MOYSHE NAYMAN

MOYSHE NAYMAN (b. 1890)

            The pseudonym of Moyshe Odenberg, he was born in Tshenstokhov (Częstochowa), Poland.  He studied in religious elementary school and at the yeshiva of the Krimilov (Kromolów) rebbe until age fourteen.  In 1905, under the influence of the Russian Revolution, he left the yeshiva and became a locksmith.  He was among the first Labor Zionist leaders in Częstochowa and Lodz.  Because of police persecution, he had to flee (in 1906) from Russia; he worked in an iron factory in Köln and Dusseldorf (Germany).  In 1907 he returned to Lodz, was active in the Labor Zionist party as well as in the society “Harfe” (Harp), and cofounded the cultural association “Lira” in Częstochowa.  From 1913 he was living in the United States.  He was cofounder of the Labor Zionist party in America and Canada, as well as of many institutions in Chicago.  During WWI he was active in the People’s Relief committee, in relief actions for the Jewish schools in Poland, and the like.  With the split in the Labor Zionists, in 1921 he left with the leftist group and from that point in time was one of its more active leaders in Chicago.  He was the founder of the Borochov School in Chicago.  He was also involved with the Jewish Labor Committee, the Histadruth campaign, YIVO, and the Jewish Culture Congress.  For many years he contributed to the Labor Zionist press throughout the world.  He was co-editor of the Chicago supplement to Der idisher kemfer (The Jewish fighter) and Di proletarishe velt (The proletarian world) in New York (1921-1939).  He also placed work in: Arbeter-tsaytung (Workers’ newspaper) and Arbeter-velt (Workers’ world) in Warsaw; Naye velt (New world), Folksblat (People’s newspaper), and other serials in the state of Israel; Arbeter-vort (Workers’ word) in Paris; and Unzer veg (Our way) in New York; among others.  He also published under such pen names as: He also published under such pen names as: Yoysef Nayman, M. Bergelzon, M. N., and M. A.  From 1948 he was living in Los Angeles and was a member of the central committee of “Aḥdut haavoda, Poale Tsiyon” (Union of labor, Labor Zionists) in the United States, and of its world association.

Source: Tshenstokhover yidn (Częstochowa Jews) (New York, 1947), part 2, pp. 1-3; Tshenstokhov (Częstochowa) (New York, 1958), see index; Y. Zerubavel and F. L. Goldman, in Unzer veg (New York) (July 1960); articles on his seventieth birthday in the Labor Zionist press in Paris and the state of Israel (June-July 1960).

Khayim Leyb Fuks