RESNICK, SALOMON

RESNICK, SALOMON (1894–1946), writer, journalist, lecturer, translator from Yiddish into Spanish, and community leader. Born in Russia, he immigrated to Argentina in 1902 as his father, Rabbi Moses Resnick, was hired by the JCA (Jewish Colonization Association) to serve the religious needs of the agricultural colonies. There, Salomon Resnick became a Spanish teacher. In 1914, he moved to Buenos Aires, where he started his literary career in the journal Juventud; in 1917 he joined the magazine Vida Nuestra publishing essays, articles, and translations from Yiddish writers. In 1918 he joined the founders of the daily Yiddish Di Presse as a journalist and editor; and from 1923 to 1933 he established and edited with Leon Kibrick the Spanish weekly Mundo Israelita, still appearing in the early 21st century. In 1923 Resnick launched the monthly Spanish journal Judaica, editing it until his death; this was his most outstanding project devoted to the promotion of Jewish   culture through the publication of scholarly articles from all lines of thought, both Jewish and non-Jewish. As a community leader in 1923, Salomon Resnick participated in the foundation of the Sociedad Hebraica Argentina, a cultural and sport center oriented to Spanish-speaking Jews. He was named director of its newly created library. In 1924 Resnick was appointed director of public information of JCA; in 1938 he took part in the foundation of the Argentinean branch of YIVO – Yiddishn Wisnshaftlechn Institute (Jewish Research Institute) and was elected its first president; and from 1944 until his death he held the position of local director of the JDC – Joint Distribution Committee, Public Relations Office. He wrote four books: Dos formas de nacionalismo espiritual judío: Ajad Haam y Dubnow (1931), La literatura de la post-guerra (1931), Esquema de la literatura judía (1933), and Cinco ensayos sobre temas judíos (1943). His translations include the writings of most important Yiddish writers, such as sholem asch , shalom aleichem , sholem yankev abramovitsh (Mendele Mokher Seforim), and I.L. Peretz . Resnick has been recognized as the preeminent expert in the Spanish version and interpretation of Yiddish literature. Over the years, he received many posthumous tributes in Latin America and Israel. His personal library was donated to Tel Aviv University by his family. -BIBLIOGRAPHY: Judaica (1933–1946); Noaj (1997). (Rosa Perla Resnick (2nd ed.)