The Lost World of a Wedding Comedian – The Story of Avraham Horowitz

Avraham Horowitz (Gurewitz), a wedding merrymaker by profession, wrote poems, novels and novellas in Yiddish and Hebrew. He also adapted and modified the works of others, signing with his own name or with a variety of pen names in Yiddish and Russian.

Shaul Greenstein | 28.02.19

The Faust Family Jewish Klezmer orchestra, Rohatyn, 1912. (Wikipedia)

The Avraham Horowitz archive was handed over to Professor Dov Noy in 1974 by Horowitz’s grandson Meir, with the purpose of it being permanently deposited in the National Library. This was carried out only when the Dov Noy archive was transferred to the National Library in 2018. The Avraham Horowitz archive contains manuscripts, poems, novels, essays, anecdotes and other writings relating to the profession of merrymaking, as well as an autobiography and correspondence with his son Shaul-Hoshea Horowitz (1886-1956) and his family from Brooklyn.

Avraham Horowitz was born to his parents Israel and Elka on February 26th, 1863 in the city of Borisov, in the district of in White Russia. His family of nine was not wealthy. His father earned his living as a melamed (religious teacher), while his mother supplemented the family’s livelihood as a cook in the wedding kitchens of the rich.

As a young man, Avraham studied in the cheder (traditional elementary Jewish school) where his father and one of his uncles taught. Afterward, he attended the local yeshiva in Borisov for thirteen years.

Avraham was not a very diligent yeshiva student, but he liked the joyous atmosphere of the rich weddings he used to attend when he accompanied his mother in her work. There he enjoyed the cheerful atmosphere and formed an emotional attachment with the merrymakers and the Klezmer musicians. The mother made sure that his father would remain unaware of his son’s new friendships with the local comedians.

Avraham would secretly read pulp fiction stories that he borrowed from the local book-merchant and author Hillel Klivanov. Since Klivanov had a physical disability, Avraham used to help him and write down the poems that Klivanov dictated to him.

At the age of sixteen, Avraham wrote his first poem in Yiddish, a lid fun Chaya-Rone-Meren (“A Poem about Chaya-Rona Mere”), which told the story of the boys and girls who would roam the local forest together on Sabbaths and holidays. The poem was written in a tone that was not acceptable in the society to which his family belonged. When his father found out about the poem, Avraham even received lashes for it.

When the conflict between him and his father grew worse, he left the house and lived with a relative who owned a kiosk at the train station in Borisov. Abraham worked there as a porter, carrying suitcases and unloading freight cars. Later he became a guard at a textile factory. There he had an accident. His right hand became stuck in the wheel of a weaving machine and broke in three different places. Avraham was interned in a hospital in Minsk, where the doctors had to amputate his arm past his elbow. After his release from the hospital, he returned home to his parents for recovery. There he received support and encouragement. As time passed, Avraham learned to write with his left hand. In 1881 he composed the poem der umglicklicher (“The Unlucky One”), in which he expressed strong remorse for the rebelliousness against his parents which had led him to leave the family home. This poem should not be confused with the poem der umglicklicher yidele (“The Unfortunate Jew”), written in 1884, which tackled the subject of Jewish life in the Exile.

דער אונגליכליכער יידעלע — The first of the six verses of the poem der umglicklicher yidele written in the years of the pogroms in White Russia. (To view the poem, click on the image.) Below is the first verse in my free translation from the original Yiddish:

“There, deep in the forest,

From where comes no answer,

There, where there is no rest,

My life becomes a nightmare!

There screams the Jew; He is very angry:

Why all this torture, oy?

He is frightened and shivers badly,

Now he is in Raswoy*.

Hear it! How he shrieks,

How he cries for weeks:

What is the vice for which you blame me

What have I done?

What should I’ve done?

But the Jew gets no mercy. “

(* Probably the name of a place)

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Avraham became a wedding merrymaker (a badchan, a joke-teller or comedian) by chance. It happened once that the Klezmer musicians from the local orchestra in Borisov came to Hillel Klivanov, bringing with them the famous wedding jester known as Chaimke, who was also a member of the Klivanov family. On that day, two weddings were being celebrated at once – one in Borisov and the other in one of the neighboring villages. Chaimke the merrymaker, who had no substitute in the region, decided to perform at the wedding in Borisov. Thus, it was suggested to Avraham that he attend the wedding in the neighboring village and performing there as a jester in Chaimke’s place. Avraham agreed, since he had composed his own poems and limericks and was fairly well versed at coming up with sarcastic barbs as well.

וכך הוא היה מונה — Five out of the seven verses of the song Echad Mi Yodea? Horowitz would perform at weddings (apparently, the manuscript is not Horowitz’s own). This is a Jewish wedding folk song, which was popular at the time. The song is a combination of three different elements: a song based on the Mishnah from the Yom Kippur service, the traditional Echad Mi Yodea song from the Passover Haggadah and the Seven Blessings recited under the Chuppah (the canopy under which a Jewish couple stand during their wedding ceremony). Horowitz used many terms, phrases and even whole sentences in Hebrew. (To view the item click on the picture). Here is the sixth verse of the song in my free translation from the original Yiddish:

“And so it was, and so he counted.

Let us open with an explanation

Six, who knows?’

Let us begin to explain

Six, what can they be?

Six are the in-laws, luckily

Ready to count all their money.”

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For the 1955 recording of the wedding song Echad Mi Yodea by Sam Trooper from the National Sound Archive, click here

Avraham bought himself a thick notebook, in which he wrote down the popular songs and the poems of the period. He compiled Hilel Klivanov’s songs and adapted them to a style acceptable for Jewish weddings. Abraham also composed poems and songs of his own, and even sang or recited them to entertain the guests of the weddings at which he performed. Apart from his performances in the city of Borisov, which was where Chaimke Klivanov usually performed, Avraham would also make appearances in the many surrounding towns and villages. Finally, he settled down in the city of Berezino (Berzin) which lacked its own comedian. He built up a local reputation, got married and remained in Berezino for the rest of his life.

He was said to have the appearance of “a quiet fool”. Behind his back, they called him “Avrahamel der marshelik” (Avraham the clown), but officially, he was called “Rabbi Avraham badchan” (Rabbi Avraham the Comedian). In the towns surrounding Berezino, he was referred to as “der Bereziner marshelik” (The clown from Berezino), or “der odnaruker”, which means “the amputee” in Russian and Yiddish.

Avraham Horowitz had a beautiful baritone voice, long hair, and on his little finger he regularly wore a thick ring and wore a short coat. His clothes were not new, but perfectly polished and clean, including his trademark short coat. Under the chuppah and in the bridal seat, Avraham would wear a silk kippah or yarmulke.

He had earned his living as a wedding merrymaker for more than thirty years, but the last twenty were difficult. The customs of the Jewish community changed, weddings celebrations grew smaller and more modest, and there was hardly any need for jesters and comedians. Therefore, to earn some extra income, Horowitz bought in partnership with others an industrial shredder. He then opened a small grocery store and even rented an apartment out for members of the Bund (the General Federation of Jewish Workers in Russia), where they would hold their meetings. During the High Holy Days, he served as a cantor in one of the local synagogues. Following the Russian Revolution he suffered from financial distress and became a guard on a landowner’s estate.

Avraham Horowitz also wrote a poem dedicated to the memory of Theodor Herzl, marking the anniversary of the Zionist visionary’s passing:

הערצעלס יארצייט — This page includes, among other things, the song Herzl’s Yohrzeit (To view the item, click on the image) Here are the first two verses of the song in my free translation:

“Come, my people, the exile nation

Come into the shul today, not tomorrow

Spill your tears there in lamentation

Full of grief and sorrow.

On the day he died

Herzl, the hero of the nation

Zion’s light became slight

On the dead land of annihilation.”

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During his lifetime, only the first two chapters of his novel der schwartzer peltz mit’en weissen kallner (The Black Fur Coat with the White Collar) were published in Minsk in 1928. He was sixty-eight years old when he began to rewrite his works and sent them to his son Saul Hosea. On the recommendation of Dr. Yaakov Shatsky, Avraham Horowitz wrote memoirs, based on recollections of local people as well as other sources, in order to document and preserve the wedding customs of the period. This collection of memoirs was meant to be published in volume 2 of the book “Archiv far Geschichte fun Yiddishen Teather und Drame” (Archive of the History of Yiddish Theater and Drama), but the book remained unpublished due to the outbreak of World War II.

Avraham Horowitz became blind in his old age and sought the help of doctors in Minsk, but without success. In the last two years of his life he suffered from paralysis, and died, completely blind, on December 30th, 1940, thirteen days after the death of his wife. He was buried in the cemetery in Berezino.

(The article above is based on biographical notes, written in Yiddish, by Avraham’s son Shaul-Hoshea Horowitz)

“Shabbat” – the front page of a humoristic article in Yiddish handwritten by Avraham Horowitz. (To view the item click on the picture)

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“Remember, a father is drawn after you like water” – the front page of a humoristic Yiddish article handwritten by Avraham Horowitz. It was probably intended for a Bris performance. (To view the item click on the picture): View this item in the Archives of the National Library of Israel

די פרויליכע מיידלאך — The first two pages of a three-part novel about the Polish revolt “The Happy Girl”. (To view the item click on the picture)

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מכתב אל שאול — Letter from Avraham and Ravia Horowitz to their son Shaul-Hoshea and his family in the United States (Lipshe his wife and their son Meir), 1931. (To view the item click on the picture)

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מכתב אל י' שאצקי — The first page of a letter in Yiddish by Avraham Horowitz to Dr. Jacob Shatzky, Berezino, March 6th, 1832. (To view the item click on the picture)

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מכתב דחיית השיר "האלוקים אנה לידי" — A letter rejecting the publication of the poem “God did it to my arm (?)” from the editorial board of the HaDoar weekly newspaper, June 9th, 1939. (To view the item click on the picture)

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השיר "האלוקים אנה לידי" — The poem “God did it to my arm (?)” sent by Avraham’s son, Shaul-Hoshea Horowitz, to the editorial board of the Israeli weekly “HaDoar” which was later rejected on June 9th, 1939. (To view the item click on the picture)

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מכתבים ממאיר הורוויץ אל דב נוי — Two letters in Yiddish from Meir Horowitz (the grandson of Avraham Horowitz) from New York to Dov Noy in Jerusalem, in which he expresses his desire to permanently deposit his grandfather’s collection in the National Library. Brooklyn, October 22nd, 1974 and January 26th, 1975. (To view the item click on the image)

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The Avraham Horowitz Archive has been reviewed and described thanks to the generous support of The Leir Foundation.

The Women Who Captivated Muslim Travelers of the Middle Ages

Descriptions of Muslim travel in the middle ages reveal exotic marriage customs and a meeting with a Jewish doctor expelled from Spain

Chen Malul | 24.02.19

13th century illustration of pilgrims on their way to Mecca

The pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, called the hajj in Arabic, is one of the five central commandments in Islam. Every believing Muslim is obligated to fulfill this commandment at least once in his life. But, for Muslims in the middle ages, it was only one of many opportunities for Muslims to explore the far-reaching Muslim empires.

These empires were dominated by trade, and the imperial trade routes offered merchants and adventurers countless opportunities to leave their homes and see new places.

Cover of “Muslim Travels in the Middle Ages”

Among the hundreds of thousands of books and manuscripts stored in the Islam and the Middle East Collection at the National Library of Israel is a book that looks innocent enough. It title is الرحالة المسلمون في العصور الوسطى or “Muslim Travels in the Middle Ages” tells the stories of some of these travelers and provides a glimpse into the strange and distant land they encountered on their journeys.

גלובוס — A sketch of the earth by Muhammad al-Idrisi, born 1100 in Spain. One of the great Muslim geographers

Among the many names in the book, the most famous is probably that of Ibn Battuta, who lived in the 14th century. The words of the renowned scholar and Muslim traveler illustrate in great detail the Muslim custom of taking an additional, local wife when one arrives in a new land. Whenever he was in a particular country for business, he would stay with his local wife (or wives). We know that Ibn Battuta had at least six different wives during his lifetime – two in Egypt and four in the Maldives. Of the women he met in the Maldives he said:

“Marriage is easy on these islands. Dowry is rare, and it is good and proper to socialize with women…they never leave their country, and I have never seen anything more beautiful in the world than these women… [here he includes a description of how these women pleasure their men] and the custom is that the woman does not eat with her husband, and that the man does not know what his wife eats.”

Kill an enemy to marry a woman. Soleiman al-Tajir’s description from the book.

Another example of marriage customs is seen in the travel diary of Soleiman al-Tajir, who wrote about his travels to ninth-century India. “There is much gold there. They eat coconuts and use them to fight and draw. If any of them wants to get married he need but bring a man’s skull back from their enemies. Killing two people allows him to marry twice, and he who kills fifty will marry fifty women…”

In Morocco, North Africa, the traveler Zakariya ibn Muhammad al-Qazwini (1203-1283) came across a city that had very different customs than any other found by previous travelers. This was the city of women. Al-Qazwini wrote, “They are women whose men do not control them. They ride horses and engage in war all on their own. They have strength and power…and they have slaves. Every servant belongs to his mistress, and they rise before the dawn.”

Muslim travelers did not only meet women on their journeys, however. Abd al-Basset tells of an encounter with a Jewish doctor he met in Algeria in the 15th century. At the end of this century, all Jews and Muslims who refused to convert to Christianity were expelled from Spain. He writes, “I needed the most skilled physician Musa Ben Samuel Ben Yehuda of Israel…I have not heard of or seen one so skillful and professional in his field as he, knowledgeable in contemporary science as well as in ancient science…he is of the Jews of Spain originally and is a great expert in the field… “

Thanks to Tehila Bigman of the National Library’s Arabic catalogue for her help in translating the excerpts and in composing this article.

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In Vivid Color: Century-Old Postcards Depict the Lives of Jewish Immigrants to America

Bartending cantors, strange outdated customs and Yiddish jokes - These fascinating postcards from the National Library of Israel's collections offer a rare glimpse into the lives of freshly arrived Jewish immigrants to the United States.

Shai Ben-Ari | 20.02.19

The turn of the 20th century came at the height of a massive wave of Jewish immigration to the United States from eastern Europe. It is estimated that around three million Jews landed on America’s shores in the period stretching from 1880 to 1924. They came fleeing the pogroms and anti-semitism which had become rampant in their homelands, seeking a new life in a new world.

These new Jewish immigrants brought many of their customs and traditions with them, but the encounter with an American culture on the rise created a unique and rich blend which came to define the new community. Some of the most enlightening remnants of this period in Jewish-American history are the popular holiday greeting cards which friends and relatives would send each other to mark Jewish festivals.

The National Library of Israel has a large collection of postcards of this type, featuring a range of colorful images with a certain Jewish flair or twist. A selection of them appears below. Some of these cards are based on photographs, while others were drawn by hand, but all of them depict scenes from the day-to-day lives of the new Jewish arrivals in America. Most were intended for use as greeting cards for Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year.

Have a look at these postcards from the National Library of Israel’s collections and the Folklore Research Center at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and get a glimpse of Jewish-American life as it was a century ago.

A Jewish immigrant family arrives on Ellis Island, with New York's turn-of-the-century skyline in the background. Unknown artist. The National Library Ephemera Collection. — A Jewish immigrant family arrives on Ellis Island, with New York’s turn-of-the-century skyline in the background. Unknown artist. The National Library Ephemera Collection.

This postcard from 1909 features a drawing by Jacob Keller depicting Jewish immigration to America. On the right (east) is a group of traditionally dressed Jews carrying their meager possessions while the symbol of czarist Russia hovers above. The richly dressed, smiling Jews of the west welcome their eastern brethren as does the Statue of Liberty. Overhead, a bald eagle carries a ribbon with a Hebrew quote from Psalms 17:8 - “and shelter us in the shadow of Your wings”. Printed by the Hebrew Publishing Co. The National Library Ephemera Collection. — This postcard from 1909 features a drawing by Jacob Keller depicting Jewish immigration to America. On the right (east) is a group of traditionally dressed Jews carrying their meager possessions while the symbol of czarist Russia hovers above. The richly dressed, smiling Jews of the west welcome their eastern brethren as does the Statue of Liberty. Overhead, a bald eagle carries a ribbon with a Hebrew quote from Psalms 17:8 – “and shelter us in the shadow of Your wings”. Printed by the Hebrew Publishing Company, the Folklore Research Center, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

A Jewish couple blesses their children as Shabbat begins. Unknown artist, the National Library Ephemera Collection. — A Jewish couple bless their children as Shabbat begins. Unknown artist and publisher, the National Library Ephemera Collection.

A Jewish family prepares to eat Shabbat dinner, this is perhaps the most common theme featured in postcards of this type. Unknown artist, the National Library Ephemera Collection. — A Jewish family prepares to eat Shabbat dinner. This is perhaps the most common theme featured in postcards of this type. Unknown artist and publisher, the National Library Ephemera Collection.

A Jewish family singing Zemirot (Jewish hymns) for Shabbat. By artist Jacob Keller, circa 1910, the Hebrew Publishing Company. — A Jewish family singing Zemirot (Jewish hymns) for Shabbat. By artist Jacob Keller, circa 1910, the Hebrew Publishing Company, the Folklore Research Center, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

A child stands and asks "Mah Nishtanah?" during his family's Passover Seder. This image was drawn by Freidrich Kaskeline and produced by the Williamsburg Art Company, circa 1920-1930. — A child stands and asks “Mah Nishtanah?” during his family’s Passover Seder. This image was drawn by Freidrich Kaskeline and produced by the Williamsburg Art Company, circa 1920-1930, the National Library Ephemera Collection.

A family heading to Synagogue - the Yiddish caption reads "Going to Shul". Printed by the Williamsburg Art Company circa 1920, the National Library Ephemera Collection. — A family heading to synagogue – the Yiddish caption reads “Entering Shul”. Printed by the Williamsburg Art Company circa 1920, the National Library Ephemera Collection.

Men discussing the issues of the day after synagogue services. This postcard was intended as a companion to the previous one. The Yiddish caption reads” (Coming) from shul”. Printed by the Williamsburg Art Company circa 1920, the National Library Ephemera Collection.

A cantor reads from a book in synagogue, unknown artist and publisher, the National Library Ephemera Collection.

This postcard depicts the Simchat Torah holiday custom of "Kol HaNearim" (all the boys), in which the young boys of the congregation are called to gather under a large talit as Genesis 48:16 is recited - a verse from Jacob's blessing to Ephraim and Manashe. By artist Jacob Keller circa 1910, the Hebrew Publishing Company, the National Library Ephemera Collection. — This postcard depicts the Simchat Torah holiday custom of “Kol HaNearim” (all the boys), in which the young boys of the congregation are called to gather under a large talit as Genesis 48:16 is recited – a verse from Jacob’s blessing to Ephraim and Manashe. By artist Jacob Keller circa 1910, printed by the Hebrew Publishing Company, the Folklore Research Center, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Jewish families greet each other outside the synagogue. Some wear clothes typical of poor eastern European immigrants, while others are dressed as wealthy Americans. Printed by the Williamsburg Art Company during the first quarter of the 20th century, the Folklore Research Center, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

A Jewish man recites the "Shema Israel" prayer before going to bed. By artist Jacob Keller circa 1910, printed by the Hebrew Publishing Company, the National Library Ephemera Collection. — A Jewish man recites the “Shema Israel” prayer before going to bed. By artist Jacob Keller circa 1910, printed by the Hebrew Publishing Company, the Folklore Research Center, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Some of the postcards showcase situations which are perhaps not traditionally associated with Jewish life…

The Yiddish caption here reads: “Throughout the year he works as a bartender in a Coney Island saloon. On Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur he is a cantor in a synagogue.” A similar theme was explored in the classic 1927 film “The Jazz Singer” starring Al Jolson. By artist Jacob Keller circa 1910, printed by the Hebrew Publishing Company, the Folklore Research Center, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

A man bursts into his home carrying a winning lottery ticket as his family members stare at him in joy and disbelief - The ticket reads 75 Thousand in Yiddish. "God has blessed you now - a joy!" Printed by the Williamsburg Art Company around the turn of the 20th century, the National Library of Israel Ephemera Collection. — A man bursts into his home carrying a winning lottery ticket as his family members stare at him in joy and disbelief – the ticket reads “75 Toyzend” in Yiddish. “Das groyse gevins!” – Big winnings! Printed by the Williamsburg Art Company around the turn of the 20th century, the Folklore Research Center, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Some of the customs of the Old Country have been nearly completely forgotten, but the Yom Kippur ritual of flagellation was still common enough during the early 1900s to feature in this postcard. Printed by the Williamsburg Art Company during the first quarter of the 20th century, the National Library Ephemera Collection. — Some of the customs of the Old Country have been nearly completely forgotten, but the Yom Kippur ritual of flagellation was still common enough during the early 1900s to feature in this postcard. Printed by the Williamsburg Art Company during the first quarter of the 20th century, the Folklore Research Center, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Several of these postcards feature whimsical examples of Yiddish humor.

The Yiddish text here reads – “He: But if I were rich, you would have loved me, wouldn’t you have? Her: Loved you? I don’t know about that, but I certainly would have cooperated.” By artist Jacob Keller circa 1910, printed by the Hebrew Publishing Company, the Folklore Research Center, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Oy vey! Two pounds of fat have disappeared from the kitchen! The lady of the house blames the servant girl, who in turn replies - "It was the cat!" To solve this crime, the cat is put on the scales, which reveal the animal weighs exactly two pounds. "So the fat is in there," says the lady "the question now is -where is the cat?" By artist Jacob Keller circa 1910, printed by the Hebrew Publishing Company, the National Library Ephemera Collection. — Oy vey! Two pounds of fat have disappeared from the kitchen! The lady of the house blames the servant girl, who replies – “It was the cat!” To solve this crime, the cat is put on the scales, which reveal the animal weighs exactly two pounds. “So the fat is in there,” the lady exclaims, “the question now is – where is the cat?” By artist Jacob Keller circa 1910, printed by the Hebrew Publishing Company,the Folklore Research Center, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

The Yiddish text here reads - "A disabled man with only one leg meets a blind man on the with only one eye. 'How is it going?' asks the blind man, 'As you see' replies the man with one leg." By artist Jacob Keller circa 1910, printed by the Hebrew Publishing Company, the National Library of Israel Ephemera Collection. — The Yiddish text here reads – “A disabled man with only one leg meets a blind man on the street with only one eye. ‘How’s it going?’ asks the blind man, ‘As you see!’ the disabled man replies.” By artist Jacob Keller circa 1910, printed by the Hebrew Publishing Company, the Folklore Research Center, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

The National Library’s “Time Travel” project is dedicated to collecting and scanning Israeli and Jewish ephemera and making them accessible to the general public, you can browse through the collection here.

Ariel Viterbo of the National Library’s Archives Department assisted in the preparation of this article.