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Born in 1821 -- according to "Dovid
Rabeynu Vesofryu" -- and based upon an obituary, his birthday was on
the 27th of June 1828. The newspaper "Haynt" gives the year as 1817.
According to Z. Reisen his birth date was 1929/30 in Minsk, Belarus.
His father was a teacher who loved simple labor, who threw away his
teaching career and became a water carrier. From his childhood on he
showed great talent. Till he was six years old he studied in a
cheder. Then until twelve years of age he studied Bible and Gemara
with his father. At seventeen he entered the yeshiva in "the old
study house." After three years he began to study with Rabbi Leib
Dibusin and began to hold classes in various synagogues, all the
while continuing to study Talmud and commentaries on Jewish law.
After that he became a follower and pioneer of the Haskalah
(enlightenment). In Minsk, despite his youth, he withstood much
persecution when he was accused of heresy. His accusers claimed that
he demonstrate this by the way he taught Bible to his students.
W. wrote many articles in various Hebrew
journals: HaMagid, HaIvri, HaKol, HaMelitz, HaTzfira, and in 1865 he
issued a journal, "HaKochavim." He was one of the few maskilim
(followers of Haskalah) who was involved with the common people. He
always lived close to the poor masses and was very familiar with
their lives. He also wrote many poems and story books in Yiddish
that were printed in Vilna.
A spontaneous discussion commences as to
whether W. or Ludwig Levinson was the writer of the comedy "Womanly
Nest Eggs (Vaybishe kniplekh)."
Zalman Reisen wrote: In its time
"Womanly Nest Eggs" appears to have made a great impression upon its
readership because the comedy was reprinted time and again. This was
very unusual for a play that had never been staged. The first Vilna
edition came out, apparently in 1873. By 1874 there was a new
printing of "The Womanly Nest Egg, a theatre play, written in five
acts," presented in Vilna in 1881. he used the pseudonym, "Miyus,"
which in Russian means "alias." Miyus was Wohlman's pseudonym. The
play was printed by Rosenkrantz print setter, and published by
Roziker -- we know from official sources that five thousand copies
were printed. If this publication was issued later I don't know, but
it might have been. In Warsaw there was a printing of "The
Excommunication of Rabbi Gershom, or, The Womanly Nest Egg," a play
in Lesser Poland, Warsaw. It was printed by Reb Yosef Levinzohn and
most probably it was reprinted later (in our copy of the Warsaw
edition there is no year given. However the censor permit is from
April 11, 1882). If Wohlman knew about this reprinting, and why he
didn't do anything about this matter, we don't know.
Zalman Reisen, who published various
editions of the Vilna and Warsaw publications, believes that W. is
the author of "The Womanly Nest Egg," and that Levinzohn is merely
the editor of the Polish edition. He bases his conclusion on the
following:
1.) There is not even one edition of
"The Womanly Nest Egg" where Levinzohn is attributed to be the
author. On the contrary, there are several editions where it states
clearly that the author is certainly Y.M. Wohlman.
2.) Acccording to the announcements of
Sh. Shwerdshar in "Haynt," where details are given by Levinzohn that
he, Levinzohn, wrote "The Woman Nest Egg" approximately in 1880. We
possess at least two editions of this issue of this comedy.
3.) It is clear after comparing the two
editions that the original text is Lithuanian.
4.) And above all that Israel Meir
Wohlman was a print setter, and the moving force behind a whole
sequence of works in Yiddish. While from Levinzohn we have only an
uncertain pseudo-biblical book in Hebrew, and that the Yiddish
version had to be undertaken by another person (who, by the way, was
Wohlman).
5.) As to Wohlman being the author of
"The Womanly Nest Egg," such authorities as Sh.L. Citron and A.
Litwin, both of whom knew him personally, remember the impression
that they had about his comedy. As to the time of Levinzohn's
birthplace, we know nothing (witnessed by Shmuel Ashkenazi), and
what's more we don't know anything that proves he is the author of
"The Womanly Nest Egg."
Comparing the two editions, Z. Reisen
says, "The Wohlman (Vilna) edition was certainly printed earlier.
The orthography is closer to the modern literary style, At the same
time the Levinzohn edition is written in the dialect of the Polish
orthography... The difference between both texts is only in the
style of its Polish Yiddish. We have to be wary that in any case
these differences are improved and enlivened by Wohlman's rhymes. It
is only in the final scene of the comedy that we find errors in
Levinzohn's text, and in its content..."
The final conclusion is written by B.
Gorin: "The name of the author is given as Y.M. Wohlman, but
apparently the author of this play is Ludwig Levinzohn, who gave it
to Wohlman for him to take it to press, and that W. put his own name
on it."
Similarly it is noted -- according to
Dr. Yaakov Shatzky -- Leo Weiner in his "History of Yiddish
Literature in the Nineteenth Century" (page 107), the name Levinzohn
does not appear in any edition of this comedy. He claims that at the
start of the 1870s he gave his work to Wohlman to publicize. W. put
his initials upon it."
Dr. Yaakov Shatzky says further that
there is a Warsaw anonymous edition from 1877 (Munk Organization,
page 48).
A. Litwin writes in his book, "Jewish
Souls" that "The Womanly Nest Egg" was the most beloved book of
simple Jewish wives and girls.
In connection to the subject of "The
Womanly Nest Egg," it is -- according to Z. Reisen -- mentioned in
W.'s biography about which Sh.L. Citron says that he, Wohlman,
should have had in the course of his life six wives.
B. Gorin writes about his comedy:
"The Womanly Nest Egg" is a comedy that
elicits hearty laughter. The subject emphasizes seldom simplicity.
The way it is handled is demonstrated is from its content.
Everything that ensues is son natural, lively, without any pretense
and without miracles. The fantasy is not dragged out by the author.
By the way, the entire structure of the comedy is like fine
fireworks... Its simplicity is in its naturalistic dialogue, and its
closeness to real life. The comedy, "The Womanly Nest Egg," is one
of the best of the current Yiddish repertoire.
Towards the end of his life W. had to
battle with lectures, and when he had no more strength for teaching,
he, a sick man of eighty years of age, found himself in an attic
room, lacking everything. Finally he was brought to an old-age home
where he was forgotten by everyone. He passed away at the end of
1927. Dovid Herman with the Stanislav "Goldfaden Union" presented
the comedy, "The Womanly Nest Egg," by Ludwig Levinzohn on 14 August
1928. He had the Vilna Troupe present it in Warsaw. The comedy
lasted on the stage for a very short time. |