The Russian Government has extended an invitation to Leopold Benedict, who is known by his pen name Maurice Winchevsky, to come to Russia. A monthly pension of 75 chervoniz approximating $350. has been assigned to Mr. Winchevsky, according to a statement made public here today. Two hundred and fifty gold rubles will be given Mr. Winchevsky for travelling expenses if he decides to come to Russia.
Mr. Benedict, who lives at 555 W. 151st Street, New York City, is a well-known publicist and poet, the creator of Jewish socialist literature. He was born August 9,1856, in Yenowa, Lithuania. He travelled extensively through Europe, lived for some time in Germany where he was arrested in the year 1878 when the anti-socialist law was promulgated, and later deported from Prussia. He went to Copenhagen where he was again arrested. From there he went to Paris and London where in the year 1884 he published the first Jewish socialist periodical. He migrated to the United States in 1894. In Boston he published “The Truth”, a weekly family journal.
He contributed to many Jewish newspapers in the United States and created a reputation as publicist, poet, epigramist. He is considered the creator of Yiddish literature in the Anglo-speaking world and is the first Jewish proletarian poet.
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.
