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Boris SandlerJewish writer and journalist, editor-in-chief of the New York newspaper Forverts.
Date of Birth: 06.01.1950
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of Boris Sandler
Boris Sandler is a Jewish writer and journalist, as well as the editor-in-chief of the New York newspaper "Forverts". He writes in Yiddish and was born in the town of Beltsy in Bessarabia. His family had recently immigrated from the Jewish agricultural colony of Markuleshty, which is now in the Floresti district of Moldova.
Early Life and Education
Sandler began studying violin at a young age and graduated from the music school in Beltsy. In 1975, he completed his studies at the Kishinev Institute of Arts named after Musicesku, specializing in violin. He worked as a violinist in the Moldavian State Symphony Orchestra at the Moldavian State Philharmonic in Kishinev.
Writing Career
Sandler initially started writing prose in Russian, but later switched to Yiddish. Encouraged by his mentor Ihil Shraybman, he made his debut with short stories in the Moscow magazine "Sovetish Geimland" (Soviet Homeland) in 1981. In the same year, he joined the first Jewish group of Higher Literary Courses at the A.M. Gorky Literary Institute, where he studied alongside writers such as Lev Berinsky, Gennady Estraikh, Velvl Chernin, Moyshe Pens, and Alexander Brodsky (Mikki Wolf).
Throughout the 1980s, Sandler's work was regularly published in "Sovetish Geimland". He quickly gained attention and became a member of the editorial board of the magazine. After the publication of his first book, "Treplekh Aruf Tsu A Nes" (Steps Up to a Miracle) in 1986, he became a member of the Union of Writers of the USSR and MSSR. In 1988, the Moscow publishing house "Sovetsky Pisatel" released Sandler's book translated into Russian as "Stupeni K Chudu" (Steps to a Miracle).
In 1989, Sandler, together with poet Moishe Lemster, taught the Yiddish language in Kishinev. He founded and hosted the first Jewish program "Af Der Idisher Gas" (On the Jewish Street) on Moldavian State Television and edited the local newspaper "Undzer Kol" (Our Voice) along with Alexander Brodsky. In 1991-1992, he wrote screenplays for two documentary films directed by Arnold Brodichansky about the history and fate of Bessarabian Jewry.
Move to Israel and Later Career
Sandler moved to Israel in 1992, where he worked at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He served as the vice president of the Union of Yiddish Writers and Journalists and headed the publishing house H. Leyvik Farlag in Tel Aviv, which was one of the two main publishers of Yiddish literature. He published several books, including "Der Alter Brunem" (The Old Well, 1994), "Toyern" (Gates, 1997), and a documentary investigation based on materials from the KGB MSSR titled "Der Inyen Numer 5390" (Case Number 5390, 1992) about the arrested Bessarabian writers Yankl Yakir, Motl Saktsier, Moyshe Altman, and Hertsel Gaisiner-Rivkin.
In 1998, Sandler moved to New York, where he became the managing editor of the oldest Jewish newspaper "Forverts" (Forward), which has been published in Yiddish since 1897. Since then, he has significantly reorganized the newspaper, turning it into an international publication. He currently resides in Brooklyn and frequently gives lectures and seminars in different countries. Sandler has published several books, including two novels: "Ven Der Golem Hot Farmakht Di Oygn" (When the Golem Closed His Eyes, 1997) - a documentary novel about the Kishinev pogrom of 1903, and "Lamedvovnikes Fun Mayn Zikorn" (Righteous Ones of My Memory, 2005) - about post-war Jewish life in Beltsy.
Since 2007, Sandler has been the co-editor of the literary journal "Di Tsukunft" (The Future) alongside Gennady Estraikh. In addition to "Forverts", he also edits the Sunday radio hour "Forverts Sho" (Forverts Hour) and the monthly educational publication "Vayter" (Further). Sandler is the laureate of the Fichman literary prize (Israel, 2002). He continues to compile and edit posthumous editions of contemporary Jewish authors, such as Ihil Shraybman, Chaim Beider, and an audiobook by Isaac Bashevis Singer.
