By the beginning of World War I, Wachser had begun working as a teacher in Kiev, and writing Hebrew and Yiddish poetry and prose. In 1916, he took a teaching position in a school for refugees in Baku, but was forced to flee the city amid the beginning of the Armenian–Azerbaijani War. He hastily destroyed most of his writings before leaving, although his older brother was able to save the remaining part of his work. Wachser spent some time in Odessa before settling in the Podolian town of Krivozer.