Eliakum Zunser
Encyclopedia
Eliakum Zunser (October 28, 1836 – September 22, 1913), was a Lithuania
n Jewish Yiddish-language poet, songwriter, and badchen
who lived out the last part of his life in U.S.. A 1905 article in the New York Times lauded him as "the father of Yiddish poetry". About a quarter of his roughly 600 songs survive. He influenced and was influenced by Brody singer Velvel Zbarzher, although it is not believed that they ever met.
Born in Vilna, he grew up poor and first worked braiding lace
in Kovno, where he was first associated with the devout, moralistic Musar movement
of Rabbi
Israel Salanter, but later drawn to the Haskalah
, or Jewish Enlightenment, and adopted a more modern Orthodox Judaism
that renounced superstition.
Forcibly conscripted into the Russian Army just before his twentieth birthday, he was soon released due to Czar Alexander II
's revocation of the harsh conscription law. The plight of Jewish draftees, or "cantonist
s" would be a major subject of his early poetry and songs.
Sol Liptzin
describes Zunser's songs as having "simple words and catchy tunes", singing of the "melancholy fate and few joys of the inarticulate masses" and writes that "His songs spread by word of mouth... until all Yiddish-speaking Jews were familiar with them". [Liptzin, 1972, 48]
In 1861 he published a booklet of songs Shirim Khadoshim, the first of about 50 publications in his lifetime. At this time, he was, in Liptzin's words, "primarily a Maskil"—a propagator of the Haskalah—"interested in instructing and aiding his people". However, his life took a tragic turn: not only did his wife die in the next decade, but all of their nine children as well, and he became, again quoting Liptzin, "a prophet of doom, admonishing his co-religionists not to venture too date along the alluring road of western enlightenment and assimilation..." [Liptzin, 1972, 49] When that doom came, in the form of the anti-Semitic reaction and pogrom
after the assassination of Alexander II, he became again a comforter, as well as a Zionist
, affiliated with the Hovevei Zion
and Bilu
pioneers, writing songs such as "Die Sokhe" ("The Plough") and "Shivath Zion" ("Homecoming to Zion").
Zunser emigrated to New York City
in 1889. However, life in New York was not conducive to his muse, and he wrote little in the years after his arrival in America, mostly poems rather than songs. En route to the New World, he wrote the hopeful "Columbus and Washington"; once there, he followed this with the far more disillusioned "Dos Goldene Land" ("The Golden Land") and "Der Greener" ("The Greenhorn"). His Zionism continued in a song urging the Jewish people to give up peddling and become farmers.
Zunser was saved from penury in his final years by a benefit performance on his behalf held at Cooper Union
, March 30, 1905, which raised enough money to give him a pension.
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n Jewish Yiddish-language poet, songwriter, and badchen
Badchen
A badchen or badkhn is a Jewish comedian with scholarly overtones who entertained guests at weddings among the Ashkenazim of Eastern Europe...
who lived out the last part of his life in U.S.. A 1905 article in the New York Times lauded him as "the father of Yiddish poetry". About a quarter of his roughly 600 songs survive. He influenced and was influenced by Brody singer Velvel Zbarzher, although it is not believed that they ever met.
Born in Vilna, he grew up poor and first worked braiding lace
Lace
Lace is an openwork fabric, patterned with open holes in the work, made by machine or by hand. The holes can be formed via removal of threads or cloth from a previously woven fabric, but more often open spaces are created as part of the lace fabric. Lace-making is an ancient craft. True lace was...
in Kovno, where he was first associated with the devout, moralistic Musar movement
Mussar movement
The Musar movement is a Jewish ethical, educational and cultural movement that developed in 19th century Eastern Europe, particularly among Orthodox Lithuanian Jews. The Hebrew term Musar , is from the book of Proverbs 1:2 meaning instruction, discipline, or conduct...
of Rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
Israel Salanter, but later drawn to the Haskalah
Haskalah
Haskalah , the Jewish Enlightenment, was a movement among European Jews in the 18th–19th centuries that advocated adopting enlightenment values, pressing for better integration into European society, and increasing education in secular studies, Hebrew language, and Jewish history...
, or Jewish Enlightenment, and adopted a more modern Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
that renounced superstition.
Forcibly conscripted into the Russian Army just before his twentieth birthday, he was soon released due to Czar Alexander II
Alexander II of Russia
Alexander II , also known as Alexander the Liberator was the Emperor of the Russian Empire from 3 March 1855 until his assassination in 1881...
's revocation of the harsh conscription law. The plight of Jewish draftees, or "cantonist
Cantonist
Cantonists were underage sons of Russian conscripts who from 1721 were educated in special "canton schools" for future military service .-Cantonist schools during the 18th and early 19th centuries:Cantonist...
s" would be a major subject of his early poetry and songs.
Sol Liptzin
Sol Liptzin
Sol Liptzin was a scholar, author, and educator in Yiddish and German literature.- Life :Liptzin was born in Sataniv, Ukraine, and moved to New York at the age of nine. He graduated from City College of New York and did postgraduate work at the University of Berlin. He earned a master's degree and...
describes Zunser's songs as having "simple words and catchy tunes", singing of the "melancholy fate and few joys of the inarticulate masses" and writes that "His songs spread by word of mouth... until all Yiddish-speaking Jews were familiar with them". [Liptzin, 1972, 48]
In 1861 he published a booklet of songs Shirim Khadoshim, the first of about 50 publications in his lifetime. At this time, he was, in Liptzin's words, "primarily a Maskil"—a propagator of the Haskalah—"interested in instructing and aiding his people". However, his life took a tragic turn: not only did his wife die in the next decade, but all of their nine children as well, and he became, again quoting Liptzin, "a prophet of doom, admonishing his co-religionists not to venture too date along the alluring road of western enlightenment and assimilation..." [Liptzin, 1972, 49] When that doom came, in the form of the anti-Semitic reaction and pogrom
Pogrom
A pogrom is a form of violent riot, a mob attack directed against a minority group, and characterized by killings and destruction of their homes and properties, businesses, and religious centres...
after the assassination of Alexander II, he became again a comforter, as well as a Zionist
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
, affiliated with the Hovevei Zion
Hovevei Zion
Hovevei Zion , also known as Hibbat Zion , refers to organizations that are now considered the forerunners and foundation-builders of modern Zionism....
and Bilu
Bilu
Bilu was a movement whose goal was the agricultural settlement of the Land of Israel. "Bilu" is an acronym based on a verse from the Book of Isaiah "בית יעקב לכו ונלכה" Beit Ya'akov Lekhu Venelkha...
pioneers, writing songs such as "Die Sokhe" ("The Plough") and "Shivath Zion" ("Homecoming to Zion").
Zunser emigrated to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1889. However, life in New York was not conducive to his muse, and he wrote little in the years after his arrival in America, mostly poems rather than songs. En route to the New World, he wrote the hopeful "Columbus and Washington"; once there, he followed this with the far more disillusioned "Dos Goldene Land" ("The Golden Land") and "Der Greener" ("The Greenhorn"). His Zionism continued in a song urging the Jewish people to give up peddling and become farmers.
Zunser was saved from penury in his final years by a benefit performance on his behalf held at Cooper Union
Cooper Union
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, commonly referred to simply as Cooper Union, is a privately funded college in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, United States, located at Cooper Square and Astor Place...
, March 30, 1905, which raised enough money to give him a pension.
Works
- The Works of Elyokum Zunser: A Critical Edition, in two volumes, edited by Mordkhe Schaechter, YIVOYIVOYIVO, , established in 1925 in Wilno, Poland as the Yidisher Visnshaftlekher Institut , or Yiddish Scientific Institute, is a source for orthography, lexicography, and other studies related to the Yiddish language...
, 1964.