Asch Sholem
(1880-1957) Author of works in Yiddish, Hebrew, English and German. Born in Kutno to an Orthodox Jewish family. His lack of a formal education (he only finished cheder) was no obstacle to his talent, and he made an early debut. In 1900, he published the short story Mojszele (Moyshele) in the magazine Der Jid, and in 1904 the play Powrót (Polish, The Return, known also as Nawrócony i grzech [Polish, The Convert and Sin, translated by S. I. Witkiewicz and staged in a Kraków theater). Asch wrote in Hebrew and Polish. Under the influence of I. L. Perec, he began writing in Yiddish. In Germany, his play Mesjaszowe czasy, czyli droga do Syjonu [Polish, Messianic Times: The Road to Zion] (1905; Polish premiere, 1906).
His next plays, staged in Yiddish and in Polish translation, were also popular: Got fun nekume (Yiddish, The God of Vengeance, 1906; Polish performance, 1909), Sabbatai Zevi (1907), Kiddush Ha-Shem: An Epic of 1648 [Hebrew, Martyrdom for the Faith]; and the comedies Yichus (Yiddish, Origins, 1909), Landsman (Yiddish, Countryman, 1911); and his most popular comedy, Motke złodziej (Mottke the Thief) (1916; Polish edition, 1925). (1880-1957) Author of works in Yiddish, Hebrew, English and German. Born in Kutno to an Orthodox Jewish family. His lack of a formal education (he only finished cheder) was no obstacle to his talent, and he made an early debut. In 1900, he published the short story Mojszele (Moyshele) in the magazine Der Jid, and in 1904 the play Powrót (Polish, The Return, known also as Nawrócony i grzech [Polish, The Convert and Sin, translated by S. I. Witkiewicz and staged in a Kraków theater). Asch wrote in Hebrew and Polish. Under the influence of I. L. Perec, he began writing in Yiddish. In Germany, his play Mesjaszowe czasy, czyli droga do Syjonu [Polish, Messianic Times: The Road to Zion] (1905; Polish premiere, 1906).
His next plays, staged in Yiddish and in Polish translation, were also popular: Got fun nekume (Yiddish, The God of Vengeance, 1906; Polish performance, 1909), Sabbatai Zevi (1907), Kiddush Ha-Shem: An Epic of 1648 [Hebrew, Martyrdom for the Faith]; and the comedies Yichus (Yiddish, Origins, 1909), Landsman (Yiddish, Countryman, 1911); and his most popular comedy, Motke złodziej (Mottke the Thief) (1916; Polish edition, 1925).
Anna Maria Szczepan Wojnarska
