Earsh-Labe Cajber Bessarabian Jewish writer Date of Birth: 01.01.1906

1. Early Life and Education
2. Literary Beginnings
3. Major Works and Literary Career
4. Later Years and Tragic Demise

Early Life and Education

Ersh-Leyb Cajber (Weinstein) was born into a poor family of farmers in the Bessarabian village of Cajba (now in the Glodeni district of Moldova) in 1906 (or 1910, according to some sources). He suffered from a childhood limp due to an accident.

Cajber graduated from a Romanian gymnasium in Bălți, where he later worked as a teacher at a school run by the Bund-affiliated association "Morn-Royt" ("Morning Dawn").

Literary Beginnings

Cajber made his debut in the newspaper "Chernovitzer Bletter" (Chernivtsi Pages) with a collection of stories published under the literary pseudonym Cajber (referencing his birthplace). He subsequently published short stories and critical essays in "Literarishe Bletter" (Literary Papers, Warsaw).

In 1931, he co-founded the journal "Onoz" (Announcement) in Chișinău with prose writer Yankl Yakir. "Onoz" was intended as an outlet for a group of young Bessarabian writers who later became part of the "Jung-Rumenye" (Young Romania) association in Bucharest. Their work was primarily published in the journal "Shoyb" (Windows), edited by Yankov Shternberg and Shloyme Bikl.

Major Works and Literary Career

Cajber's only published book, "Kazyonne Gimnazye" (State Gymnasium), was released in 1937 in Chernivtsi. His novella, "Khaverte Tanye" (Comrade Tanye), was serialized in the Sighet journal "Ufgang" (Sunrise, edited by I.D. Izrael).

Later Years and Tragic Demise

Cajber died of starvation during the evacuation to Samarkand in the winter of 1942-1943. His literary legacy remains significant, despite his untimely demise.