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Guide to the Papers of Abraham Liessin (1872-1938) RG 201

Processed by Zalman Rabinowitz and Itzik Gottesman. Additional processing by Rachel S. Harrison as part of the Leon Levy Archival Processing Initiative, made possible by the Leon Levy Foundation.

YIVO Institute for Jewish Research
15 West 16th Street
New York, NY 10011
Email: archives@yivo.cjh.org
URL: http://www.yivo.org

©2012 YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. All rights reserved.

Electronic finding aid was encoded in EAD 2002 by Rachel S. Harrison in May 2012. Description is in English.

Collection Overview

Title: Guide to the Papers of Abraham Liessin (1872-1938) RG 201

ID: RG 201 FA

Extent: 15.5 Linear Feet

Arrangement:

The correspondence is arranged alphabetically by correspondent according to the Hebrew alphabet, including those correspondents who wrote in Russian, English, French, and German. Personal names of correspondents have been transliterated, journal titles have been transliterated and translated, and the titles of writings have been transliterated and translated. Yiddish names have been transliterated according to YIVO standards except when the individual is known in English by another spelling. Additionally, if the name appeared in Latin letters anywhere within the folder, that spelling was used rather than a standard transliteration. Alternate forms of names, including pseudonyms, are in parentheses following the name. The correspondence is mainly in Yiddish. When the correspondence is not in Yiddish, or not only in Yiddish, the language is indicated in parentheses following the listing of the materials.

The manuscripts of Liessin’s essays and articles are in rough alphabetical order. The newspaper clippings are in chronological order. Any inconsistencies in the arrangement have been maintained to correspond with the microfilm. The page numbers sometimes refer to the number of sheets and sometimes, for double-sided documents, to the number of sides.

The collection is divided into 6 series, some of which have been further divided into subseries.

Languages: Yiddish, Russian, German, English, Hebrew, French

Abstract

This collection contains the personal and professional papers of Abraham Liessin, including correspondence with many important literary figures, manuscripts of essays and poems by Liessin from Di Tsukunft (The Future) and from his published works, clippings, receipts, invitations, and other materials relating to Liessin’s family. This collection shows how Di Tsukunft became one of the leading Yiddish literary journals during the 25 years of Liessin’s editorship.

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The collection relates primarily to Liessin’s work as editor of Di Tsukunft, a position he held from 1913 until his death in 1938. It contains correspondence with over 1000 individuals including Richard Beer-Hofmann, Eduard Bernstein, Hayyim Nahman Bialik, Boris Dov Brutzkus, Marc Chagall, Eugene Debs, Simon Dubnow, David Einhorn, Saul Ginsburg, Jacob Glatstein, David Hofstein, Isaac Katzenelson, Moshe Kulbak, Leib Kvitko, H. Leivick, Jacob Lestschinsky, Judah Magnes, Itzik Manger, Mani Leib, Louis Marshall, Moshe Nadir, Der Nister, Shmuel Niger, Hersh David Nomberg, David Pinski, Abraham Reisen, Zalman Reisen, Zalman Shneour, Nahum Shtif, Elias Tcherikower, Baruch Charney Vladeck, Max Weinreich, Morris Winchevsky, Hillel Zeitlin, and Chaim Zhitlowsky. There are also manuscripts of Liessin’s own articles, poems and galley sheets, manuscripts submitted by about 620 authors to Liessin as editor of Di Tsukunft, clippings of poems and articles by Liessin from the Jewish Daily Forward and Di Tsukunft, and clippings of articles about Liessin from a variety of publications. Other materials include personal papers, invitations, programs relating to anniversary celebrations, clippings relating to Liessin’s family, and clippings and other information about Liessin’s death.

The professional correspondence and the manuscripts would be particularly helpful for those interested in Yiddish literature in the 1920s and 1930s, particularly Eastern European Yiddish writers, such as Hayyim Nahman Bialik, I.L. Peretz, Jacob Glatstein, David Hofstein, Itzik Manger, Mani Leib, Shmuel Niger, Der Nister, Hillel Zeitlin, and Leib Kvitko. There is also correspondence from some leading Jewish intellectuals, artists and political figures, such as Dr. Semyon Bernfeld, Eduard Bernstein, Saul Ginsburg, Simon Dubnow, Alexander Harkavy, Jacob Lestschinsky, Marc Chagall, I.N. Steinberg, Nahum Shtif, and Isaac Schiper. Among the writers whose works are contained in the collection are David Einhorn, Moshe Altman, David Hofstein, Leib Naidus, Melech Ravitch, Morris Rosenfeld, and Jacob Sternberg, among many more. The materials in this collection do not, in general, cover Liessin’s years in Eastern Europe or his earliest years in America. The collection focuses more on Liessin’s important role in Yiddish literature, both as a poet and as the editor who raised Di Tsukunft to the height of the Yiddish literary world.

Historical Note

Abraham Liessin (the pen name of Abraham Walt), the Yiddish poet, editor and journalist, was born into a rabbinical family in Minsk, Belarus on May 19, 1872. He received a traditional kheyder education and then attended the yeshivas in Wilkomir, Slobodka and Volozhin. After leaving the yeshiva, Liessin traveled to Vilna, where he studied philosophy, Haskalah literature and Socialist reform with local scholars. He also found a teacher, M.M. Rosenbaum, to instruct him in Russian and mathematics, and tried to educate himself about European culture. He soon returned to Minsk. He continued to write Socialist revolutionary Yiddish poetry and social satire, which helped him to make a name for himself with the Russian Jewish workers and various Socialist leaders in Eastern Europe, but also made him known to the authorities. His first collection, Moderne Lider (Modern Poems), was published illegally in 1897 in Minsk.

In 1896, Liessin’s Socialist activities forced him to immigrate to New York, where he began writing for and editing the newly-founded Jewish Daily Forward, particularly political articles, for which he became quite well-known. He also wrote editorials when he served as the Forward’s editor during the brief time when Abe Cahan was not at the newspaper. When Cahan rejected one of Liessin’s articles criticizing Zionism, Liessin left the newspaper. However, he soon came back, albeit briefly, due to popular demand. Around the same time, Liessin joined the Social Democratic faction in a bitter fight against Daniel De Leon and his followers in the Socialist Labor Party. He was also an active and prominent member of the Jewish Labor Bund from its inception in 1897, although he later fought against what he saw as the Bund’s neutrality toward Jewish nationalism and demanded of the Bund a more positive approach to Jewish nationalism and Jewish values and culture. Although not a Zionist, Liessin was an ardent Jewish nationalist.

Liessin married Liba Ginsburg, a fellow Socialist agitator, in 1901. She died in 1912. In 1913 Liessin began a 25-year career as editor of Di Tsukunft (The Future), a Socialist monthly Yiddish literary and cultural journal which became, under his editorship, one of the most important literary political journals in America, and certainly the leading Yiddish literary and cultural monthly. In only the first eight months of Liessin’s time as editor, the monthly circulation rose from between 3,000-4,000 to over 20,000. Di Tsukunft published the works of the most important Yiddish writers in the United States and Europe. Liessin’s status as a poet and editor brought many of the best Yiddish writers and intellectuals to Di Tsukunft, and helped Liessin to become a central figure in American Yiddish literature and his home in New York to become a meeting place for many important Yiddish writers.

Liessin continued to publish poems in New York and, after 1913, almost all of them were originally published in Di Tsukunft. His main poetic themes were Jewish history, Jewish heroes, Jewish martyrdom, and the revolt against social injustice. Many of his poems reference Jewish religious and national heroes of the past and of his own time, such as Judah Maccabee, Bar Kochba, Solomon Molcho, Rabbi Meir of Rothenburg, and Hirsch Lekert, among others. His complete poetry was published in three volumes with line drawings by Marc Chagall in New York in 1938 as Lider un Poemen, (Songs and Poems). His prose includes a posthumously published collection entitled Zikhroynes un Bilder (Memoirs and Images, 1954). Abraham Liessin died in New York on November 5, 1938.

Subject/Index Terms

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions: Permission to use the collection must be obtained from the YIVO Archivist.

Use Restrictions: Permission to publish part or parts of the collection must be obtained from the YIVO Archives. For more information, contact:YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, Center for Jewish History, 15 West 16th Street, New York, NY 10011 email: archives@yivo.cjh.org

Acquisition Method: The Central Yiddish Culture Organization (CYCO) took over the publishing of Di Tsukunft in 1941 and donated the majority of Liessin’s professional materials directly to the YIVO Archives at that time. Liessin’s family later donated additional personal materials at some time in the 1950s.

Separated Materials: There is no information about materials that are associated by provenance to the described materials that have been physically separated or removed.

Original/Copies Note: The collection has been microfilmed (MK 509).

Related Materials: Manuscripts sent to Di Tsukunft after Liessin’s death are part of the Records of Tsukunft, RG 362 and Tsukunft Monthly, RG 1457. The article about the collection by E. Lifschitz from Di Goldene Keyt issue 103 is available in the YIVO Library. The YIVO Library also has several of Liessin’s written works, including poetry and prose materials. Liessin’s correspondence is further represented in the Papers of Shalom Asch, RG 602, Shmuel Niger, RG 360, H. Leivick, RG 315, and Max Weinreich, RG 584, among many others.

Preferred Citation: Published citations should take the following form:Identification of item, date (if known); Papers of Abraham Liessin; RG 201; folder number; YIVO Institute for Jewish Research.

Finding Aid Revision History: Ezekiel Lifschitz made a preliminary organization of the collection and a preliminary inventory of the correspondence in the 1960s. Zalman Rabinowitz completed a full organization and inventory in 1982. Itzik Gottesman wrote the collection description in 1983. The full Yiddish finding aid was translated into English and additional processing was completed in 2012.


Box and Folder Listing


Browse by Series:

Series 1: Series I: General Correspondence, 1904-1942,
Series 2: Series II: Family Correspondence, 1898-1948,
Series 3: Series III: Manuscripts by Liessin, 1897-1898, undated,
Series 4: Series IV: Di Tsukunft Manuscripts, 1913-1937, undated,
Series 5: Series V: Clippings, 1897-1938,
Series 6: Series VI: Miscellaneous, 1903-1948,
All

Series III: Manuscripts by Liessin
1897-1898, undated
This series consists of Liessin’s writings, including essays and poems. Many of these writings were originally published in Di Tsukunft , although this is not true of all of the materials.
Folders: 53
Subseries 1: Essays and Articles
undated
The essays in this subseries are mainly political and polemical and are arranged alphabetically by title.
Folders: 23
Folder 1219: Odem un Yisroel to Der Itstiker Kampeyn - Di Leybor Partey un Fyuzshan
undated

Odem un Yisroel (Adam and Israel), 11 pp.

Aaron (Arkady) Kremer, 8 pp.

Undzer Opruf oyf Ruzvelts Ruf (Our Response to Roosevelt's Call), 12 pp.

Di Atake fun Shikager Kardinal oyf Hitlern un Gebelsn (The Attack of the Chicago Cardinal on Hitler and Goebbels), 10 pp.

Der Itstiker Kampeyn - Di Leybor Partey un Fyuzshan (The Present Campaign - The Labor Party and Fusion), 8 pp.

Folder 1220: Eynike Bamerkungen vegn Zamlbukh Vilne to Di Amolike Opozitsie in Minsk
undated

Eynike Bamerkungen vegn Zamlbukh Vilne (Some Remarks about Zamlbukh Vilna), 3 pp.

Eynike Bamerkungen tsu A. Litvins Artikl (Some Remarks on A. Litwin's Article), 16 pp.

In Dervartung (In Expectation), 3 pp.

Irland (Ireland), 17 pp.

Di Amolike Opozitsie in Minsk (The Former Opposition in Minsk), 31 pp.

Folder 1221: Di Amerikaner Regirung un di Yidishe Katastrofe in Rumenie to Di Ameriken Federeyshn of Leybor
undated

Di Amerikaner Regirung un di Yidishe Katastrofe in Rumenie (The American Government and the Jewish Catastrophe in Romania), 15 pp.

Amerike un Eyrope (America and Europe), 16 pp.

Amerike un di Velt (America and the World), 12 pp.

Amerike un Khine (America and China), 16 pp.

Amerike un Rusland (America and Russia), 12 pp.

Amerike un der Regirungs Antisemitizm (America and the Government's Antisemitism), proof, 13 pp.

Di Ameriken Federeyshn of Leybor (The American Federation of Labor), 10 pp.

Folder 1222: Balfur un zayn Derklerung to Dr. Eduard Bernstein
undated

Balfur un zayn Derklerung (Balfour and His Declaration), 15 pp.

Bamerkungen tsu Ribalovs Artikl (Remarks on Ribalow's Article), 11 pp.

Der Banayter Teror in Rusland (The Renewed Terror in Russia), 10 pp.

Der Blutiker Protses in Moskve (The Bloody Process in Moscow), 12 pp.

Benjamin Schlesinger, 16 pp.

A Briv fun Aharon Zundelevitsh (A Letter from Aaron Zundelevitch), 4 pp.

Dr. Eduard Bernstein, 14 pp.

Folder 1223: Governor Ruzvelt un di Temeny Unternemung to Di Groyse Sekone in Estraykh
undated

Governor Ruzvelt un di Temeny Unternemung (Governor Roosevelt and the Tammany Undertaking), 15 pp.

I.L. Gordon un di Farherlikhung fun Avoyde (I.L. Gordon and the Glorification of Worship), 11 pp.

Gneyve-Gzeyle un Retsikhe (Theft and Outrage), 14 pp.

N. Gergel, 2 pp.

Der General Strayk in San Frantsisko (The General Strike in San Francisco), 12 pp.

Di Geshenishn in Khine (The Events in China), 15 pp.

Di Groyse Sekone in Estraykh (The Great Danger in Austria), 12 pp.

Folder 1224: Di Demokratishe Hamlets un di Fashistishe Don Kikhotn to Hitlers Sholem mit England un Toyt tsu di Yidn
undated

Di Demokratishe Hamlets un di Fashistishe Don Kikhotn (Democratic Hamlets and Fascist Don Quixotes), 10 pp.

Der Hitlerizm un di Ruzvelt Administratsie (Hitlerism and the Roosevelt Administration), 16 pp.

Hitlers Apil tsu Amerike (Hitler's Appeal to America), 12 pp.

Hitlers Sholem mit England un Toyt tsu di Yidn (Hitler's Peace with England and Death to the Jews), 12 pp.

Folder 1225: Di Valn in Daytshland to Vegn Korolenko
undated

Di Valn in Daytshland (The Elections in Germany), 12 pp.

Varum Tsiht Alemen tsu Italien (What Draws Everyone to Italy), 3 pp.

Morris Winshevsky, 14 pp.

Vegn Korolenko (About Korolenko), 9 pp.

Folder 1226: Di Tragedie fun der Daytsher Arbeter Bavegung
undated
(The Tragedy of the German Workers' Movement), 19 pp.
Folder 1227: Yidn un Sotsializm to Der Yidisher Vey-Geshray fun Poyln
undated

Yidn un Sotsializm (Jews and Socialism), 14 pp.

Di Yidishe Heym in Erets Yisroel (The Jewish Home in Israel), 23 pp.

Der Yidisher Vey-Geshray fun Poyln (The Jewish Cry of Pain from Poland), 12 pp.

Folder 1228: Der Lord Fasfild un der Graf Ignatiev to Di Letste Valn un di Sotsialistishe Partey
undated

Der Lord Fasfild un der Graf Ignatiev (Lord Fasfield and Count Ignatiev), 14 pp.

Di Letste Valn un di Sotsialistishe Partey (The Last Election and the Socialist Party), 12 pp.

Folder 1229: Di Milkhome in Moroko to Di Milkhome in Vin
undated

Di Milkhome in Moroko (The War in Morocco), 9 pp.

Di Minsker Rabonim un Esther Frumkin (The Minsk Rabbis and Esther Frumkin), 11 pp.

Di Milkhome in Vin (The War in Vienna), 12 pp.

Folder 1230: M. Notkinto Der Sotsialistisher Kampeyn un di Amerikan Federeyshn of Leybor
undated

M. Notkin, 2 pp.

Di Naye Fashistishe Medinelakh, Poyln un di Yidn (The New Fascist States, Poland and the Jews), 12 pp.

Sotsializm un Amerikanizatsie (Socialism and Americanization), 11 pp.

Der Sotsialistisher Kampeyn un di Amerikan Federeyshn of Leybor (The Socialist Campaign and the American Federation of Labor), 9 pp.

Folder 1231: England un Italie to Der Englisher Imperializm, Musolini un Erets Yisroel
undated

England un Italie (England and Italy), 12 pp.

England un Rusland (England and Russia), 14 pp.

Di Englishe Arbeter Regirung (The English Workers' Government), 21 pp.

Di Englishe Kiniglekhe Komisie un di Barikht vegn Erets Yisroel (The English Royal Commission and the Report about Israel), 9 pp.

Der Englisher Imperializm, Musolini un Erets Yisroel (English Imperialism, Mussolini and Israel), 12 pp.

Folder 1232: A Por Bagegenishn Mayne mit Yudzshin Ayzenshtat, dem nit Lang Farshtorbenem Firer fun Bund to Di Pogromen in Vilne un in Andere Poylishe Shtet
undated

A Por Bagegenishn Mayne mit Yudzshin Ayzenshtat, dem nit Lang Farshtorbenem Firer fun Bund (A Few of My Meetings with Eugene Eisenstadt, the Recently Deceased Leader of the Bund), 27 pp.

A Por Bamerkungen tsu Dr. Feygns Artikl (A Few Remarks to Dr. Fagin's Article), 2 pp.

A Por Verter vegn der Sotsialistisher Konvenshn in Detroyt (A Few Words about the Socialist Convention in Detroit), 12 pp.

A Por Verter vegn Profesor Hershs Artikl (A Few Words about Professor Hersh's Article), 6 pp.

Di Pogromen in Erets Yisroel (The Pogroms in Israel), 15 pp.

Di Pogromen in Vilne un in Andere Poylishe Shtet (The Pogroms in Vilna and in Other Polish Cities), 15 pp.

Folder 1233: Di Poylishe Pogromen, di Blutike un di Blutloze vos Hern nit Oyf to Prezident Ruzvelt, Yapan un Rusland
undated

Di Poylishe Pogromen, di Blutike un di Blutloze vos Hern nit Oyf (The Polish Pogroms, The Bloody and the Bloodloss that Does Not Stop), 12 pp.

Prezident Huver un der Krizis (President Hoover and the Crisis), 16 pp.

Prezident Ruzvelt un Zayn Arbeter Frayndlekhkeyt (President Roosevelt and His Friendship with Workers), 12 pp.

Prezident Ruzvelt, Yapan un der Amerikaner Pasifizm (President Roosevelt, Japan and American Pacifism), 16 pp.

Prezident Ruzvelt, Yapan un Rusland (President Roosevelt, Japan and Russia), 12 pp.

Folder 1234: Fertsik Yor, Ershter May-Yontef to Di Froy in fer Fargangenheyt
undated

Fertsik Yor, Ershter May-Yontef (Forty Years, the First of May - Holiday), 16 pp.

Der Fraktsionaler Kamf in der Sotsialistisher Partey (The Factional Fight in the Socialist Party), 15 pp.

Di Froy in fer Fargangenheyt (The Woman in the Past), 7 pp.

Folder 1235: Tsu a Sotsialistishn Yubileum to Tsum Nayem Yor
undated

Tsu a Sotsialistishn Yubileum (To a Socialist Jubilee), 17 pp.

Tsum Nayem Yor (To a New Year), three articles, 12 pp., 11 pp., 15 pp.

Folder 1236: Tsum Ershtn May to Der Tsionizm, der Oyfshtand in Indie un di Englishe Arbeter Regirung
undated

Tsum Ershtn May (To the First of May), two articles, 14 pp., 11 pp.

Tsum 40-Yorikn Yubileum fun Bund (On the Forty-Year Anniversary of the Bund), 9 pp.

Di Tsushlisung fun Imigrantn in Amerike (The Conclusion of Immigration in America), 15 pp.

Der Tsionizm, der Oyfshtand in Indie un di Englishe Arbeter Regirung (Zionism, the Uprising in India and the English Labour Government), 12 pp.

Folder 1237: Kampeyn Notitsn
undated
(Campaign Notes), four articles, 52 pp., 14 pp., 15 pp., 10 pp.
Folder 1238: Kampeyn Notitsn to Di Konferents far Progresiver Arbeter Tetikeyt
undated

Kampeyn Notitsn (Campaign Notes), two articles, 11 pp., 12 pp.

Di Konferents far Progresiver Arbeter Tetikeyt (The Conference of Progressive Workers' Activity), 12 pp.

Folder 1239: Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah to Raphael Rein - Abramovitch
undated

Rabbi Joshua ben Hananiah, 65 pp.

Redaktsionale Notitsn (Editorial Notes), 17 pp.

Di Revolutsie un di Konter-Revolutsie in Shpanien (The Revolution and the Counter-Revolution in Spain), 8 pp.

Di Revolutsie in Shpanien un di Yidn (The Revolution in Spain and the Jews), 19 pp.

Raphael Rein - Abramovitch, 16 pp.

Folder 1240: A Shtiler Mentsh mit a Groyser Neshome-Shmuel Beker
undated
(A Quiet Man with a Great Soul - Samuel Becker)
Folder 1241: untitled
undated
12 pp.
Subseries 2: Poems
1897-1898, undated
This subseries consists of poems in various formats, including handwritten notebooks, poems from Di Tsukunft , poems from the Papers of Boruch Rivkin, RG 476, and fragments of poems. These materials are arranged alphabetically by title. Also included are the poems that were published in Liessin’s three-volume work, Lider un Poemen (Poems and poems), 1938, although not all are in the final published order. There are final typed versions, proofs and preliminary page lay-outs of these poems.
Folders: 30
Folder 1242: Notebook of various poems
1897-1898
manuscript, 52 pp.
Folder 1243: Notebook of various poems copied from other places
undated

manuscript, 86 pp., numbered 5-91

manuscript, 17 pp., numbered 137-164

Folder 1244: Aleph א
undated
Folder 1245: Beys ב, Gimel ג, Daled ד, Hey ה
undated
Folder 1246: Vov ו, Zayin ז, Yud י
undated
Folder 1247: Lamed ל, Mem מ, Nun נ
undated
Folder 1248: Ayin ע
undated
Folder 1249: Pey פ, Fey פֿ
undated
Folder 1250: Kuf ק, Resh ר
undated
Folder 1251: Shin ש, Tof ת
undated
Folder 1252: A group of poems from B. Rivkin's collection, by Liessin
undated
Folder 1253: Fragments
undated
manuscript
Folder 1254: Fragments
undated
manuscript
Folder 1255: Fragments
undated
manuscript
Folder 1256: Typed materials from his three-volume poetry collection
undated

also some handwritten materials

not in any particular order

Folder 1257: Typed materials from his three-volume poetry collection
undated
Folder 1258: Typed materials from his three-volume poetry collection
undated
Folder 1259: Typed materials from his three-volume poetry collection
undated
Folder 1260: Typed materials from his three-volume poetry collection
undated
Folder 1261: Typed materials from his three-volume poetry collection
undated
Folder 1262: Typed materials from his three-volume poetry collection
undated
Folder 1263: Proofs from his three-volume poetry collection
undated
Folder 1264: Proofs from his three-volume poetry collection
undated
Folder 1265: Proofs from his three-volume poetry collection
undated
Folder 1266: Proofs from his three-volume poetry collection
undated
Folder 1267: Proofs from his three-volume poetry collection
undated
Folder 1268: Page layouts for the three-volume poetry collection
undated
incomplete and not always in perfect numeric order
Folder 1269: Page layouts for the three-volume poetry collection
undated
Folder 1270: Page layouts for the three-volume poetry collection
undated
Folder 1271: Page layouts for the three-volume poetry collection
undated

Browse by Series:

Series 1: Series I: General Correspondence, 1904-1942,
Series 2: Series II: Family Correspondence, 1898-1948,
Series 3: Series III: Manuscripts by Liessin, 1897-1898, undated,
Series 4: Series IV: Di Tsukunft Manuscripts, 1913-1937, undated,
Series 5: Series V: Clippings, 1897-1938,
Series 6: Series VI: Miscellaneous, 1903-1948,
All
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