Yakov Sternberg
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Yankev Shternberg (in English language texts occasionally referred to as Jacob Sternberg; ; ; 1890, Lipcani,
Bessarabia Bessarabia () is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Bessarabia lies within modern-day Moldova, with the Budjak region covering the southern coa ...
,
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 ...
– 1973, Moscow,
USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...
) was a
Yiddish theater Yiddish theatre consists of plays written and performed primarily by Jews in Yiddish, the language of the Ashkenazi Jewish community. The range of Yiddish theatre is broad: operetta, musical comedy, and satiric or nostalgic revues; melodrama; na ...
director, teacher of theater, playwright, ''avant-garde'' poet and short-story writer, best known for his theater work in
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
between the two world wars.Bercovici 1998.


Biography

Shternberg grew up in the northern Bessarabian shtetl of Lipkany (
Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...
: ''Lipkon'', now Lipcani in Moldova), Liptzin, Sol (2007). "Sternberg, Jacob." ''Encyclopaedia Judaica''. 2nd ed. Macmillan Reference USA. Vol. 19, p. 219. Retrieved via ''Gale eBooks'', June 2, 2020. Also available online vi
Encyclopedia.com
which was famously termed "Bessarabian Olympus" by
Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...
and
Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...
poet
Chaim Nachman Bialik Hayim Nahman Bialik (; January 9, 1873 – July 4, 1934) was a Jewish poet who wrote primarily in Hebrew and Yiddish. Bialik is considered a pioneer of modern Hebrew poetry, part of the vanguard of Jewish thinkers who gave voice to a new spirit ...
and which in the second half of the 19th century produced several major figures of the modern
Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...
and
Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...
belle-lettres, among them Yehuda Shteinberg and Eliezer Steinbarg. He attended a Russian secondary school in Kamenets-Podolsky, where he was a classmate and close friend of the future Yiddish writer Moyshe Altman. Shternberg debuted in 1908 with a fairy tale in the newspaper ''Unzer Lebn'' (
Odessa ODESSA is an American codename (from the German language, German: ''Organisation der ehemaligen SS-Angehörigen'', meaning: Organization of Former SS Members) coined in 1946 to cover Ratlines (World War II aftermath), Nazi underground escape-pl ...
). He published poetry in Reizen's collections "Fraye Erd" (1910) and "Dos Naye Land" (1911). In the 1910s, he published poetry in the periodicals ''Hamer'' (
Brăila Brăila (, also , ) is a city in Muntenia, eastern Romania, a port on the Danube and the capital of Brăila County. The Sud-Est (development region), ''Sud-Est'' Regional Development Agency is located in Brăila. According to the 2021 Romanian ...
), ''Frayhayt'', ''Arbeter Tsaytung'', and ''Dos Naye Lebm'' (all in Czernowitz), as well as ''Gut Morgn'' (
Odessa ODESSA is an American codename (from the German language, German: ''Organisation der ehemaligen SS-Angehörigen'', meaning: Organization of Former SS Members) coined in 1946 to cover Ratlines (World War II aftermath), Nazi underground escape-pl ...
), ''
Literarishe Bleter The ''Literarishe Bleter'' () was a Yiddish weekly literary and cultural periodical published in Warsaw from 1924 to 1939. History Background and creation In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution of 1905, the Russian Empire's restrictions on ...
'' (Warsaw), and ''Tsayt'' (New York). In 1914 Shternberg settled in first in
Czernowitz Chernivtsi (, ; , ;, , see also other names) is a city in southwestern Ukraine on the upper course of the Prut River. Formerly the capital of the historic region of Bukovina, which is now divided between Romania and Ukraine, Chernivtsi serv ...
(then part of
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
, now Chernivtsi, Ukraine), and later in Bucharest,
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
.Яков Штернберг
("Yacob Shternberg") on vcisch1.narod.ru. Accessed November 3, 2006.
He became associated with the short-lived
Yiddish Yiddish, historically Judeo-German, is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated in 9th-century Central Europe, and provided the nascent Ashkenazi community with a vernacular based on High German fused with ...
-language magazine ''Likht'' ("Light"), four issues of which were published in Iaşi between December 1914 and September 1915. ''Likht'' called for a "renaissance of the Jewish stages in Romania" and condemned the "poor foundation" of Yiddish theater as a commercial institution: "The Yiddish stage ought to be a place of education, of drawing Jews closer together through the Yiddish word… we will fight against this ommercialstate of things."
Israil Bercovici Israil Bercovici (, ; 1921–1988) was a Jewish Romanian dramaturg, playwright, director, biographer, and memoirist, who served the State Jewish Theater of Romania between 1955 and 1982; he also wrote Yiddish-language poetry. Biography Berc ...
counts the "literary-musical" gatherings sponsored by that magazine as "the beginning of modern Yiddish theater in Romania", and sees Shternberg as preparing the way for the
Vilna Troupe The Vilna Troupe (; ; ; ), also known as Fareyn Fun Yiddishe Dramatishe Artistn (Federation of Yiddish Dramatic Actors) and later ''Dramă şi Comedie'', was an international and mostly Yiddish-speaking theatre, one of the most famous in the history ...
, the Yiddish theater troupe that brought the ideas of
Konstantin Stanislavski Konstantin Sergeyevich Stanislavski ( rus, Константин Сергеевич Станиславский, p=kənstɐnʲˈtʲin sʲɪrˈɡʲejɪvʲɪtɕ stənʲɪˈslafskʲɪj, links=yes; ; 7 August 1938) was a seminal Russian and Sovie ...
to Romania. Nonetheless, Shternberg adopted as a slogan "Back to Goldfaden". Calling Abraham Goldfaden "the
Prince Charming Prince Charming is a fairy tale stock character archetype who comes to the rescue of a damsel in distress and must engage in a quest to liberate her from an evil spell. This classification suits most heroes of a number of traditional folk tales ...
who woke up the lethargic Romanian Jewish Culture" when he founded professional Yiddish theater in 1876 ( Iaşi), Shternberg wrote, "The only milieu that attracts the great Jewish masses is a traditional-
cultural Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...
theater. Not even a literary theater… From that I created a social-political theater, a theater… f current events which I think was, then, the first of its kind in Yiddish". In 1917–18, Shternberg and Jacob Botoshansky together founded a Yiddish
revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...
theater in
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
, for which they wrote and produced nine short plays (revues), including ''Tsimes'' (named after the traditional pureed vegetable dish tsimes), ''Bukaresht-Yerusholaim'' ("Bucharest-Jerusalem"), ' ("All of a sudden"), ''Grine bleter'' ("Green leaves"), ''Kukuriku'', ''Sholem-Aleykhem'' ("Hello"), and ''Hershele Ostropoler'' ("Hershele of Ostropol"). In 1917, in response to
antisemitic Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...
violence at that time in Romania and elsewhere in Eastern Europe, he staged passages from Bialik. In 1920, he became the editor of "Der Veker", official organ of the Jewish section of the Romanian Socialist Party. In 1924–26, he was the director for the "Vilner trupe". The
Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
n daily newspaper ''
Adevărul (; meaning "The Truth", formerly spelled ''Adevĕrul'') is a Romanian daily newspaper, based in Bucharest. Founded in Iași, in 1871, and reestablished in 1888, in Bucharest, it was the main left-wing press venue to be published during the Kingd ...
'' wrote on August 23, 1924, shortly after the troupe's arrival in Bucharest, that "Such a demonstration of artistry, even on a small stage such as Jigniţa and even in a language like Yiddish ought to be seen by all who are interested in superior realization of drama."Bercovici 1998. In 1930 he created a hugely successful studio theater '' BITS'' ("Bukareshter Yidishe Teater-Studiye"), housed in
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...
's Jewish quarter Văcărești, that played a prominent role in the development of modern trends in European theater. BITS staged works of
Osip Dymov Osip Dymov (Russian: Осип Дымов) is the central fictional character in the classic Russian story " The Grasshopper" (''Poprygunya''; 1892) by Anton Chekhov.Loehlin, James N. (2010). The Cambridge introduction to Chekhov'. Cambridge, UK ...
(''Yashke-muzikant'' – "Yashka the Musician"),
Jacob Gordin Jacob Michailovitch Gordin (Yiddish: יעקב מיכאַילאָװיטש גאָרדין; May 1, 1853 – June 11, 1909) was a Russian-American playwright active in the early years of Yiddish theater. He is known for introducing realism and nat ...
,
I.L. Peretz Isaac Leib Peretz (May 18, 1852 – April 3, 1915), also sometimes written Yitskhok Leybush Peretz (; ), was a Polish Jewish writer and playwright writing in Yiddish language, Yiddish. Payson R. Stevens, Charles M. Levine, and Sol Steinmetz count ...
(''Banakht afn altn mark'' – "A night at the old market"),
Sholem Aleichem Solomon Naumovich Rabinovich (; May 13, 1916), better known under his pen name Sholem Aleichem (Yiddish language, Yiddish and , also spelled in Yiddish orthography#Reform and standardization, Soviet Yiddish, ; Russian language, Russian and ), ...
(''Oytser'' – "Treasure", and most famously ''Der farkishefter shnayder'' – "The enchanted tailor"), Leib Malach (''Der Geler Shotn'', 1935),
Nikolai Gogol Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol; ; (; () was a Russian novelist, short story writer, and playwright of Ukrainian origin. Gogol used the Grotesque#In literature, grotesque in his writings, for example, in his works "The Nose (Gogol short story), ...
(''
Zhenit'ba ''Zhenitba'' (, ''Zhenit'ba'', ''Marriage'') is an unfinished opera begun in 1868 by Modest Mussorgsky to his own libretto based on Nikolai Gogol's comedy ''Marriage (play), Marriage''. This 1842 play is a satire of courtship and cowardice, which ...
'' – "The Marriage"), – mostly musical comedies with elements of grotesque, but also I.Y. Singer's ''Yoshe Kalb'' and his own play ''Teater in Flamen'' ("Theater in Flames") on the theme of the then-ongoing
Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...
. Sidi Tal starred in many of these productions. The performances were popular with the Bucharest intelligentsia and Peretz's "Banakht Afn Altn Mark", for one, was played more than 150 times. During this time, Shternberg published his first collection of poetry, in Bucharest (1938). As antisemitic, pro-fascist tendencies gained power in Bucharest, the theater left for a prolonged tour of major European cities and eventually Shternberg moved to
Czernowitz Chernivtsi (, ; , ;, , see also other names) is a city in southwestern Ukraine on the upper course of the Prut River. Formerly the capital of the historic region of Bukovina, which is now divided between Romania and Ukraine, Chernivtsi serv ...
, where he continued his theatrical activities. In 1939, Shternberg along with Moyshe Altman sneaked across the
Dniester The Dniester ( ) is a transboundary river in Eastern Europe. It runs first through Ukraine and then through Moldova (from which it more or less separates the breakaway territory of Transnistria), finally discharging into the Black Sea on Uk ...
and became a Soviet citizen. A year later, when his native Bessarabia was annexed by the Soviet Union, he and most of his former troupe settled in Kishinev, where Shternberg became artistic director of the Yiddish-language
Moldova Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. ...
n State Jewish Theater and staged, among other works, M. Daniel's ''Zyamke Kopatsh'' and Sholom-Aleichem's ''Motl Peysi Dem Khazns'' ("Motl Peysi, the cantor's son") with Sidi Tal in the boys' roles. During the war, he and his theatre evacuated to
Uzbekistan , image_flag = Flag of Uzbekistan.svg , image_coat = Emblem of Uzbekistan.svg , symbol_type = Emblem of Uzbekistan, Emblem , national_anthem = "State Anthem of Uzbekistan, State Anthem of the Republ ...
, where he worked for the
Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee The Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee, abbreviated as JAC, was an organization that was created in the Soviet Union during World War II to influence international public opinion and organize political and material support for the Soviet fight against ...
and was mobilized into a paramilitary construction unit. After the war, he returned to Kishinev and resumed his work at the Moldovan State Jewish Theater, where he staged his play ''Di Balade fun der Esesovke Brunhilde un ir hunt'' ("The ballad of the SS soldier Brunhilde and her dog") and published poetry in the almanac '' Heymland'' (1948). He was arrested at the height of the Stalin's campaign against "
rootless cosmopolitans "Rootless cosmopolitan" ( ) was a pejorative epithet that was mostly applied to intellectuals and Jews with ties to the West during the Stalinist era of the Soviet Union. It became especially prevalent during the country's anti-cosmopolitan ca ...
" (Jews) in the spring of 1949 and was sent to labour camps for 7 years. On his early return and rehabilitation 5 years later, Shternberg settled in Moscow and worked as a translator of Romanian literary works into Russian. He began to publish literary essays and poetry in the newly founded '' Sovetish Heymland'' in 1961 and briefly became a member of its editorial board. Collections of his poetry were published in Bucharest and Paris, and in Hebrew translation by Shlionsky and Penn in
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
on the occasion of his 75th birthday. Shternberg died of a heart attack in 1973 on the very day he received a permission to leave for Israel. His wife, the composer Otiliya Likhtenshteyn, who set his poems and those of other Soviet Yiddish poets (first of all
Leib Kvitko Leyb Moiseyevich Kvitko (, ) (October 15, 1890 – August 12, 1952) was a prominent Yiddish poet, an author of well-known children's poems and a member of the Jewish Anti-Fascist Committee (JAC). He was one of the editors of ''Eynikayt'' (the ...
) to music, died the same year. A collection of Shternberg's literary essays on theatrical topics was published posthumously in Israel. A committed socialist, Shternberg wrote that, in the wake of the
October Revolution The October Revolution, also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution (in Historiography in the Soviet Union, Soviet historiography), October coup, Bolshevik coup, or Bolshevik revolution, was the second of Russian Revolution, two r ...
, "we satirized bourgeois assimilation, struggled with the ewishclergy, fought for progressive Jewish culture, for the
emancipation of the Jews Jewish emancipation was the process in various nations in Europe of eliminating Jewish disabilities, to which European Jews were then subject, and the recognition of Jews as entitled to equality and citizenship rights. It included efforts within ...
, for the rights of citizenship… for progressive Jewish literature."


Books

* ''Shtot in profil. Lid un grotesk'' ("City in Profile. Poetry and Grotesque", Bucharest, 1935) * ''Izbrannoe" ("Collected Poetry", in Russian, Moscow: Sovetskiy Pisatel', 1954) * ''Lid un balade af di karpatn'' ("Songs and Ballads of the Carpathians", Paris: Afsnay, 1968) * ''In krayz fun yorn'' (geklibene lider) ("At the Crossing of Years" (collected poems)", Bucharest: Kriterion, 1970) * ''Veygn literatur un teater'' ("On Literature and Theater" (critical essays), Tel Aviv, 1987)


Notes and references

* Bercovici, Israil,
O sută de ani de teatru evriesc în România
' ("One hundred years of Yiddish/Jewish theater in Romania"), 2nd Romanian-language edition, revised and augmented by Constantin Măciucă. Editura Integral (an imprint of Editurile Universala), Bucharest (1998). . 116–119 and 148. Also, 125–143 is an extensive discussion of the Vilner Trupe's activities in Bucharest.


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Shternberg, Yankev 1890 births 1973 deaths People from Briceni District People from Khotinsky Uyezd Moldovan Jews Bessarabian Jews Yiddish-language poets Yiddish theatre Soviet writers Moldovan writers Moldovan male writers Jewish Romanian writers Jewish socialists 20th-century poets 20th-century Romanian male writers Romanian Ashkenazi Jews