From Leksikon fun der
nayer Yidisher literatur
(Biographical Dictionary of
Modern Yiddish Literature)
Samuel Niger and Jacob Shatzky, editors
New York: Congress for Jewish Culture,
1956-1981, Pages 514-516
Translated from the Yiddish by
Ruth Fisher Goodman
Edited by Mindy Liberman
Yankev (Jacob) Dinezon
(1856 1859 according to Jewish Encyclopedia, 1852 according to Seyfer hazikorn (The Book of Memories)–August 29, 1919
He was born in New Zhager near Kovno in Lithuania. He studied in cheder (Jewish elementary school) and in the yeshiva and was an avid reader. He was greatly influenced by two prominent advocates of the time: Reb Hayyim Zak and the poet Mikhl Gordon (1823–1890).
When Dinezon was twelve years old, his father died. He was raised by his uncle, Isaac Eliashev, in Mohilev near the Dnieper River.
His spiritual development was greatly influenced by the wife of a wealthy merchant in Mohilev, Hurevitsh, in whose household he taught Hebrew. He was sent by the Hurevitshes to Vilna, where he met I. M. Dik at the Printers Romm. At that time, he already had articles published in Ha-magid (The Preacher) and Ha-Melits (The Advocate) and in Smolenskin’s Ha-Shahar (The Dawn), and produced pamphlets such as Duner un blits (Thunder and Lightning).
Dinezon had brought the manuscripts of his first two novels to Vilna, Beoven avos, oder, a shpil far yudishe tekhter, kremerkes, un shenkerkes (For the Sins of the Fathers, or, A Play for Jewish Daughters, Storekeepers, and Tavern Maids); and Ha-ne’ehavim veha-ne’imim, oder, der shvartser yungermantshik (The Beloved and Pleasing, or, The Dark Young Man). He was able to sell the first manuscript for a large honorarium, but the book was never published, probably because a wealthy Mohilever, who was a relative of the Vilna censor, was portrayed in a negative light.
According to Sh. Niger, The Beloved and Pleasing, or, The Dark Young Man was “both the first long novel and the first sentimental novel written in Yiddish.” Published in 1877, it was a book with a moral and was so successful that it sold 10,000 copies within a short period. It was reprinted many times and was even dramatized on stage.
For a long time thereafter, Dinezon didn’t write. The reason was that he was in love with his student, Hurevitsh’s daughter. According to another version, the reason was a speech by Peretz Smolenskin opposing Yiddish. It seems that Dinezon, who, like all of his contemporaries, viewed Yiddish as a means of enlightening and teaching the masses, could not bring himself to continue to write in Yiddish.
At the end of 1885, after a short time in Kiev, Dinezon went to Warsaw, where he met I. L. Peretz. This was a watershed date in his life and an important date in the history of Yiddish literature. Their acquaintance developed into an intimate, lifelong friendship.
Jewish writers in Warsaw at that time congregated in Dinezon’s apartment, and he once again became active in writing. His article entitled, “An entfer profesor grets: ver mit vemen darf zikh shemen” (“An Answer to Professor Graetz, or, Who Should be Ashamed of Whom?” in Dos Yudishe Folks-blat (The Jewish People’s Paper), a response to Professor Graetz’s attack on the Yiddish language, most likely concerned his new view of the language question among Jews.
He printed sketches and stories such as “Kreplekh zolstu esn” (“Go Eat Kreplach”) in Sholem Aleichem’s Di Yudishe Folks-bibliotek (The Jewish People’s Library) and Yom-kiper (“Yom Kippur”) in Hoyz Fraynd (House Friend). A long novel (390 pages) entitled Even negef (Stumbling Block) was published in Vilna in 1890, republished in Warsaw in 1902 and 1926 (492 pages), and in Moscow in 1938. Also, a children’s book entitled Avigdorl (Little Avigor).
His third novel soon followed: Hershele, 1891, Warsaw, 200 pages, 1895 and 1903, and in New York in 1905 (translated into Hebrew by S. Herberg, Mitzpe, Tel Aviv, 1937.)
His children’s book: Yosele was published in Warsaw in 1899 and 1903 (188 pages); in New York, 1923, 1926; in Buenos Aires, 1949; and in Warsaw in 1951. It was translated into Hebrew by H. D. Shachar, Mitzpe, Tel Aviv.
Yosele was also included in the work Finf niftorem (Five Who Have Passed Away), Der Kval (The Spring) Publishers, Vienna, 1920.
Alter: a roman in eyn teyl (Alter: A Novel in One Part), supplement to Fraynd (Friend), 1904.
“Kindershe neshomes” (“Children’s Souls”), supplement to Fraynd, 1904; Tuvyele: a shvues mayse (Tuvyele: A Shavuos Story), Warsaw, 16 pages; Der krizis: ertselung fun soykherishn lebn (The Crisis: A Story of Merchant Life), Warsaw, 133 pages; Shimshon Shloyme mit zayne ferd; an alegorye (Samson Solomon and His Horses: An Allegory), Warsaw, 1909, 14 pages; Gitele’s Yom Kippur, Warsaw, 1909, 30 pages; India, New York, 1909, 64 pages; Babylonia, New York, 1909, pp. 167–201; and Egypt, New York, pp. 105–166. Dinezon also published memoirs in Pinkes (The Record), Vilna, 1911.
He translated Graetz’s Folkshtimlekhe yidishe geshikhte (Popular History of the Jews) except for the first volume. He reworked the first volume of Velt geshikhte (World History), first edition, a supplement to Yud (The Jew), 1900, which was often reprinted.
Published after Dinezon’s death were Falik un zayn hoyz; dertseylung (Falik and his House: A Story), Warsaw, 1926, 106 pages; Zikhroynes un bilder (Memories and Scenes), Warsaw, 1928, 244 pages; Ale verk fun Yakov Dinezon (The Complete Works of Jacob Dinezon), Warsaw, 1928–9.
Dinezon stopped writing around 1910. He left several unpublished manuscripts, such as Eym habonim, oder, di sheyne Rokhle (Mother of Sons, or, The Pretty Rachel), a novel in four parts; Maysim b’kol yom (Everyday Deeds), a novel in two parts; Khelmo toyvo khazay: eyne kritishe ertseylung fom lebn gegrifn forgeshtelt in a kholem (I had a Good Dream: A Critical Story of Life from a Concept in a Dream); Far likht bentshn (Before Blessing the Candles), Reb Berl der groyser: a kheyder mayse (Reb Berl The Great: A Cheder Story); Kheyder yinglekh: an emese mayse (School Boys: A True Story); Vegn Robinzon Kruze: oykh mayn ersht verk (About Robinson Crusoe: Also My First Work); Tsushnayder: dertseylung (The Fabric Cutter: A Story); Yom-kiper motiven (Yom Kippur Motifs), Der zeyger (The Clock), Di milkhome (The War), Sefer hazikorn (Memorial Book).
Also mentioned is a Yiddish work, Miriam ha-khashmonoyes (Miriam the Hasmonean). His story A briv tsu a mekhaber (A Letter to An Author) was never published in book form either. Dinezon also translated into Yiddish 65 sayings from the series Pitgamim umivtayim (Proverbs and Sayings) from Sefer haagode (The Book of Legends) by Chaim Nachman Bialik and Ravnitski). In addition, he contributed to Fraynd and Tsukumft (the story “Yosl Algebrenik” (“Yosl the Algebra Man”) and was involved in just about every Yiddish work of that time.
Dinezon’s letters have great historical and cultural value. A small number were printed by Dr. Jacob Shatsky in Pinkes (The Record Book), New York, Fertlyoriker zhurnal far yidisher literatur-geshikhte, shprakhforshung, folklor un bibliografye (Quarterly Journal for Yiddish Literature-History, Language Research, Folklore and Bibliography), Notebook 4, pp. 377–380, and Vol. 2, 1929, No. 1, pp. 61–69.
He earned a living by working as an advertising agent for Yiddish and Hebrew newspapers in Warsaw. In those years when he no longer wrote, especially after the death of I. L. Peretz, he devoted himself entirely to working for Jewish children’s homes and schools (during the First World War.)
“Jacob Dinezon was not a great step forward in Yiddish fiction. His novel was important to the Jewish reader, and it is still of interest now to those studying the history and psychology of the Jewish public. In purely literary terms, it was, above all, a return to the moralizing-enlightened style of I. M. Dik and E. Z. Zweifel.”—(Sh. Niger).
Dinezon died in Warsaw and was laid to rest beside I. L. Peretz.
Z. Reyzen, Leksikon fun der yidisher literatur, prese, un filologie (Lexicon of Yiddish Literature, Press, and Philology), Vol. 1; Z. Zylbercweig, Leksikon fun yidishn teater (Lexicon of the Yiddish Theater), Vol. 1; D. Frishman, Tsukumft (Future), January, 1928; A. Reyzen: Episodn fun mayn lebn (Episodes from my Life), Vol. 1, Vilna, 1929; Bal Makhshoves, Geklibene shriftn (Collected Works), Warsaw, 1929; S. Dubnow, Fun zhargon tsu yidish (From Jargon to Yiddish), Vilna, 1929; N. Mayzel, Tsukumft, May, 1934; N. B. Minkov, YIVO Bleter (YIVO Pages), Vol. 25, May–June, New York, 1945, pp. 441–465; Sh. Niger, Dertseylers un romanistn (Storytellers and Novelists), Vol. 1, New York, 1946; Dr. A. Mukduni, Y. L. Perets un dos yidishe teater (I. L. Peretz and the Yiddish Theater), New York, 1949; Y. Y. Trunk, Poyln (Poland), New York, Vol. 5, 1949; B. Young, Mayn lebn in teater (My Life in the Theater), New York, 1950; M. Natish, YIVO Bleter, Vol. 6, and a dissertation on the same topic: YIVO-Arkhiv (YIVO-Archive), New York; S. Slutski, A. Reyzen biblyographye (A. Reyzen Bibliography), New York, 1956, Nos. 4511, 4623, 4625; K. S. Kazdan, Fun kheyder un shkoles biz tsisho (From Cheder and Secular Schools to TSYSHO Central Yiddish School Organization), 1956, index; S. Rozhanski, Yakov Dinezon: di mame tsvishn undzere klasikers, 1856–1919 (Jacob Dinezon: The Mother Among Our Classic Yiddish Writers, 1856–1919), Buenos Aires, 1956, 131 pages, and Afrikaner idishe tsaytung (African Jewish Newspaper), December 28, 1956; N. Mayzel, Di prese (The Press), Buenos Aires, September 5, 1956; Y. Botoshanski, Di prese (The Press), Buenos Aires, August 31, 1956; B. T. Goldberg, Tog morgn zhurnal (The Day-Morning Journal), January 27, and February 24, 1957; I. Levine, Fraye arbeter shtime (Free Voice of Labor), New York, July 12, 1957; D. Naimark, Forverts (The Forward), New York, March 3, 1957; Ch. L. Fox, Fun noentn over (From the Recent Past), Vol. 3, New York, 1957, p. 200; N. Mayzel, Noente un eygene (Nearest and Dearest), New York, 1957; Dr. A. A. Roback, The Story of Yiddish Literature, pp. 161–163.