Hidden in the Community (Women’s History Day Twelve)

 For someone who wrote many articles and published widely, Reyzl Glas-Fenster is not easy to find in a search, nor is her work readily accessible from the usual Yiddish troves. After her name came up when reading about Blume Lempel (see yesterday’s post), I wanted to include Reyzl and learn about her life and writing.

Indeed, there is a lead for a Yizkor book of Byten, Belarus in which Reyzl’s piece “Shadows From My Childhood” is included – which I could not find upon a search. Yet, the one biography I found betrays a long list of publications, mostly articles in various journals and newspapers. Included in these vast writings is even a novel in installments!

Yet, upon a further search, I found one of her books on the Yiddish Book Center: (דערצײלונגען) זון אױף בּאַרג – Sun on the Mountain, Stories. Published in 1951, there are three sections with various stories included.

Reyzl was born in Poland and emigrated to Philadelphia when she was thirteen. Eight years later, after completing her education (including studying at the Jewish teachers’ seminary), she found herself in New York, where she remained the rest of her life. Although she wrote under her own name, she also used pen names.

I can’t wait to read some of her short stories!