Sholem Shtern: Yiddish Literature and Education in Montreal

Listen to David Shtern talk about the career, writing, and personal life of his father, the Montreal-based poet, essayist, and teacher Sholem Shtern (1906/1907–1990). Best known for his novels in verse, Sholem Shtern set his works firmly in Montreal, depicting the life of Jewish immigrants and other characters in the city and its surroundings. By 1945, Shtern had published three books of poetry: Noentkayt: lider (Toronto: Oyfgang, 1929), Es Likhtikt (Montréal: Kulture komitet baym yidishn hilfs fareyn, 1941), and Inderfri (Montréal: Kanader Vokhnblat, 1945). After 1960, moreover, he published three Yiddish novels in verse: In Kanade (2 vols) (Montréal: Sholem Shtern Bukh-komitet, 1960-1963) [In Canada: A Novel in Verse (Trans. Judith Rotstein. Montréal, 1984)], Dos Vayse Hoyz (New York: YKUF, c.1967) [The White House (Trans. Max Rosenfeld. New York: Warbrooke Publishers, 1974)], and Di Mishpokhe in Kanade un Dos Hoyzgesind fun profesor Sidni Goldstin: Tsvey noveln (Montréal: [S. Shtern], 1975) [The Family in Canada: A Novel in Verse (Trans. Yiddish to French Tatiana Hais. Revised Guy Maheux. Montréal: S. Shtern, 1984)]. Passionate about Yiddish education, Sholem Shtern was also the principal of the Morris Winchevsky School for almost 20 years.