New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-09-23
E[|AKUM THE BARD DEAD
Father OF YiddiSh Literature
Passes Away, Aged II.
WIDELY KNOWN AS POET
Self Educated, He Rose to Dis
tinction in Own Race and
Among World S Scholars.
Eliakum the Bard is dead.

Eiakum the Bard is dead.
Singing his way across two continents.
prosecuted in his earlier life. recognized
and honored far and wide in later DAYS,
ripe and full of wisdom. the father Of
Yiddish literature passed away at No III
East Broadway yesterday afternoon, at
the age OF seventy-seven years
Eliakum Zunser was born in wilma,
Russia, but the anti-Semitic policy Of
that government soon forced him 10 fee
from place TO place. once an attack Of
cholera compelled him to leave his home
on the way TO Minsk he lost two children
two had already died-and at Minsk he
lost his wife To him
II mattered not how strait the gate
How charged with punishment the scroll.
for he came 10 New York in 1852 and
toured this country with great success
as a singer and lecturer
He was the first Yiddish poet he wrote
the first YiddiSh grammar. and to-day
Jew or a scholar of any race Outside
the Bible, his works have had the largest
circulation Of any publications in the
Jewish language He was almost like
legend TO the JeWs-much more like a
tradition than a personality. They all
knew him by his first name. Indeed, his
earlier works were pub. shed under the
title Of "Fliakum the Bard" His premier
effort is called "Sch!rim Chadosin," which
means new songs. II has gone through
nearly forty editions
He composed the music for his songs,
but he did not use the notes generally
seen Without education to begin with,
he devised his own system Of designating
the sounds he wished TO convey 10 his
audience and finally had a complete
musical alphabet Of original formation.
He was not taught mathematics. vet
learned men came 70 him 10 watch MIN
use his algebraiC calculations, and II Is
said that his methods Of computation
were of the highest order He had edu-
Gated himself. One OF his poems outlines
almost exactly the philosophical theories
OF Darwin. which. at the time II was
written. had been published eleven years
hut of which no translation had been
made. and he could not, therefore, have
read them. for he could read no English.
In 1915 the Jews Of the whole word
celebrated the ifteth anniversary OF the
publication Of his first hook. The sale
of Joseph" miracle play by him. WAS
produced in the open places and the
markets Of Russia. until his growing
ropularitv and prestige led the police u
that country to begin taking that sinister
notice Of him which caused him 10 *
patriate himself and find a better nome
in America.
Mr. Zunser was one Of the founders d
the Zionist colonization movement. As
far hack as 1881 he started. like two OF
the prophets. TO raise his voice In the
wilderness. urging his people Ito 70
home" He believed that IN the Holy
Land lay the destiny of the chosen peop'e'
and he never ceased to entertain 'hd'
belief.
His work for the Yiddish language mas
been compared 10 that OF Chaucer LOT ."e
English but he was more than that' TOT
he had nothing to 20 on except ms own
unframed brain and fervid love TOT ms
race and the language he preferred III"
monument is written one
He was i'll two weeks with COM
pljcation of the troubles that beset age
He leaves three sons and four daughters
by a second marriage. One OF the sons
IS Charles Zunser, lawyer ana soclal
worker. connected with the United ne,
brew Charities. The family is III soou
and last year committee
was formed to publish a complete coiiec-
finn Of his writings.