Velvel Zbarzher
(Benjamin
Wolf Ehrenkranz)
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He was born:
• According to his tombstone in 1826.
• According to the Jewish Encyclopedia in 1812.
• According to his matriculation supervisor Feierstein in
1823.
He was born In
Zbarazh in Eastern Galicia. His father was an Orthodox
Jewish ritual slaughterer and a scholar. Zbarzher
received a traditional Jewish education. From his early
childhood he demonstrated great talent and rare acuity.
Ever since his childhood he demonstrated great talent
and seldom seen sharpness. As a child he was a good
student. Under the influence of the Haskalah movements,
which existed in the nearby town of Brod and Tarnopol,
Zbarzher became involved with "secular matters."
Secretly he learned Hebrew, Enlightenment (Haskalah)
materials, and caught a glance into modern European
thought.
In order to tear him away
from heretical thinking, Zbarzher’s father arranged a
match for him to marry at eighteen or nineteen years of
age. About this A. Litwin wrote: "Velvel was a teacher
in Zbarazh, but not an everyday teacher. He taught his
children Bible using Moses Mendelssohn’s notes of the
"Ashkenazi Translation" (aka the "German translation").
He did not follow the Chasidic Rebbe’s. In his free time
he wrote ditties about the Rebbe. He was not observant
but he was very independent. He possessed a brave
approach to religion and did not hold back from letting
people know his thinking. |
... At the same time
the town could not allow his heresy to go
untarnished. They told the Rebbe about him.
What’s more, " ... Velvel married young, just as
God and good and observant people were
commanded. He took a Zbarazher girl, who was
observant, very faithful. Unknown to her, as a
young man he was enraptured by liberal ideology.
His wife was not able to understand him. Their
life was not harmonious, and in a short while
the couple divorced. This was the main reason
that legends arose around him that embellished
the reasons for their break-up."
According to D.Y.
Silverbush, the young couple was in love. His
wife even went so far as to help him with his
Haskalah endeavors. Zbarzher was already writing
Hebrew songs. But in order to placate his wife
he wrote a song in everyday Yiddish for her, "Der
chasid un zayn vayb (The Chasid and his Wife)."
He composed his own music for the song. He sang
it with his endearing voice to his wife. The
town found out about this, and they began to
pursue him. When his parents and in-laws began
to understand what was taking place, the couple
had to divorce, Zbarzher with the permission of
his wife moved to Czernowitz, where he further
developed his mind. Later, when he was very
involved with the Haskalah, he moved to Botosani
in Romania. Here he began buy and sell in order
to earn a few coins in Moldova (according to one
of Zbarzher’s countrymen). According to his
biographer, Dr. Fried, he never stopped being a
merchant. Very soon he went through his wife’s
dowry, which he had brought with him. He became
a teacher. At first he taught school in
Botosani, and afterwards he tutored a Moldavian
townsman. At first Zbarzher corresponded with
his wife, but when he had to give up all hope of
making money in Moldova and of asking her to
join him, he stopped all correspondence with her
and began to lose himself in liquor. A short
time later his wife died. Her death made a
strong impact upon Zbarzher.
Zbarzher sang songs he had written to his close
friends and town bigwigs. From time to time he
would sneak over to the nearby town, Botosani,
and here, says Silverbush -- "A group gathered
around him, which was comprised of other young
enlightened people. They met in a wine store,
and there in a special room where meat was
barbequed, accompanied by a bottle of wine,
Velvele sang his songs."
In the beginning Zbarzher did not charge for his
singing. He was too idealistic to do this (he
regretted this later when singing became his
profession -- this can be found in his
biography. He wrote songs such as "Di nakhtigal
(The Nightingale)," and "Der folks-dikhter (The
Folk-Poet)." He observed a shortcoming when it
came to getting paid for his wonderful, popular
songs. Slowly his fame spread and people
including wealthy, enlightened men began to
invite him to attend parties from which he left
with pockets full of golden coins. These were
his honorariums. Since teaching began to become
boring for him, he threw himself into folk
singing. He also found a way to differentiate
himself from the usual badkhanim (jesters) and
entertainers. He sang his songs (which he
improvised) not only in Yiddish, but also in
Hebrew, which was a symbol of the enlightenment.
Based on Zbarzher’s introduction to his book, "Makel
Noam (The Pleasant Stick)," it appears that he
finally made singing his new profession. This
was towards the end of the 1850s. However,
according to Silverbush’s dates, Zbarzher, even
back in the 1840s was already performing his
songs and melodies in Botosani. Sh. Niger
commented on this: "It is possible that he began
to receive gifts and money for appearing openly
with his songs much earlier. It was later that
this became his profession; towards the end of
the 1850s."
Eventually Zbarzher decided to move to Iasi in
Moldova. From there he would frequently travel
to many Romanian towns and through South Russia.
Wherever he went he was popular and earned a
good living from singing. He wasted most of his
earning hanging out with his pals. He even
shared his earnings with them, which led to his
being in need himself.
At the end of 1868 and the start of 1869,
Zbarzher wandered through Brod, Lemberg,
Tarnopol and other Galician towns. On 18 May (Shavuos)
1869, Zbarzher went back to visit his hometown,
Zbarazh. He prepared himself for this visit but
suffered from homesickness and sadness, which
can be discerned from his letter to his brother
(14 March 1869). In an earlier letter to his
brother (16 February 1869) he wrote: "I want
Zbarazh, my birthplace, to know who I am. I know
that there are people there who want to get to
know me." From Zbarazh, Zbarzher went to Lemberg
and from there (as can be read in Ozer
Rohatiner’s letter to his Zbarzher brother) to
Warsaw. After that he went to Czernowitz and
then back to Romania (Bacau). In 1871 Zbarzher
was in Vienna. What he did there is told by
Sh.Y. Dorfson:
"Every Saturday night, especially on Sunday and
sometimes during the week, Velvel Zbarzher
produced a show and the people literally 'licked
their fingers' with his melodies. In 1871, when
for the second time (?), when he returned to
Vienna, his name was so popular that the Jewish
restaurants, and even the Christian taverns in
the Jewish neighborhoods, enjoyed very heavy
competition. Everyone wanted to embrace this
wonderful visitor. Velvel Zbarzher, obviously,
did not have to spend any money at this time."
In Vienna Zbarzher got to know the director of "HaShachar
(The Dawn)." Peretz Smolinsky, who was a big fan
of Zbarzher’s Hebrew songs, managed to obtain
from the Vienna Jewish wealthy men a monthly
pension. Now he would not to have to "shlep"
around with his songs to all the taverns and
restaurants, where often he did not possess a
completely sober appearance. Here he hung out
with underworld characters. Zbarzher was drawn
to these wine cellars and coffee houses, and
here he used to meet up with his followers and
friends. His wealthy patrons withdrew their
support, and Zbarzher due to his drunkenness and
irregular appearances, was exiled from Vienna.
Y. Tigger wrote another version of these events:
-- "Velvele Zbarzher was chased out of Vienna
because he wrote a Hebrew song in honor of the
Austrian Kaiser Franz Yosef. Velvele sent the
song to the Kaiser’s Consular Cabinet, and from
that moment they became interested in him. As
was the custom in that place, they would send a
royal thank-you letter and a few florin as a
gift. ... Not being able to find Velvele’s
address, they gave the task to the Viennese
police to find out who the author was. After a
long inquest the police found out and affirmed
the he had no roof over his head, and that he
wandered around drunk from tavern to tavern.
With one hand he received a Royal thank-you
letter and a few coins. With the other hand he
was exiled from the Kaiser’s home town, Vienna
... "
Zbarzher himself does not mention this
occurrence. In a letter written later to his
brother, he responds about his silence over the
past year, saying that he was sick for nine
months in Vienna. In January 1872 we meet
Zbarzher in Constantinople. In August 1873 he
was once again in Lemberg, and in the summer of
1875 he was back in Romania.
In 1874 Zbarzher printed in "HaShachar" his song
"Romania" (a vulgar poem about the attacks
against the Jews there). A year later it
appeared in a separate printing. Since Zbarzher
in his poem sharply criticized the local Jewish
patriots, he openly came out against them. He
was warned that they are preparing to snitch on
him. They also said that he will be severely
punished for this. As a result he ran away to
Turkey, and from there he wrote (on 25 April
1875) to his friend Moishe Orenstein: "Right now
please be aware my friend that my feet can no
longer tread upon Romanian soil, as I am afraid
to do so. From here I am going shortly to
Russia." As it turned out, no one snitched on
him. He returned to Romania. In 1878 Zbarzher
was once again in Galicia (Lemberg, Tarnopol,
Kolomea, etc.). From there Zbarzher went to
Constantinople, where he married his second
wife, "Di shayne malkale (The Pretty Little
Malka)." She was the proprietor of a coffee
house where Zbarzher was a frequent client.
Apparently, he was known there from his visits
to Romania.
A. Litwin tells of something he learned from an
elderly man named Perlman, from Brod: The heroes
in Velvele’s last novel were well-educated and
bright women, just like my Malkale. She had been
a seamstress in Bucharest. She gave him a few
thousand coins as a dowry. He could have spent
the rest of his life living comfortably. But he
continued to wander around till the end of his
life. In his last years, when his voice grew
weaker, he, like the departed Berl Broder,
appointed an accompanist for himself. His name
was Shloyme. He was a good tenor, but he had a
filthy mouth. For Velvel, the only thing that
remained was a written will, which he announced
could only be opened fifty years later after his
death.
On 2 June 1883 Zbarzher died in Constantinople
from pneumonia. Y. Tigger wrote: "Till today
there are the rumors that Velvel Zbarzher did
not die a natural death. A bitter argument with
a troupe of 'Brodersingers' in Istanbul,
pretended to make up with him. They drank one
glass after another till Velvele was poisoned by
his enemies" (another similar version is in the
"Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre," p. 224, in
regards to Berl Broder’s death). On Zbarzher’s
grave his second wife, Malkale, erected a
tombstone upon which is engraved the following
acrostic, whose first letter in each line spells
the name Benjamin in Hebrew.
"P’N. (here lies buried)
the famous spokesman R’
Benjamin Zev, son of Moshe Ehrenkranz
Your good memory will last
forever
And I will flourish from your spirit as will
those who will read you.
Your fate shall be lit by the light of life
Now gathered to his people on this day in
the month of Iyar.
5643
Born in Zbarazh (Galicia) 1826
Died 2 June 1883
Legends grew around Zbarzher.
His acute ability to succeed and win caused
many to write witty comments about him. He
was also the subject of many anecdotes,
which describe him as a jokester, a
happy-go-luck young man. Z. Reisen quotes
Dr. Sotek’s insights: "He loved to drink but
didn’t want anyone to speak about it. Also
... he wore a high top hat, shaved his beard
and was of high stature ... " Yakov Groper
wrote: "He tried to explain his people, and
to a certain degree he prepared the ground
for Goldfaden’s work -- the Yiddish theatre.
... He was the Eliakum Zunzer of faraway
places, and a teacher for his generation. It
was a pity that his personal behavior was
not in harmony with his literary and
cultural creations. This really stood in the
way of his prestige as a an artist and as a
person, especially during a time when
modesty was the standard and different
customs ..." (according to Z. Reisen).
Zbarzher’s first song collection was brought
to light in Hebrew: -- "Cantorial Pieces for
the Holidays" (Iasi 1855). It was only ten
years later that his Yiddish collection of
songs came out. "His ambition -- wrote Sh.
Niger -- was to be a Hebrew poet. He also
loved Yiddish, so he, like all other
maskilim (members of the Haskalah
movement) used the language as a weekday
language. Later, when he issued his Yiddish
songs, he printed them with a parallel
Hebrew translation and with a Hebrew
introduction. He gave all of his collections
Hebrew titles." These collections came out
in four editions under the general name "Makel
Noam (Leniency) -- including folk songs in
the language spoken among the Jews in the
lands of Poland and Moldova with Hebrew
translations" (first book -- Vienna 1865,
second edition -- Lemberg 1869, third book
-- "Makel Noam (Leniency), revised Lemberg
1873, fourth book -- Lemberg 1878)." In 1869
there also appeared (in Hebrew and Yiddish)
in "Peremisla" (Przemysl) Zbarsher’s
satirical poem (monologues), "Makel Hovlim
(Leniency of Sailors)," which deals with the
sensational story of the Reszhiner Rebbe,
who became a heretic.
Several of Zbarzher’s songs were printed
anonymously: "Der bankrot (The Bankrupted
One)," "Der untzufridener (The Unhappy
One)," etc. -- the Warsaw edition printer
was L. Morgenstern." Dr. Sotek issued a
collection of his songs in a Latin letters (Brailia
1902). Zbarzher’s satire "Meshiekh’s tsaytn
(Time of the Messiah)," and "Der chasid iber
teater (The Theatre Enthusiasts)," were
translated into Ukrainian by the famous
Ukrainian poet Ivan Franko.
In the introduction to his work, Zbarzher
wrote (according to Sh. Niger): All of these
... songs were for many years sung by heart
but were not printed. The composer perhaps
did not want to print them. He wanted them
to be heard from his lips, but he found out
that it was not only him who appeared before
the audience with these songs. Other singers
have taken them into their "repertoires."
Therefore it happened very often that they
pronounce and confuse the true idea of the
songs. Even worse: When he came to a town
where he wasn’t known, and he starts to sing
his songs, he is told that he dressing up on
foreign attire, because they already heard
this song from someone else."
Sh. Niger describes Zbarzher’s creativity:"
... His Hebrew was simple and clear. When we
recall the pseudo-Hebrew that was then so
strongly in style by the Haskalah singers we
have to say that Ehrenkranz’s Hebrew songs
were truly one step ahead of the simplifiers
and modernizers of the Hebrew style. ... The
importance of Velvele Zbarzher and the
influence that he had arose from his
Yiddish, but not from his Hebrew songs.
Zbarzher was one of the first Yiddish folk
poets, and the most important among the folk
poets/badkhans upon whom his influence was
very important. In many of his songs we hear
the sound of the ideals of the Haskalah. He
fought against the ignorance and
superstitions of the Chasidim and the
well-meaning Jews, against the false
orthodoxy, and his anti-Chasidic songs there
was no bitterness. It wasn’t for naught that
he called his song "Makel Noam"(Leniency) --
he fought with mercy. With the help of a
good sense of humor, and with a considerate
degree of educated language plus the help,
also of his folksy melodies, he was able to
sneak in his anti-Chasidic tendencies. He
did this not in order to weaken the
religious feelings of his listeners. To a
large degree they were very closely
associated with Chasidic circles.
Altogether, Zbarzher and the singers who
used to sing his songs did more to inform
the masses about the ideas of Enlightenment
and worldliness than the Haskalah officers.
No matter how great Zbarzher’s influence on
the spiritual life and of the different
classes of the Jews, there was an
unparalleled spread of his songs. What’s
more they used to play his popular songs at
intermissions both songs and texts for the
traditional Purim players. ... Zbarzher’s
language was pure Yiddish and folksy;
sometimes needing a correct Yiddish
pronunciation. He made his explanations
using sub-titles. The maskil (Haskalah
follower) in his songs was not even his
supporter. Despite this he enjoyed the
rhythm of the Yiddish folksong. ... A whole
array of Zbarzher’s songs, till today, are
sung as folksongs such as "Der bankrot" (The
Bankrupted One), "Der filozof (The
Philosopher)," "Der rebbe oyfn yam (The
Rabbi on the Sea)." This was true not only
in Galicia, but in Romania and even in
Poland and Russia where Zbarzher hardly
visited,and where he was much less known
(Reisen's "Lexicon").
It was well known that Zbarzher would work
on the stage as a solo, would give much more
than the Brodersingers gave when they sang
together with him. It was certain that
Zbarzher’s songs were the equal of the songs
by Berl Broder. Broder’s songs were the main
repertoire of the Brodersingers, which they
performed in the taverns and ordinary homes.
B. Gorin wrote: ""Der ganev (The Robber)" is
a song written by the famous folk poet
Velvele Zbarzher (Ehrenkranz). A company of
singers took this song and added a
visualization to it. A Jew is sitting on a
bed, saying his nightly prayers. When he
lies down to sleep, a robber enters through
the window and steals his possessions. The
Jew awakens due to the noise and starts to
scream. The robber runs away, but he is
caught. When the policeman brings him back
to the house he had robbed, the thief starts
to sing the song 'Der ganef (The Robber).' "
A. Litwin describes Zbarzher’s
improvisations in this manner: "Velvele
Zbarzher was a good-looking young man, a
hero. He always could be found, neatly
dressed: in a black visiting coat, in a
white ironed shirt, and a top hat and
gloves. He never gave a fancy presentation
of his songs. He was no mimic, nor did he
use dramatic effects -- he never needed to.
He stood near a small table and sang his own
compositions or gave a talk, standing in one
place. On that small table there were always
two candlesticks and a glass of wine.
Speaking or singing his songs he would often
drink the wine, one glass after the other.
Velvele was never drunk. He knew how to
drink. ... The company in which Velvele
Zbarzher always found himself in was
spiritually and morally lower than the poet.
These were mostly Jewish merchants who wore
the latest fashions. Regarding the true
Haskalah, they knew very little and were not
well-informed. They had the exterior look,
but not the interior depth. About questions
regarding the future of Jewish life, they
showed no interest. ... The poet was lonely
in their midst, their world were like a
strange clock mechanism. ... As for
composing his songs, he didn’t think about
them for very long. Not the words, and not
the melody. He composed standing on his
feet, and he created on the spot, without
any preparation. The more wine he poured
into himself, the more powerful and the more
emotion streamed from his breast. Despite
this the theme of his song was never
accidental. Every theme was well thought
out, be it the question about the Jews, or
from life in general. Each song was either
pointed, biting satire or a deep elegy. ...
His songs were usually very long, but none
the less the listener listened with strained
attention to the poet. They truly followed
him. This was the kind of artistry that he
possessed both in his talent and in his
persona.
D.Y. Silverbush tells us: "In the year
1878-1879 Velvele was in Kolomea, where I
heard him sing. When all the listeners were
rolling around laughing, his face showed no
emotion, suddenly as grin appeared on his
lips. At that time he was close to sixty
years of age, but his eyes lit up as though
he was a young innocent boy."
Y. Tigger wrote: "As people tell me who
personally knew Velvel Zbarzher, he had a
very good voice, which could reach the
highest notes."
From the 39 letter from Zbarzher wrote to
his brother Meir (from 14 December 1868 till
28 October 1878) to which Dr. Bernard
Wachstein responded in his second volume of
"Filologish shriftn (Philological Writings)"
issued by YIVO (Vilna, 1926, pp. 1-42) (two
of these letters were apparently not written
by Zbarzher, but were written by his
intimate friend Ozer Rohotiner. We can see
that Zbarzher loved his family very much,
and that he consistently supported them
financially.
In his introduction to these letters Dr.
Wachstein commented: " ... The language here
is altogether different from the language in
"Makel Noam." His literary language is pure
Yiddish in the dialect spoken in Galicia. A
German word was used only where a Yiddish
word could not be found for the rhyme. The
language of this letter was from a
well-educated person. . . .The language was
a mixture of Yiddish, Hebrew and German. It
is interesting that Velvele, the great
linguist, had many Yiddish usages mixed into
his Hebrew. Characteristic of his nature was
that he used the Hebrew language for sacred
holiday matters. For the secular themes he
only needed the Yiddish language.
In all of his letters he doesn’t remind us,
not even once, with what or how he stepped
onto the stage as a folksinger -- apart from
small comments about how well or not he was
received. Comments about his appearances and
improvisations can be found in his letters
to his friend Moishe Orenstein (from the
years1873-1877) ,which Y. Tigger was
preparing for publication.
A complete edition of Zbarzher’s work in
Yiddish is now being prepared through Zalmen
Reisen.
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Z. Reisen -- "Lexicon
of Yiddish Literature," Vol. II, pp.
832-840.
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B. Gorin -- "History
of Yiddish Theatre," Vol. I, pp.
146-147.
-
Dr. Bernard Wachstein
-- Velvele zbarzhers briv tsu zayn
brider meir, "Filologishe shriftn,"
Vilna, 1928 -- pp. 1-42.
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Dr. B. Wachstein --
Tsu: velvele zbarzshers brif tsu zayn
bruder meir, "Filologishe shfirtn,"
Vilna, 1929, pp. 608-609.
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Dr. Jacob Shatzky --
Retsenzies, "Pinkus," Vol. 1, Notebook
4, New York, 1928, 398 pp.
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Y. Tiger -- Der gurl
fun a yidishn folks-zinger, "Morning
Journal," N.Y., 5 May 1929.
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Moshe Gross -- Oyf di
vegn fun velvele zbarzher un avraham
goldfaden, "Tog," N.Y., 9 August 1930.
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