Esther Shumiatcher-Hirschbein

Esther Shumiatcher-Hirschbein
Born October 21, 1896[1]
Gomel, Belorussia
Died 1985
New York City
Occupation Writer
Language Yiddish, English
Spouse Peretz Hirschbein

Esther Shumiatcher-Hirschbein was a Russian-born Canadian Yiddish poet and screenwriter.

Early life

Shumiatcher was born on October 21, 1896 in Gomel to parents Judah and Chasia as one of eleven siblings. She and her family emigrated to Calgary, Alberta, Canada in 1911. All members of the family worked to support the household, and also had boarders in their house. Shumiatcher worked as a waitress and at a meat packing plant until 1918, when she met and married Peretz Hirschbein, a New York Yiddish playwright, when he was on tour in Calgary.[2]

Career

Peter exposed Shumiatcher to the Yiddish literary community, which inspired her to start writing in Yiddish as well. Shumiatcher settled in New York with her husband, but traveled extensively around the world, going through places such as the South Pacific, Asia and Eastern Europe.[2] Shumiatcher had her son Omus in 1934 in New York. He would grow to become a prominent concert producer. Shumiatcher moved to Los Angeles in 1940 where her husband had an offer to write film scripts, of which one was produced. Her husband died in 1948 from lateral sclerosis,[3] after which Shumiatcher primarily gave lectures. She eventually moved back to New York, and died in 1985.

Shumiatcher wrote groundbreaking poems addressing pregnancy and motherhood following the birth of Omus. She also wrote about widowhood and grief following her husband's death. Other themes reflected eros, nature, and politics. Although she did not write much after 1956, her later works are more highly regarded.[4] Some of her poetry has been translated by Myra Mniewski.[5]

Selected works

  • In Tol (1920)
  • Pasn Likht (1925)
  • In Shoen Fun Libshaft (1930)
  • Ale Tog (1939)
  • Lider (1956)[6]

References

  1. ↑ http://yiddishkayt.org/view/esther-shumiatcher/
  2. 1 2 Jones, Faith. "Esther Shumiatcher-Hirschbein". Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
  3. ↑ "Guide to the Papers of Peretz Hirschbein". digital.cjh.org. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
  4. ↑ Jones, Faith. Shumiatcher-Hirschbein, Esther (2nd ed.). Encyclopaedia Judaica. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
  5. ↑ Shumiatcher-Hirschbein, Esther; Mniewski, Myra (2006-03-28). "In Hospital". Bridges: A Jewish Feminist Journal. 11 (1): 40–45. doi:10.1353/brd.2006.0032. ISSN 1558-9552.
  6. ↑ Mniewski, Myra (2006). "Esther Shumiatcher Hirschbein in Hospital". Bridges. 11 (1): 39. JSTOR 40358048.
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