Alberton Meir (1900, Bershad – 20 November 1947, Chkalovo) – Soviet writer, pioneer of workers’ literature in Yiddish.
Meir Alberton was born as the son of Yosif (hence Yosifovich) in Bershad, where he spent his entire childhood. He attended religious schools until the age of 14. He then moved to Odessa. After the 1918 Revolution he worked as a teacher in various institutions for children. However, he eventually left for Dnipropetrovsk, where he worked in a factory. He graduated from the Faculty of Engineering. In the mid-1920s, he began to publish short stories. He was interested in topics related to the working environment and young people from small towns.
In 1928, Alberton left for Birobidjan. He spent several years there and was inspired to write the novel Birobidjan. His other works include Shakhtes (Yiddish: “Mines,” Moscow 1931) and Tsu Di Naye Shakhtorim (Yiddish: “To the New Miners,” Kharkiv 1931).
Bibliography:
- Lukin W., Dimshiz W., Chaimovich B., 100 yevreiskikh mestechek Ukrainy. Istorichieskyi putevoditel. Vipusk 2. Podolia, Sankt Petersburg 2000.
