The sun., 1904-07-31
lUDILEB OF 'THE POBTioF ZION.
JEWS PREPARE no no HONOR TO
ELIAKUM ZUNSER.

ELIAhOM ZUNSEk' 4"
The Yicdish Minstrel In HIS Prtnting Shop
in East Breadway--His LIE and HIS
work for His Peopie-A Lament Over
the Death Of Dr.. If,eodor HerN.
Though the days Of minstrelsy are
supposed to be long past there is In New
York to-day minstfel-poet who sings
his own lays, not II is true ton Lutte, as In
the days Of romance. but who sings them,
nevertheless, with fire, passion, . sono-
rous. swinging rhythm that stirs the blood
and makes the hesh tingle with enthu-
siasm.
He is poet who does not write for fame
or for money, who is careless Of the pub
Usher and who for nearly, half century
has worked and sung and written for his
fellow men. His name is Eliakum Zun-
ser, he Is a Yiddish. poet. and he lives at
l5e East Broadway Some prominent and
influential Jews are now interesting them
selves In arranging golden jubilee cele-
bration in his honor. to show their admira-
tion and love for him and their apprecia-
tion Of his work. The arrangements are in
the hands Of q committee Of twenty-five,
Oh WHicH bT' DdViu Dlauhb0u, SupeTln-
tendent OF the Educational Alliance, is
chairman. Already something moro than
$500 has been donated as testimonial OF the
appreciation Of the work Of Mr.. Zunser
and 1t is expected by the committee that
by the time the preparations for the golden
jubilee are completed between $1,000 and
S 900 will have been contributed by the
poets many admirers and friends.
HE was busily at work in his little print
ing shop yesterday--a gentle, quiet, mod
eat old man, who looked up at his visitor
with serious. deep-set gray eyes. He has
a rugged. kindly face. scanned and lined
with care and thought, surmounted by
rough crop OF short gray hair. ana deriving
softness and dignity from q patriarchal
beard OF snowy white.
He speaks no English. this minstrel singer
from the steppes OF Russia; but oy the aio
OF an interpreter ne tolo OF the WORK tnat
has MADE MN ono OF the most Deioveo
poets OF MS race ana Time.
Born OF peasant parents IN the Russian
town OF Wilma In the year ls4o his youth
was passed amid the usual rigorous en-
vironmente OF 'he RUSSIAN peasant omio.
But always something sang IN my brain
ana neart. saio tho Poes shrouen nus m
terpreter' ana as very young ooy began
70 write ana 10 sing:
you kno" tne i'oolsh ~eoonsf An.
II Is 10 me much munc' ana nng-ach,
know not what l. ans; tho words and the
MUSIC they Just ouoo'e up m mine heart,
and sing untli my people tney laugh and
they cry ana tney AnS lor Joy
~ 10 pi.y 'ha' 'heeo carry ne-poeihs
have been iost' out as they were never
written down IL Is probable thae they have
entirely passed OUT OF remembrance even
OF the poet himself:
The real work OF ms me began IN his
early manhooo WIN .ne prooucoon OF nus
philosopho ana rehgious poems, most OF
winch were ~ritten ounh& a PERIOD OF
Intense personal sunerng. snortiy AFTER
his wife and -FOUR little children had been
taken from him by cholera.
With the strong ties OF home and family
broken. with his hearthstone left desolate,
he turned In despair 70 his people and
dedicated his hfe TO them. It was during
the next few years that tho greater part OF
the a1ty-fve fiddish poems Of which he
Is the author were written.
They are nearly all Of aphiloeophio nature,
and have been. and are to-day, regarded
as guide and inspiration to his race. They
picture in simple, strong phrases the life
and struggles Of the Jewish people, both
in Russia and other parts Of the world. and
appeal to them in language that Is pictur-
esque in it's almost Biblical simplicity,
urging upon them patience under their
many trials and faith and loyalty to their
own race.
Sometimes it has required rather careful
by the poet to give to his
people the message that was In his heart
and yet escape the censorship to which
his poems were subjected. But his people
knew. and many was the apparently inno-
cent line which escaped the Russian censor
and yet sounded trumpet note to the
people who could read between his lines.
He did not fail to criticse them; indeed,
he often rated them soundly, but 80 lovingly
withal, and 30 appealing to all that was
noblest and best in them, that he has always
been to them. az he ia to-day, the most
popular and beloved Of Yiddsh poets.
Mr.. Z,1nser himself considers his poem
.Sandic' one of his BEST efforts 1t is
ieeply relipious. deriving its title from the