Eliezer Greenberg (December 13, 1896 – June 2, 1977) was a Bessarabian-born Jewish-American Yiddish poet and literary critic.

Life

Greenberg was born on December 13, 1896, in Lipcani,

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

, the son of Ezekiel Greenberg and Ethel Haselov. Greenberg attended a religious primary school and studied under

Haskalah The ''Haskalah'' (; literally, "wisdom", "erudition" or "education"), often termed the Jewish Enlightenment, was an intellectual movement among the Jews of Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, with a certain influence on those in Wester ...

follower Itsik Shkolnik. He also studied secular subjects. His teachers included townsmen and writers Eliezer Steinbarg, Jacob Sternberg, and Moyshe Altman. He immigrated to America in 1913, initially living in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

then in Brockton. He worked in a leather workshop at that time. In 1921, he began studying in the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

Ann Arbor Ann Arbor is a city in Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States, and its county seat. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851, making it the List of municipalities in Michigan, fifth-most populous cit ...

and worked as a teacher in Jewish schools. He settled in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

in 1927. His writings first appeared in 1919 in Jacob Marinoff's '' Der Groyser Kundes'' and in ''Di Naye Velt''. He then published his songs, poems, and essays in multiple publications. Greenberg's earliest works dealt with New York City, both the architectural wonders of the

Woolworth Building The Woolworth Building is a residential building and early skyscraper at 233 Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway in the Tribeca neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in New York City. Designed by Cass Gilbert, it was the tallest building in the world f ...

and the

Brooklyn Bridge The Brooklyn Bridge is a cable-stayed suspension bridge in New York City, spanning the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Opened on May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first fixed crossing of the East River. It w ...

and the abject poverty of the tenements and workers. He especially focused on the latter during the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

. In the years after the

Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

, he wrote about the tragedy and destruction of the European Jewish community, including of his native city of Lipcani he maintained affectionate memories of, and of the decline of Yiddish culture in America. He wrote critical studies about Yiddish poets Moyshe-Leyb Halpern, Jacob Glatstein, and H. Leivick. From 1945 to 1949, he and Elias Schulman edited the literary magazine ''Getseltn'', which included works from a wide range of Yiddish poets. Greenberg published his first volume of Yiddish poetry, ''Gasn un Evenyus'' (Streets and Avenues) in 1928. This was followed by ''Fun Umetum'' (From Everywhere) in 1934, ''Fisherdorf'' (Fishing Village) in 1938, ''Di Lange Nakht'' (The Long Night) in 1946, ''Baynakhtiker Dialog'' (Night Dialogue), ''Eybiker Dorsht'' (Eternal Thirst) in 1968, and ''Gedenkshaft'' (Memorabilia) in 1974. He and

Irving Howe Irving Howe (né Horenstein; ; June 11, 1920 – May 5, 1993) was an American author, literary and social critic, and a key figure in the democratic socialist movement in the U.S. He co-founded and served as longtime editor of ''Dissent'' ma ...

edited several anthologies of translations from Yiddish to English, including ''A Treasury of Yiddish Stories'' in 1954, ''Five Yiddish Poets'' in 1962, ''A Treasury of Yiddish Poetry'' in 1969, ''Voices From the Yiddish'' in 1972, ''Yiddish Stories Old and New'' in 1974, ''Selected Stories of I.L. Peretz'' in 1974, and ''Ashes Out of Hope'' in 1977. The latter work included fiction by Soviet Yiddish writers. Greenberg received the Harry Kovner Award for Yiddish Poetry from the

Jewish Book Council The Jewish Book Council (Hebrew: ), founded in 1943, is an American organization encouraging and contributing to Jewish literature. The goal of the council, as stated on its website, is "to promote the reading, writing and publishing of quali ...

in 1953, the Jewish Book Council of America Award for Poetry in 1954, and the Jacob Fichman Poetry Prize from the Union of Bessarabian Jews in Israel in 1967. He was director of Yiddish Press Relations for the

American Jewish Committee The American Jewish Committee (AJC) is a civil rights group and Jewish advocacy group established on November 11, 1906. It is one of the oldest Jewish advocacy organizations and, according to ''The New York Times'', is "widely regarded as the wi ...

, a founder and vice-president of the Yiddish

PEN Club PEN International (known as International PEN until 2010) is a worldwide association of writers, founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere. The association has autonomous Internati ...

, and a member of the

Workmen's Circle The Workers Circle or Der Arbeter Ring (), formerly The Workmen's Circle, is an American Jews, Jewish nonprofit organization that promotes social and economic justice, Jewish community and education, including Yiddish studies, and Ashkenazi Jews, ...

and the I. L. Peretz Yiddish Writers Union. In 1926, he married Eva Brown. Greenberg died in the Cabrini Health Care Center from a long illness on June 2, 1977.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Greenberg, Eliezer 1896 births 1977 deaths Bessarabian Jews People from Khotinsky Uyezd Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States University of Michigan alumni Yiddish–English translators American poets in Yiddish Jewish American poets 20th-century American Jews 20th-century American translators 20th-century American poets Poets from New York (state) American male poets 20th-century American newspaper editors Editors of New York City newspapers Burials at Cedar Park Cemetery (Emerson, New Jersey)