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Singer, Israel Joshua

(Encyclopedia)Singer, Israel Joshua, 1893–1944, Polish-American novelist and playwright who wrote in Yiddish, older brother of Isaac Bashevis Singer. Living variously in Poland and Russia, he earned a literary re...

Chabon, Michael

(Encyclopedia)Chabon, Michael, 1963–, American writer, b. Washington, D.C., B.A. Univ. of Pittsburgh, 1984, M.A. Univ. of California, Irvine, 1987. Chabon's novels combine intriguing plots, usually involving Jewi...

Peretz, Isaac Loeb

(Encyclopedia)Peretz or Perez, Isaac Loeb both: pĕrˈĕts; lōbˈ [key], 1852–1915, Jewish poet, novelist, playwright, and lawyer, b. Zamosc, Poland. A voice of the Haskalah, or Jewish Enlightenment, Peretz was ...

Aleichem, Sholem

(Encyclopedia)Aleichem, Sholem räbˌĭnôˈvĭts, rəbĭnˈəvĭts [key], 1859–1916, Yiddish author, b. Russia. One of the great Yiddish writers, he is best known for his humorous tales of life among the poverty...

Cherokee, Native American language

(Encyclopedia)Cherokee, language belonging to the Iroquoian branch of the Hokan-Siouan linguistic family. See Native American languages. ...

Jewish Autonomous Region

(Encyclopedia)Jewish Autonomous Region or Birobidzhan bērōbējänˈ [key], autonomous region (1995 pop. 211,900), c.13,800 sq mi (35,700 sq km), Khabarovsk Territory, Russian Far East, in the basins of the Biro a...

Asch, Sholem

(Encyclopedia)Asch, Sholem or Shalom shōˈləm ăsh, shäˈləm [key], 1880–1957, Jewish novelist and playwright, b. Poland. He first came to the United States in 1909, was naturalized in 1920, and lived in vari...

Levita, Elijah

(Encyclopedia)Levita, Elijah ēlīˈjə lēvīˈtə [key] (Elya Bokher), c.1468–1549, German philologist, grammarian, and lexicographer who wrote in Hebrew. He spent most of his life in Italy, teaching Christian ...

Scottish Gaelic language and literature

(Encyclopedia)Scottish Gaelic language and literature: see Celtic languages; Gaelic literature. ...

Gordon, Judah Leon

(Encyclopedia)Gordon, Judah Leon, 1830–92, Russian-Hebrew novelist and poet, b. Vilna. As teacher and writer he was one of the leaders in the renaissance of a progressive culture among the Jews (see Haskalah) and...