LEWINSKY, YOM-TOV

LEWINSKY, YOM-TOV (1899–1973), Hebrew writer. Born in Zambrow, Poland, Lewinsky settled in Ereẓ Israel in 1935, where he taught for ten years, and then joined the Devir publishing house. A founder of Yeda Am (1942), the folklore society, he remained one of its leaders, and, from 1948, editor of its publication, Yeda Am. In the 1920s Lewinsky began writing, in Yiddish and Hebrew, on current as well as historical subjects. In Ereẓ Israel he engaged primarily in the study of Jewish folklore over the ages and published articles on this subject in most of the newspapers and periodicals. His books are Keiẓad Ḥikku et Haman bi-Tefuẓot Yisrael? (1947); a memorial book for the communities of lomza (1952) and zambrow   (1963); Sefer ha-Mo'adim (1956 and after, completion of vol. 2 and editing of vols. 3–8; a series of books on the Jewish festivals containing a wealth of material from various sources); Haggadah shel Pesaḥ (1960, versions of the haggadah from different Jewish communities, with explanations and commentary); and an encyclopedia of Jewish tradition, customs, and folklore (2 vols., 1970). -BIBLIOGRAPHY: Kressel, Leksikon, 2 (1967), 215–6; LYNL, 5 (1963), 318–9. (Getzel Kressel)