Descended from Russia. Was for a short time in the land of Israel, and because of this his name in Hebrew became "Khakli." Later he settled in Bessarabia, and during the First World War from there he deserted to Romania.

Jacob Botoshansky writes:

"A brown and awfully nervous [person]. The aroysgeshtartshete eyes were always aroysgshtartshet. He was an avid Hebraist, nevertheless he wrote Yiddish songs and he wanted throughout that Yankl (Botashansky) that they should publish in "Hammer," but they weren't ready to be published, he became angry because his friend was so strict with him and he used to upset him, that he had his "songs" read for girls and women, ..but just as if in a joke, they were good for khlkaim sngs, nevertheless he was by nature was a sentimentalist, and perhaps also a poetic person. He also played the violin, and also in this we could discover that he had feelings that he could not express. He threw himself into many things, but he didn't succeed. So he came to Yankl with a plan. They should both write a drama. Yankl tried to write a drama, which should be called "The Last," and which should have in the starring role a type such as Schner Zalmen Schechter from Faltshen, who is so fanatic, because he was afraid that he is the last Jew. (On the topic Peretz Hirshbein wrote his play, "The Last," which was in his time often performed.)

The play also was later performed in Bucharest with the participation of the poet-showman Jacob Sternberg. The expenses were so great that they had to barely covered it. However the attendant Zisu had the advanced money for the production, not withdrawn, but taken for a production so (tseklapt) a hand, that he had to go way to a hospital. There he came to the first conclusion between him and his partner-writer, which B. portrays as such:

"Laying in bed, Yankl had a conflict with.....

• Jacob Botashansky -- "Di lebns geshikhte fun a yidishn zhur[n]alist," Buenos Aires, 1942, pp. 120-124, 144-49.