AVROM TENENBOYM-ARZI

AVROM TENENBOYM-ARZI (June 18, 1883-1970)

            He was born in Lodz, Poland.  His father, Tuvye, was one of the builders of Lodz industry.  Avrom studied in religious primary school and synagogue study hall, and secular subjects with private tutors.  For many years he was a member of the Jewish community administration of Lodz.  He was a cofounder of the “Et levanot” (Time to build) faction of Polish Zionism.  He was the Jewish representative on the municipal citizens’ court and a fighter for Jewish rights.  In 1924 he made aliya to Israel, was one of the first silk manufacturers there, and a cofounder of the local manufacturers’ association.  For many years he was a member of the Tel Aviv city council.  Beginning in 1903, he was active in the Yiddish press and journalism.  He founded Lodzer nakhrikhtn (Lodz reports) in 1907; and over the years 1908-1936, he published articles and historical essays in Lodzer tageblat (Lodz daily newspaper).  He also contributed pieces to: Yidisher zhurnalist (Jewish journalist) and Literatur (Literature) in Lodz; Der fraynd (The friend) in Warsaw; Morgn-zhurnal (Morning journal) in New York; Keneder odler (Canadian eagle) in Montreal; and Doar hayom (The mail today) and Haarets (The land) in Tel Aviv; among others.  He also contributed to the liberal Polish and German press in Lodz.  His published books would include: Di geshikhte fun lodz un fun lodzer yudn (The history of Lodz and Lodz Jewry) (Lodz, 1909), 128 pp., second edition (Petrikov, 1910); Lodzer shpigl (Mirror of Lodz) (Lodz, 1912), 96 pp.; Napoleon in lodz (Napoleon in Lodz) (Lodz, 1913), 64 pp.; Velt-krig, velt-friden un meshiekhs tsaytn, tsuzamengeshtelt un bearbayṭ in a modern-visnshaftlikher oyffasung, loyt mesoyre fun tanakh un talmud (World war, world peace, and the millennium, compiled and adapted in a modern scientific fashion, according to the tradition of the Tanakh and Talmud), with a foreword and an afterword by the author (Lodz, 1920), 95 pp.  He was also the author of the popular pamphlet Di kholyere (Cholera) (Lodz, 1912), 32 pp.; and of such humorous novels as Afn himl a yarid (A fair in heaven) (Lodz, 1913), 96 pp., and Lodzh un ire yidn (Lodz and its Jews) (Buenos Aires, 1956), 393 pp.  He also published such humorous collections as: Yontef gelekhter (Holiday laughter), Fayerlekh (Solemn), Yugend khaloymes (Youthful dreams), Der lodzer foygl (The bird of Lodz), and others which were published over the years 1908-1912 in Lodz.  He also wrote under such pen names as Avreml.  He died in Tel Aviv.

Sources: N. Sokolov, in Hatsfira (Warsaw) (May 12, 1905); Biblyografishe yorbikher fun yivo (Bibliographic yearbooks from YIVO) (Warsaw, 1928), see index; A. Kirzhnits, Di yidishe prese in der gevezener rusisher imperye, 1823-1916 (The Yiddish press in the former Russian empire, 1823-1916) (Moscow, 1930), nos. 205, 521, 546; A. V. Yasni, Di geshikhte fun der yidisher arbeter-bavegung in lodzh (The history of the Jewish labor movement in Lodz) (Lodz, 1937); Yasni, in Letste nayes (Tel Aviv) (December 21, 1956); D. Tidhar, in Entsiklopedyah leḥalutse hayishuv uvonav (Encyclopedia of the pioneers and builder of the yishuv) (Tel Aviv, 1947-1971), vol. 2, pp. 974-75; Y. Mastboym, in Letste nayes (March 12, 1954); Khayim Leyb Fuks, in Fun noentn over (New York) 3 (1957), pp. 195-96; Herts, Di geshikhte fun bund in lodz (The history of the Bund in Lodz) (New York, 1958), see index.

Khayim Leyb Fuks