By Eileen Wingard
LA JOLLA, California–The works of two great Jewish poets, Leah Goldberg (1911-1970) and Zalman Shneour (1887-1959) will be featured at the Tuesday, February 23, 7 p.m. program of Jewish Poets—Jewish Voices in the Astor Judaica Library of the Lawrence Family JCC. All the poems will be read in their original language as well as in their English translations.
Goldberg, born in East Prussia, attended a Hebrew Gymnasium and went on to get degrees at the Universities of Berlin and Bonn before making aliya to Palestine, in 1935. She had a distinguished career as a poet, journalist, author, translator and researcher in comparative literature. She was a professor of literature at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem before her death from lung cancer at the age of 59.
Shneour, born into a famous Hassidic family, was encouraged by Bialik. He studied in Switzerland and Paris, where he lived between the World Wars, before escaping, with his family, to the United States. He spent time in Israel, where he was awarded the Bialik Prize. His writings were translated into many languages and his novels were serialized in the Yiddish newspaper, The Forward. He is buried in Jerusalem beside Bialik.
The program will begin with a brief summary of Goldberg’s life, delivered by Jennie Starr, founder and former director of Tarbuton, the San Diego institution devoted to promoting Israeli culture. Five teachers of Tarbuton will present Goldberg’s well-known book for children, A Flat To Rent. The readers, under the direction of Hebrew pedagogue, Geula Hebron, will be Liliane Elbaz, Geula Hebron, Nava Michan, Ronit Snyder, Jennie Starr and Rotal Zanani. Additional poems by Goldberg will be read in Hebrew by Smadar Samson, art curator at the House of Israel, and Hebron. Two of Goldberg’s songs will be sung by the Hebrew choir, Havurat Zemer, under the direction of Ravi Raz with Shai Barkai, piano accompanist. . Members of Havurat Zemer are: Carla Berg, Alexandra Drapkin, Tamar Grossman, Yaira Haas, Judith Landau, Shulamit Ritblatt, Iris Ronai, Haim Schwartz and Ann Spector.
English translations of Goldberg’s poetry will be read by Sara Appel-Lennon, Bonnie Baron, Ann Spector, Judith Landau and Tamar Grossman.
I will begin the second half of the program with an overview of Zalman Shneour’s life.
Three of Shneour’s poems will be read in their original Yiddish by Sophie Rubinstein and Elisheva Edelson. Edelson will also sing Shneour’s popular Yiddish song, Margaritkelach. Shneour’s Hebrew poetry will be read by Arik Dumai, Yaira Haas and Haim Schwartz. The English translations will be delivered by Rochelle Schwartz, Michael Horwitz, and the two grandsons of the venerated poet, Mark and Alan Shneour. They are the sons of Zalman’s son, Elie, a distinguished scientist and long-time resident of San Diego, who died last year. As the only progeny carrying on the Shneour name, Mark and Alan’s presence will lend special significance to the evening.
To assemble the poetry for this evening, the organizers reached out across the continent and as far away as Israel. The Yiddish Book Center in Amherst MA, YIVO in NYC and the Israel National Library at the Hebrew University were all contacted.
There is no charge for this outstanding cultural event. For information, call Susan Hagler: (858) 457-3030.
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Wingard is a retired violinist with the San Diego Symphony and a freelance writer who concentrates on the arts. She may be contacted via eileen.wingard@sdjewishworld.com. Comments intended for publication in the space below must be accompanied by the letter writer’s first and last name and by his/ her city and state of residence (city and country for those outside the U.S.)