradise''


See also

*
Jewish vegetarianism Jewish vegetarianism is a commitment to vegetarianism that is connected to Judaism, Jewish ethics or Jewish identity. Jewish vegetarians often cite Jewish principles regarding Jewish ethics#Treatment of animals, animal welfare, Jewish ethics#Env ...
* List of animal rights advocates * List of Jewish Nobel laureates *
List of Poles This is a partial list of notable Polish or Polish-speaking or -writing people. People of partial Polish heritage have their respective ancestries credited. Science Physics * Czesław Białobrzeski * Andrzej Buras * Georges Charpa ...


Citations


General and cited references

* . * Richard Burgin. ''Conversations with Isaac Bashevis Singer''. NY: Doubleday, 1985. * . * Lester Goran. ''The Bright Streets of Surfside: The Memoir of a Friendship with Isaac Bashevis Singer''. Kent, OH: Kent State University Press, 1994. * . * . * Roberta Saltzman. ''Isaac Bashevis Singer: a bibliography of his works in Yiddish and English, 1960–1991''. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2002. * Dorothea Straus. ''Under the Canopy''. New York: George Braziller, 1982. * Florence Noiville. ''Isaac B. Singer, A Life'',
Farrar, Straus and Giroux Farrar, Straus and Giroux (FSG) is an American book publishing company, founded in 1946 by Roger Williams Straus Jr. and John C. Farrar. FSG is known for publishing literary books, and its authors have won numerous awards, including Pulitzer ...
, 2006 * Dvorah Telushkin. ''Master of Dreams: A Memoir of Isaac Bashevis Singer''. New York: Morrow, 1997. * . * Agata Tuszyńska.
Lost Landscapes: In Search of Isaac Bashevis Singer and the Jews of Poland.
' New York: Morrow, 1998. Hardcover. via Google Books, preview. * . * Israel Zamir. ''Journey to My Father, Isaac Bashevis Singer''. New York: Arcade 1995. * Aleksandra Ziolkowska-Boehm ''The Roots Are Polish''. Toronto: Canadian-Polish Research Institute, 2004.


External links


Official Website
* *


Singer page at Library of America

''The Paris Review'' Interview with Isaac Bashevis Singer


at th
Harry Ransom Center
at
The University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

Snger's Biography by Florence Noiville at Google Books

Singer's Artists

''Zlateh the Goat and Other Stories''

Video Lecture on Isaac Bashevis Singer: Singer in the Shtetl, the Shtetl in Singer
by Dr. Henry Abramson of
Touro College South Touro University is a private Jewish university system headquartered in New York City, with branches throughout the United States as well as one each in Germany, Israel and Russia. It was founded by Bernard Lander in 1971 and named for Isaac a ...

Interviews and Videos about Isaac Bashevis Singer

Finding aid to Isaac Bashevis Singer manuscripts at Columbia University. Rare Book & Manuscript Library.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Singer, Isaac Bashevis 1903 births 1991 deaths 20th-century American dramatists and playwrights 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American memoirists 20th-century American novelists 20th-century American short story writers 20th-century Polish Jews 20th-century translators American autobiographers American children's writers American male dramatists and playwrights American male non-fiction writers American male novelists American male short story writers American Nobel laureates American vegetarianism activists Bancarella Prize winners Bard College faculty Burials at Cedar Park Cemetery (Emerson, New Jersey) Jewish American dramatists and playwrights Jewish American novelists Jewish American short story writers Jews who emigrated to escape Nazism Magic realism writers National Book Award for Young People's Literature winners National Book Award winners Newbery Honor winners Nobel laureates in Literature Novelists from New York (state) PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction winners People from Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki County People from Radzymin People from the Lower East Side People from the Upper West Side People from Warsaw Governorate Polish children's writers Polish emigrants to the United States Polish Nobel laureates Translators from Yiddish Yiddish-language satirists Yiddish–English translators Members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters Itzik Manger Prize recipients