Ephraim Bauch Moldovan and Israeli Russian writer, poet, translator, journalist Country: Israel

1. Ephraïm Ighokovitch Baukh
2. Early Life and Education
3. Literary Debut and Career in Moldova
4. Migration to Israel
5. Literary and Scholarly Work in Israel
6. Literary Honors and Engagements

Ephraïm Ighokovitch Baukh

Ephraïm Ighokovitch Baukh, also known as Efrem Baukh, is a Moldovan and Israeli Russian writer, poet, translator, and journalist.

Early Life and Education

Baukh was born in Benderi, Bessarabia (now Moldova) in 1934. During World War II, he and his mother evacuated to the Saratov region of the USSR. After the war, the family returned to Benderi, where Baukh received his initial religious education from his uncle, a melamed. He later taught Russian literature in the village of Causeni and then settled in Chișinău. In 1958, he graduated from the geological faculty of Chișinău State University and worked as a geological engineer and speleologist.

Literary Debut and Career in Moldova

Baukh began publishing in the late 1950s and made his literary debut with the poetry collection "Grains" in 1963. He became a member of the Writers' Union of the USSR in 1964 and published several other poetry collections, including "Night Trams" (1965), "Red Evening" (1968), and "Transformations" (1973) for children. He also compiled anthologies and translated works of contemporary Moldovan poets.

Migration to Israel

In 1977, Baukh emigrated to Israel and settled in Bat Yam. He published the book of poems "Ruah" (1978) and the seven-part novel series "Dreams of Life," which explored themes of history, identity, and Jewish experience. The novels include "Kin and Orman" (1982), "The Stone of Moriah" (1982), "Jacob's Ladder" (1987), "Outcry" (1991-1993), "The Sun of Suicides" (1994), "The Desert Listens to God" (2002), and "The Veil" (2008).

Literary and Scholarly Work in Israel

Baukh continued to write poetry, essays, and translations in both Russian and Hebrew. He translated works by Boris Pasternak, Anna Akhmatova, Yevgeny Yevtushenko, and other Russian poets. He also translated Kabbalistic texts from Aramaic and Yiddish into Russian and Hebrew. In 1995, he published a complete Russian translation of the Zohar, a foundational Kabbalistic work.

Literary Honors and Engagements

Baukh was a prominent figure in Israeli and world literary circles. He was the Chairman of the Federation of Writers' Unions in Israel, President of the Israeli branch of PEN International, and Chairman of the All-Israel Union of Associations of Emigrants from Moldova. In 2001, the Hebrew translation of his novel "Jacob's Ladder" won the inaugural Israel President's Prize for Literature.