Dovid Katz has written dozens of short stories that depict the life and
Dovid Katz explores the culture of the old-time Lithuanian Jews (Litvaks), especially their misnagdic
religious tradition and psyche, which differed greatly from that
of the khasidim, whose culture is far more familiar to most American
Jews. He set himself the task of redressing the balance by masterfully
and immersing himself in the long-lost milieu that he brings to life on
these pages. The present volume comprises 13 of his most compelling
and accessible stories, translated into English by Barnett Zumoff, America's
leading translator of Yiddish literature.
DOVID KATZ, born and educated in New York City, has become one
of the world's leading authorities on the origins, history, and dialects of
the Yiddish language and on the culture of the northeastern European
(Lithuanian or Litvak) Jewish civilization. He has written and edited many
scholarly books in these fields, among them Origins of the Yiddish Language
(1987); Dialects of the Yiddish Language(1988); Oxford Yiddish IIII
(1990-1995); Words on Fire--The Unfinished Story of Yiddish (revised
edition, 2007); Windows to a Lost Jewish Past (2008); Seven Kingdoms of
the Litvaks (2008); and Lithuanian Jewish Culture (revised edition, 2010).
He was also the founder of the Yiddish Studies programs at Oxford University
and at Vilnius University in Lithuania. His book of charming and
brilliantly written short stories about the old-time Lithuanian Jews, Misnagdishe
Mayses fun Vilner Gubernye (Tales of the Misnagdim from Vilna
Province) (1996) is the basis of the current volume, which presents translations
of 13 of the stories from that book.
BARNETT ZUMOFF is probably the most prolific translator of Yiddish
literature working today; he has previously published 20 volumes of translations.
Dovid Katz explores the culture of the old-time Lithuanian Jews (Litvaks), especially their misnagdic
religious tradition and psyche, which differed greatly from that
of the khasidim, whose culture is far more familiar to most American
Jews. He set himself the task of redressing the balance by masterfully
and immersing himself in the long-lost milieu that he brings to life on
these pages. The present volume comprises 13 of his most compelling
and accessible stories, translated into English by Barnett Zumoff, America's
leading translator of Yiddish literature.
DOVID KATZ, born and educated in New York City, has become one
of the world's leading authorities on the origins, history, and dialects of
the Yiddish language and on the culture of the northeastern European
(Lithuanian or Litvak) Jewish civilization. He has written and edited many
scholarly books in these fields, among them Origins of the Yiddish Language
(1987); Dialects of the Yiddish Language(1988); Oxford Yiddish IIII
(1990-1995); Words on Fire--The Unfinished Story of Yiddish (revised
edition, 2007); Windows to a Lost Jewish Past (2008); Seven Kingdoms of
the Litvaks (2008); and Lithuanian Jewish Culture (revised edition, 2010).
He was also the founder of the Yiddish Studies programs at Oxford University
and at Vilnius University in Lithuania. His book of charming and
brilliantly written short stories about the old-time Lithuanian Jews, Misnagdishe
Mayses fun Vilner Gubernye (Tales of the Misnagdim from Vilna
Province) (1996) is the basis of the current volume, which presents translations
of 13 of the stories from that book.
BARNETT ZUMOFF is probably the most prolific translator of Yiddish
literature working today; he has previously published 20 volumes of translations.