- Abraham Mapu
Abraham Mapu (1808,
Slobodka ,Kaunas – 1867,Königsberg , Prussia) was aLithuania n-bornHebrew novelist of theHaskalah ("enlightenment") movement. His novels later served as a basis for the Zionist movement.As a child, Mapu studied in a
cheder where his father served as a teacher. He married in 1825.For many years he was an impoverished, itinerant schoolmaster. Mapu gained financial security when he was appointed teacher in a government school for
Jew ish children. He worked as a teacher in various towns and cities, joined theHaskalah movement, and studied German, French and Russian. He also studiedLatin from a translation of theBible to that language, given him by his localrabbi .He returned in 1848 to
Kaunas , and self-published his first historical novel, "Ahavat Zion.". This is considered the firstHebrew novel . He began work on it in 1830, completing it only in 1853. However, he was unable to fully subsist on his book sales and depended on his brother, Matisyahu. He moved toKönigsberg in 1867 due to illness, submitted there his last published book, "Amon Pedagogue" ("Amon" means something likeMentor ), and died there.Mapu is considered the creator of the
Hebrew novel . Influenced by FrenchRomanticism , he wrote heavily plotted novels about life inAncient Israel , which he contrasted favorably with 19th century Jewish life. His style is fresh and poetic, almost Biblical in its simple grandeur.The romantic-nationalistic ideas in his novels later inspired
David Ben-Gurion and others and served as the basis for the implementation of these ideas in the Zionist movement which later led to the establishment of the state ofIsrael .Novels
* "Ayit Tzavua" (1858) ("The Hypocrite")
* "Ahavat Zion" (1853) ("Amnon, Prince and Peasant" as translated by F. Jaffe in 1887)
* "Ashmat Shomron" (date unsure of) ("Guilt of Samaria")Commemorations
In the Kaunas Old Town and in
Jerusalem ,Israel there are streets bearing his name.Also There is also a well-known Israeli novel called, "The Children from Mapu Street" ("הילדים מרחוב מאפו").External links
* [http://www.benyehuda.org/mapu Mapu's works at Project Ben-Yehuda] (Hebrew)
* [http://www.ithl.org.il/author_info.asp?id=167 Mapu at the Institute for the Translation of Hebrew Literature] (English)
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