H. Leivick, prominent American Yiddish poet, was sharply attacked here last night at a meeting of the Hebrew P.E.N. Club for his “propaganda in favor of Yiddish in Israel.” Speaking against the poet were leading Israel authors and writers, including David Shimonovich and Yaacov Cohen.
The Israelis maintained that Hebrew is the only language which can cement “solid connections with the dispersed communities” while Yiddish is “dying a natural death, perticularly in the U.S., where the present Jewish generation speaks only English.” Speakers pointed out that the visiting poet’s grandson does not speak Yiddish.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
