Isaac Leybush Peretz (1852-1915) is an influential figure of modern Jewish culture. Born in Poland and dedicated to Yiddish culture, he recognized that Jews needed to adapt to their times while preserving their cultural heritage, and his writings explore the complexities inherent in the struggle between tradition and the desire for progress. This volume, which presents a memoir, poem, travelogue and 26 stories by Peretz, also provides a detailed essay about Peretz's life by Ruth R. Wisse. This edition also includes Peretz's great visionary drama "A Night in the Old Marketplace", in a rhymed, performable translation by Hillel Halkin.
Author Biography
Ruth R. Wisse is professor of Yiddish Literature and of Comparative Literature at Harvard University. Modern Yiddish Library, David G. Roskies, general editor
