Grade, Khayim: 1919-1982

Khayim Grade was born in Vilna and was raised in children’s homes and studied Hebrew and was a founding member of the “Young Vilna” writers group. He began publishing poems and stories in Yiddish in 1932. He survived WW2 in the Soviet Union and returned to Poland for six months then left for Paris where he was a leader among survivor writers. In 1948 he came to New York as a delegate to the Yiddish Culture Congress, remained in the USA and was published in Morgn Journal, (“Morning Journal”) and Tsukunft, (“Future”). His classic story “My Quarrel with Hirsh Rassayner” was translated to English and published in “Commentary” in 1954. It was made into a movie in 2003. His poems have been translated into English, Hebrew, Turkish and Tadjikistani. A few of his books are: Yo, (Yes), 1936 Vilna, Mussarniks 1939, Vilna, Oif de Khurves, (“On the Ruins”), Lodz, 1947, Plitim, (“Refugees”), Poems Written in the Soviet Union, 1941-1945, Der Shayn fun Farloshene Shtern, (“The Glow of Extinguished Stars”), Chicago, Di Mame’s Tsavoye, (“Mother’s Legacy”), 1955.