A Voice from The Lost Town of Trochenbrod

“Gabriel Laufer’s translation not only brings to life for the English reader the rich language and extraordinary variety of Yisrael Beider’s Hebrew writings, but also captures something of his spirit, world, and worldview. Only some of Beider’s brilliant work has miraculously survived, but even so, and even through the veil of translation, one can appreciate his greatness. One is in awe of the dedication and generosity of spirit that Laufer invested in the sacred task of translating Beider’s texts. The prose that Laufer reconstructed is engaging and preserves the deliberately archaic and folksy style of the Hassidic tales, while the straightforward translations from poetry humbly transmit the sensitive heart and the keen eye that produced them. The texts are further illuminated by careful footnotes that document publication history, sources, and terminology for each text. Thanks to Laufer’s talents and to Academic Studies Press, this extraordinary material will finally be accessible to all. As a Professor of Modern Hebrew Literature, I can attest that this volume is invaluable for teaching Jewish twentieth-century writings and the Holocaust. One hopes it will motivate further study and translations of Beider’s corpus.” — Nili Gold, Professor of Modern Hebrew Literature at the University of Pennsylvania  “This book offers a beautiful glimpse into the rich legacy of East European Jewish culture–a world that would be almost inaccessible today, if it was not for the work of translators, like Cassel, Cassedy, and Laufer. Beider's poetry, essays, and letters encompass a wide array of topics: the natural world, anti-Jewish violence, as well as the daily emotional texture of parenting and family life. I thank these translators for putting more of us in touch with Beider's soulful lens on Jewish life.” — Hannah Pollin Galay, Associate Professor of Yiddish and Holocaust Studies, Tel Aviv University