LEHRER, LEIBUSH

LEHRER, LEIBUSH (Mordecai; 1887–1964), Yiddish writer and educator. Born in Warsaw, he immigrated first to Belgium (1906) and then to the U.S. (1909). He became one of the prime movers in the development of the Sholem Aleichem schools, and founded the Yiddish-speaking Camp Boiberik where he was director for more than 40 years. From 1919 he taught in the Teachers Seminary of the Sholem Aleichem Folk Institute in New York, and was director of the Sholem Aleichem Secondary School (1921–47). He was also secretary of the psychology and education section of the yivo institute for jewish research . He advocated the thesis that Judaism was not only a religion but an entire folk culture. His works on literature, psychology, education, and Judaism include Di Psikhologye fun Literatur ("The Psychology of Literature," 1926); Di Moderne Yidishe Shul ("The Modern Jewish School," 1927); Psikhologye un Dertsiung ("Psychology and Education," 1937); Yidishkayt un Andere Problemen ("Yidishkayt and Other Problems," 1940); Azoy Zenen Yidn ("Jews Are Like That," 1959); and In Gayst fun Traditsye ("In the Spirit of Tradition," 1966). -BIBLIOGRAPHY: LNYL, 5 (1963), 235–9. (Israel Ch. Biletzky / Jerold C. Frakes (2nd ed.)