Chaim Grade: Confessions of a Tormented Writer

• In Event: Straddling the Worlds of the Sacred and the Profane: Chaim Grade’s Work and Life

Abstract

The Yiddish poet and novelist Chaim Grade (1910-1982), was a deeply conflicted and lonely figure. Having left the strict religious world of his upbringing for a secular literary career, he was never able to completely sever the bond with the Yeshiva world. Thus, he remained a liminal figure who straddled both religious and secular worlds and harbored a strong love-hate relationship toward traditional Judaism until his death. In addition to his isolation from the religious world, he felt doubly isolated as a Yiddish writer who emigrated to America but never felt completely at home in his new environment. Exacerbating his loneliness was the rapid decline of a native Yiddish speaking audience and a fierce rivalry with more popular Yiddish writers such as I.B. Singer.

This presentation will focus on Chaim Grade's hitherto unpublished letters and correspondence. This is a veritable treasure trove which reveals many interesting facts and anecdotes about his life. In particular, these letters shed light on the crux of his religious conflicts, his self-perception as a Yiddish writer, his relationships with other Yiddish writers (and especially his attitude toward I.B. Singer), and the nature of post-holocaust Jewish identity.

In addition to exploring the aforementioned themes, the presentation will also showcase highlights from Chaim Grade's correspondence dealing with the complex relationships he had with prominent religious personalities, including his legendary teacher Rabbi Avraham Yesha‘yahu Karelits, the Chazon Ish (1878–1953), the acclaimed Talmudist Professor Saul Lieberman (1898-1983), and the late Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994).

Author

• Yehudah DovBer Zirkind, Tel Aviv University