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Yung Vilne
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Jewish life flourished in
Vilnius during the interwar years and Yiddish literature
was no exception. A number of young writers and artists
came together and formed what was to be an important
Yiddish literary group called Yung Vilne ("Young
Vilnius"). This group, which existed between the years
1927 and 1943, committed itself to political activism as
expressed through their work. The members included
Avrom Sutzkever, Khayim Grade, and Shmerke Kaczerginski.
A famous poet Moyshe Kulbak (1896-1937) also created in
Vilnius.
The Holocaust and
subsequent Russian occupation broke apart the group, but
those who survived continued their professional careers
throughout the world. |
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Front row,
left to right: Elkhonen Vogler, Benzion
Mikhtom, Khayim Grade, Yoysef Opatoshu, Shmerke
Kaczerginski, and
Avrom Sutzkever.
Back row,
left to right: Leyzer
Volf, Shimshon Kahan, Peretz Miransky, and Moyshe Levin.
Other members
included Hadase Rubin (1912 Frampol-/poet) and Hirsh
Glik (1920-/poetry), artists Leib Castle and Rafal
Chwoles.
The above photo was taken in 1935 on the occasion of a
visit to Vilna by the writer Yoysef Opatoshu (not a
member of Yung Vilne.)
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Standing, right to left: Shmerke
Kaczerginski(1908-1954/writer), Avrom
Sutzkever (1913-/poet, Elkhonen
Vogler (1907-69),
Khayim Grade (1910-82/poet) and Leyzer Volf (1910-1943).
Leyzer Wolf was killed in a village near Samarkand,
Uzbekistan in April 1943.
Seated, right to left: Moyshe
Levin (1907-1941),
Sheyne Efron (artist), Shimshon Kahan (-1941), Rokhl
Sutskever (1905-1943/artist) and Benzion Mikhtom
(1909-1941/artist).
Moyshe Levin,
Benzion Mikhtom, Shimshon Kahan and Reina Sutzkever
(mother of Avrom Sutskever; not a member of Yung Vilne)
were all killed in Ponar in 1941.
Kaczerginski perished in a plane
crash in Argentina on 27 Apr 1954.
Rokhl Sutzkever (nee Ushayev;
born in Smorgon, Belarus), died at Treblinka in 1943.
The above photograph was taken in 1930. |
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