St. John's College Seminar: The Zelmenyaners by Moyshe Kulbak

Attend a seminar at St. John's College on the Zelmenyaners by Moyshe Kulbak with professors Dr. Seth Applebaum and Dr. Alan Zeitlin. Early Registrants will receive a free copy of the book. Please register below.

The Zelmenyaners: A Family Saga by Moyshe Kulbak

This is the first complete English-language translation of a classic of Yiddish literature, one of the great comic novels of the twentieth century. The Zelmenyaners describes the travails of a Jewish family in Minsk that is torn asunder by the new Soviet reality. Four generations are depicted in riveting and often uproarious detail as they face the profound changes brought on by the demands of the Soviet regime and its collectivist, radical secularism. The resultant intergenerational showdowns—including disputes over the introduction of electricity, radio, or electric trolley—are rendered with humor, pathos, and a finely controlled satiric pen. Moyshe Kulbak, a contemporary of the Soviet Jewish writer Isaac Babel, picks up where Sholem Aleichem left off a generation before, exploring in this book the transformation of Jewish life.

Presented as part of the Yiddish Book Center's Public Libraries Program, in partnership with the ALA and funded by the Lilly Endowment, Inc. Made possible by the Friends of the Santa Fe Public Library.

The Yiddish Book Center’s Public Libraries Program brings Yiddish literature in translation to public libraries across the United States to deepen their engagement with Yiddish literature and Jewish life, religion, and culture, and to foster vibrant cross-cultural dialogue and discussion in their communities.   

Each year, the Center works with 40 libraries in communities across the United States. The current theme is Between Two Worlds: Exploring Jewish Culture and Religion through Yiddish Literature. Visit yiddishbookcenter.org.

The Friends of the Santa Fe Public Library is an independent non-profit organization whose mission is to support the public library by providing funding, advocacy, programming, services, and materials that enrich the diverse community it serves. Visit santafelibraryfriends.org.

For accommodations such as translations, ASL interpreters, or disability needs, please email library@santafenm.gov or call the Library.