Amazing Abe

December 1, 2023
A Yiddish-speaking visionary improved Jewish immigrants' lives in early-20th-century New York. Born in 1860 Lithuania (then part of the Russian Empire), Abe Cahan was a gifted linguist who learned Russian in addition to his native Yiddish. Abe taught school and ardently supported political and labor causes--dangerous in czarist Russia. Fearing for his life, Abe fled his country and, on the long journey to America, taught himself English. Upon arriving in New York, Abe labored in factories by day and improved his English by night, eventually teaching English to other Jewish newcomers. Soon, he became so proficient that he reported on Jewish immigrants' lives for English-language newspapers and wrote stories and novels in English. In 1897, Abe helped found and then became editor of the Jewish Daily Forward, a seminal Yiddish-language newspaper that acclimated generations of Jewish immigrants to American life, teaching them, among many things, about the rules of baseball; American history, government, and the importance of voting; and health and hygiene. Abe also added an enormously popular personal-advice column called the "Bintel Brief" ("Bundle of Letters"). This well-written, stimulating picture-book biography brings much-deserved attention to an important person who highlighted and respected the lives not only of Jewish immigrants but of all immigrants, as well as workers and the poor. The colorful, attractive gouache illustrations capture period settings very capably. An influential figure receives the admiring treatment he's earned. (more about Abe Cahan, author's note, more about Yiddish, timeline, bibliography) (Picture-book biography. 7-11)

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December 11, 2023
This optimistic picture book biography of Lithuanian newspaperman Abraham Cahan (1860–1951) begins with the Yiddish-speaking figure being educated “in the traditional Jewish way, studying Hebrew and the Bible.” As he matured and became a teacher, he also got into politics, advocating for mistreated workers oppressed by Czarist rule. Facing retaliation, he joined the “nearly two million other Jews who arrived in the United States from Eastern Europe between 1880 and 1914,” Finkelstein writes. A factory worker by day, he studied English at night, and reported on the experiences of Jewish immigrants. In 1897, he cofounded Yiddish-language newspaper Forverts, which connected readers with news local and global, and provided practical advice about U.S. life (e.g., explaining baseball to readers). Depicting gentle-faced characters with various skin tones, Stamper’s gouache illustrations portray bustling social scenes in this story of community-based success. End notes conclude. Ages 4–8.

January 1, 2024
This picture-book biography tells the story of Cahan (1860�? 1951), cofounder and later editor of the Forverts, the Yiddish newspaper known in English as The Jewish Daily Forward. Finkelstein's clear text traces Cahan's journey from the Pale of Settlement -- he fled after being questioned by czarist police over his support of workers -- to New York, as well as his experiences as a new immigrant before the paper's founding. The book's depiction of Cahan's work on the paper emphasizes his understanding of and advocacy for the needs of other Jews, immigrants, and workers. Stamper's bustling street scenes, classrooms, and newspaper offices include plenty of instances of print to pore over in multiple languages (Cahan "loved words" in English, Russian, Hebrew, and Yiddish). Back matter includes more information on Cahan and on Yiddish, an author's note, a timeline, a bibliography, and suggested further reading. Shoshana Flax

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

February 1, 2024
Grades K-3 Finkelstein recounts the life of Abraham Cahan, the founder of The Jewish Daily Forward (Forverts, in Yiddish), at one time the most widely read foreign-language newspaper in America. Born in Lithuania, Cahan became a teacher who worked fervently for the rights of workers and the poor. Targeted by the police for his political activities, Cahan immigrated to the U.S., where he taught English to immigrants, wrote for U.S. newspapers, and, in 1897, founded Forverts--a Yiddish-language newspaper that helped immigrants to adapt to American life. Forverts not only reported news but also offered advice to newcomers, helped families locate missing relatives, and published stories by Jewish writers such as Isaac Bashevis Singer. Stamper's upbeat full-color artwork features a pleasing mix of single- and full-page spreads, as well as smaller spot art. Historical details abound: endpapers depicting wash day at a tenement, European shtetl scenes, nineteenth-century NYC factory jobs, upright typewriters in Cahan's newspaper office, and labor marches to secure workers' rights. Generous back matter rounds out this attractive offering.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from January 12, 2024

K-Gr 4-This picture book biography is an engaging tribute to Abraham Cahan (1860-1951) whose commitment to language, justice, and education left an enduring impact on the lives of Jewish immigrants in America. The story chronicles Cahan's evolution from a natural linguist, with Yiddish as his favored language, to an advocate for newcomers trying to assimilate into a very different culture. Fleeing Lithuania to escape from the oppression of czarist Russia, Cahan found refuge in New York City, where his days working in factories were complemented by nightly English studies. His transition into a teacher, educating fellow Jewish newcomers, sets the stage for his pivotal role as the co-founder and editor of the Yiddish language newspaper, Forverts, or the Forward, a Jewish daily. This newspaper was the preeminent foreign-language newspaper in America, connecting Jewish communities with local and global news. In his dual role as a teacher and newspaper editor, he focused on filling the cultural gaps for immigrants, fostering their understanding of America's customs, language, history, and the significance of voting. The narrative skillfully weaves in Cahan's commitment to workers' rights, portraying him as a champion of immigrants and an advocate for labor unions working in pursuit of improved working conditions and wages. The illustrations, painted in gouache, meticulously capture the characters and historic time period, adding authenticity to the storytelling. The back matter includes an author's note, time line, bibliography, a further resources. VERDICT A commendable addition to library collections focused on immigration, little-known historical figures, and the pivotal role of language and the written word in shaping the immigrant experience.-Lynne Stover

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2024
This picture-book biography tells the story of Cahan (1860-1951), cofounder and later editor of the Forverts, the Yiddish newspaper known in English as The Jewish Daily Forward. Finkelstein's clear text traces Cahan's journey from the Pale of Settlement -- he fled after being questioned by czarist police over his support of workers -- to New York, as well as his experiences as a new immigrant before the paper's founding. The book's depiction of Cahan's work on the paper emphasizes his understanding of and advocacy for the needs of other Jews, immigrants, and workers. Stamper's bustling street scenes, classrooms, and newspaper offices include plenty of instances of print to pore over in multiple languages (Cahan "loved words" in English, Russian, Hebrew, and Yiddish). Back matter includes more information on Cahan and on Yiddish, an author's note, a timeline, a bibliography, and suggested further reading.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)