Israel Aksenfeld

Israel Aksenfeld (also: Israel Axenfeld; * 1787 Nemirow, † 1866 in Paris) was next to Solomon Ettinger one of the first Yiddish secular writers of the 19th century and one of the most important Yiddish writers of the era before Mendele Moicher Sforim.

He was reconnaissance ( " maskil " ), wrote stories, novels, and even before there ever was a Yiddish theater, theater pieces, themed their everyday life in popular - didactic way under actual use of colloquial language the southern Russian Jews. It is estimated that he has written more than 20 books, most of which, however, remained unpublished.

He was strictly orthodox Hasidic - educated and was a close friend and first ardent follower of Hasidism in his youth with the son of Rabbi Nachman of Brazlaw. Only later, also influenced by his wife, he acquired in addition to secular knowledge. He was first a merchant, then a lawyer and notary in Odessa.

Despite his perfect mastery of other languages ​​(Hebrew, Russian, Polish, German ), he wrote more than 30 years - to the masses, especially to reach women - exclusively in the " jargon " atypical extremely hated for a maskil and the other Maskilim. He stood with AB God Lober, Schwabacher, Osip Rabinovich, Leon Pinsker and others in friendly intercourse.

Only after his 70th birthday he was able to experience the satisfaction of a single narrative ( Dus Sterntichel or Shabbos in Mezibez, The forehead cloth, Leipzig 1861 portrayal of Hasidic rabbis and their perishable bustle ) and the ( 1833 completed ) tragicomedy The erschter Yiddish recruit, 1861, printed to keep " The first Jewish recruit in Russia," Leipzig in his hands. After his death, three further pieces (man and wife, sister and brother, Odessa appeared in 1867, The Oizer or genarte world, "Treasure ", Odessa 1870 published, completed in 1842, comparison of a miracle rabbis and an alcohol ruined Christian quack, the meet is that they afterwards panting to money, taking advantage of the circumstance that the world wants to be deceived; Kabzen - Oscherspiel, Odessa, 1870), the rest (mainly longer novels and short stories ) is unpublished or even lost ( part of which his son, Auguste Axenfeld, translated into French ).

Israel Aksenfels literary works are not high standing, but show a good observation skills, exciting characteristic style and a strong, popular, often humorous language.

Literature (selection )

  • Jewish Encyclopedia, Berlin 1927, I, 634-635
  • Stemberger, History of Jewish Literature, Munich 1977
  • Literature ( Yiddish )
  • Literature (19th century)
  • Author
  • Person (Judaism )
  • Born in 1787
  • Died in 1866
  • Man
Nemyriv Yiddish language Haskalah Yiddish theatre Integrated Authority File
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