An Annotated Bibliography of Maria Yakovlevna Frumkina (Esther)

Abstract

This thesis provides the first annotated bibliography of the publications of Maria Yakovlevna Frumkina (Esther), a significant figure in the Russian Jewish political sphere in the pre- and early Soviet period. Often known as Esther Frumkin, this proponent of Bundist and, subsequently, communist ideology intended almost all of her publications for readers of Yiddish who were members of the Jewish working class or Jewish intellectuals like herself who devoted their lives to the masses. While Esther’s written output, and indeed her life’s work, can essentially be seen in terms of two periods, corresponding to before and after the dissolution of the Russian Bund, there is some variety among the publications of each period, in terms of their nature, purpose and audience. Some items are translations, some are memoirs, some are didactic party journalism, some are theoretical, some are poetic, some are for younger readers, some appeal to the emotions, some contain humour or derision, some are moralistic, and so on. All are masterfully crafted, using the same clear, assertive style. Many have a very personal quality, which could only have reinforced their author’s reputation as ‘the famous Esther Frumkin’. These publications thus offer a personal perspective on the historical events they describe. They cast additional light on those events and on the writer herself, although the biographical portrait they sketch is incomplete, and they reveal how contemporary Marxist ideologies were communicated to the Yiddish-reading public during a period when Yiddish was a language of politics. The list of 357 items is not an exhaustive bibliography of Esther’s publications, but it is surely representative and should permit consideration of Esther’s publications beyond the small proportion for which she is best known. To the same end, the majority of the enumerated bibliographic listings are accompanied by an annotation and a translation into English of a brief extract from the item.