Yiddish Writers From Ukraine

The war in Ukraine has brought into the headlines the names of many towns and cities that are intimately connected to the story of modern Yiddish creativity and culture. The territory of modern Ukraine has been home to thousands of Yiddish writers, journalists, editors, actors, playwrights, singers, musicians, and cultural activists. Their ties to their homeland, and their feelings about it, have varied widely, but many of them have felt an affinity and affection for the country, the land, and the people. As an expression of solidarity with the people of Ukraine, as they fight for their freedom and the right to express their own identity, we have created this map and the accompanying list of Yiddish writers who were born or lived or worked in Ukraine.

An * after a name indicates that the person was born in this town or city.

Berdychiv

Der Nister*

Y. Y. Lerner

Boryslav

Moyshe Gross*

Boyarka

Arn Kushnirov*

Buchach

Shmuel Yosef Agnon*

Buky

Moyshe Khashtshevatski*

Burshtyn

Dvoyre Fogel*

Busk

Dovid Kenigsberg*

Chernivtsi

Iosif Burg

Meir Kharats

Itzik Manger

Beyle Schaechter-Gottesman

Eliezer Steinbarg

Demydivka

A. Lutsky*

Drohobych

Jonas Kreppel*

Haisyn

Yoysef Kerler*

Holoskove

Leib Kvitko*

Ivankiv

Rashel Veprinski*

Kharkiv

Leib Kvitko

Der Nister

Khorostkiv

Blume Lempel*

Komariv

Leyzer Podryatshik*

Korosten

Eliezer Schechtman*

Korostyshev

Dovid Hofshteyn*

Krasne

Shike Driz*

Kropyvnytskyi

Jacob Gordin

Kyiv

Dovid Bergelson

Meir Blinkin

Yekheskl Dobrushin

Binyumen Gutyanski

Dovid Hofshteyn*

Arn Kushnirov*

Leib Kvitko*

Peretz Markish*

Sholem Aleichem

Lanivtsi

Rokhl Auerbach*

Lubny

Sholem Aleichem

Lutsk

Avrom-Moyshe Abtshuk*

Lviv

Israel Ashendorf

Dvoyre Fogel

Yankev Mestel

Moyshe Shimel*

Lystove

Shira Gorshman

Medzhybizh

Micha Josef Berdyczewski*

Monasterzyska

Malka Lee*

Myrhorod

Jacob Gordin*

Nemyriv

Israel Aksenfeld*

Nikopol 

Khayim Gildin*

Nizhyn

Mani Leib*

Novovitebsk

Yankev Glantz*

Odesa

Hirsh Bloshteyn

Rokhl Boymvol*

Rokhl Faygnberg

Leon Feinberg

Shimen Frug*

Jacob Gordin

Y. Y. Lerner

Peretz Markish

Mark Varshavski*

Mendele Moykher Sforim

Ozerna

Avrom-Moyshe Fuks*

Pidlisky

Rokhl Korn*

Pereiaslav

Meir Blinkin*

Sholem Aleichem*

Polonne

Peretz Markish*

Radomyshl

Rive Balyasne

Dora Shulner*

Rivne

Benjamin Gebiner*

Sarny

Dovid Bergelson*

Sasiv

Nahum Bomze*

Shmuel Yankev Imber*

Shpola

Itzik Fefer*

Skala-Podilska

Fradl Shtok*

Starokonstantinov

Avrom Goldfaden*

Trostyanets

Mendl Osherovitch*

Uhniv

Yankev Shudrikh*

Uman

Ezra Fininberg*

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov

Vinnystsia

Hayim Nahman Bialik*

Vyzhnytsya

Iosif Burg*

Zhytomyr

Avrom Goldfaden

Zloczow

Moyshe-Leyb Halpern*

Yankev Mestel*

 

Map devised and compiled by David Mazower and created by Emily Mazza based on a Creative Commons image "Novi raiony" by Skoropadsky, used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Web page text by Sarah Biskowitz. Proofreading by Alexandra Polyan. Additional assistance from Rachelle Grossman.  Enhanced by suggestions and contributions from Asya Vaisman Schulman, Karolina Szymaniak, Philip Schwartz, Justin Cammy, Ellen Cassedy, Joyce Rappaport, David Goldberg, Susanne Klingenstein, Michael Alpert, Daniel Strum, Maia Evrona, Rose Waldman, Henry Sapoznik, and Alexandra Polyan.