Elias Levenberg

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Elias Levenberg (Latvian: Eliass (Elja) Lēvenbergs, Yiddish: אליהו לעוונבערג, German: Elias Lewenberg; 25 (18) July 1903, in Tartu – 1941 or 1942, in Latvia), was a Jewish teacher and folklorist in Tartu, Estonia.

Biography and family[edit]

Elias Levenberg was born in Tartu into family of Chaye Sore Levenberg, who originated from Vidzy, and Samuel Chaim-Leib Levenberg. As show Levenberg's collector's remarks in his folklore records, in 1908–1912 the family lived in Tartu,[1] and in 1915–1918 in Riga[2] where he finished elementary school and Jewish middle school.[3]

In 1927 Levenberg settled in Tartu, perhaps, with his mother and with his wife Zisla (Sisla) Leveberg (Shver). On 4 April 1930 she gave birth to a son Sīmanis (Simon) in Riga.[4] In Tartu also lived Levenberg's aunt B. Usharov.[5]

In 1927 Levenberg entered the faculty of Law of Tartu university.[6][7] 2 September 1927 he passed the test of Estonian, required to be accepted to the university. The test was administrated and scored by Johannes Aavik, an experimentalist modernizer of Estonian language, who was a language inspector at that time.[8] Yet, the same year Levenberg moved to the faculty of Philosophy, which he did not finish; at least in annual lists of actual students his name is mentioned during 1930–1934,[9] 1933–1935[10] and 1936–1938 years.[11]

From 1 September 1927 Elias Levenberg started to teach Yiddish language and literature in the Jewish elementary school in Tartu (Tartu linna 17 (juudi) algkool),[12][13] and in Jewish private school (Juudi Erarealkool)[14] and continued at least till 1939.[15] Besides that he taught English and singing.[16]

Living in Estonia Levenberg remained a Latvian citizen. In 1939 he appealed for Estonian citizenship, but his appeal was dismissed.[17][18]

Since 1939 Levenberg lived in Riga[19] and was murdered in Latvia in 1941[20] or 1942.[21]

Contribution to folkloristics[edit]

In Tartu university Levenberg was taught folkloristics by Walter Anderson, who invented and popularised the gathering of self-records from school children. Following this model Levenberg started in 1929 to gather from pupils of Jewish elementary school's 4–6 grades self-records of beliefs, jokes, songs and alike for Estonian Folklore Archives, where was created a special fond for Jewish collections: ERA Juudi 1 and ERA Juudi 2.

Later he added to the Archives materials recorded from his mother, records from various people and self-records. From 1929 till 1935 he wrote down and contributed to Estonian Folklore Archives more than 800 items of Jewish Yiddish folklore, which is the biggest personal contribution within collections. In a public report in 1931 Levenberg was named among most active collectors of the Estonian Folklore Archives.[22][23]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Levenberg's collector's remarks under texts in Jewish collection of the Estonian Folklore Archives (ERA): "Heard from my mother in 1912 in Tartu" and so on: ERA, Juudi 2, 134 (6), ERA, Juudi 2, 138 (7), ERA, Juudi 2, 140 (4), ERA, Juudi 2, 146 (1).
  2. ^ Levenberg's collector's remarks under texts in Jewish collection of the Estonian Folklore Archives (ERA): "Heard from my mother in 1915 in Riga" and so on: ERA, Juudi 2, 121, ERA, Juudi 2, 131, ERA, Juudi 2, 142, ERA, Juudi 2, 144.
  3. ^ E. Levenberg's documents on examination in Estonian as foreign language (in Estonian State Archive (ERA)): ERA.3224.1.736, p.2.
  4. ^ E. Levenberg's documents from Estonian State Archive for appeal for Estonian citizenship (in Estonian and Latvian): ERA.14.14.568, p.3
  5. ^ Levenberg's collector's remark "Heard from my aunt mrs. B. Usharov, in Tartu, she originates from Tartu": ERA, Juudi 2, 223.
  6. ^ Levenberg's acceptance document for the faculty of Law (Estonian State Archive): ERA.3224.1.736, p.4
  7. ^ Eeesti vabariigi Tartu ülikooli isiklik kooseit 1. detsembril 1929 // Acta et Commentationes Universitatis Tartuensis (Dorpatensis). C, Annales. VII-IX. Tartu, 1929, p.50
  8. ^ ERA.3224.1.736. P.5–6
  9. ^ Acta et Commentationes Universitatis Tartuensis (Dorpatensis). C, Annales. XI–XIII. Tartu, 1934. C.XI (1930). p.57; C.XII (1931), p.54; C.XIII (1932), p.39
  10. ^ Acta et Commentationes Universitatis Tartuensis (Dorpatensis). C, Annales. XVI–XVIII. Tartu, 1936. C.XVI (1933), p.40; C.XVII (1935), p.43; C.XVIII (1935), p.42.
  11. ^ Acta et Commentationes Universitatis Tartuensis (Dorpatensis). C, Annales. XIX–XXI. Tartu, 1939. C.XIX (1936), p.40; C.XX (1937), p.41; C.XXI (1938), p.43.
  12. ^ List of teachers of Tartu elementary school No. 17 for 1937: ERA.2283.1.66
  13. ^ ERA.1108.3.204, p.7
  14. ^ Salary's list for teachers of Jewish private school for 1933-1938 (Estonian State Archive): ERA.2283.1.79
  15. ^ Statistics data on Jewish schools in Tartu (Estonian State Archive): ERA.2283.1.7, p.38.
  16. ^ Review of Jewish school in Tartu (Estonian State Arvhive): ERA.2283.1.75. p.3, 6.
  17. ^ A decline of appeal for citizenship, 31 Match 1939 (in Estonian): ERA.14.14.586, p.31.
  18. ^ Official announcement about dismiss of appeal for citizenship: Ei võetud Eesti kodakondsusesse // Sakala. 24 märts 1939. Reedel. No. 35 (46).
  19. ^ Elias Lewenberg in the List of residents of 1 to 49 Maskavas Street in Riga who received food coupons, 1939–1940 in The Central Database of Shoah Victims' Names
  20. ^ Testimony of Yakov Kaplan, a teacher from Tartu Jewish school in The Central Database of Shoah Victims' Names.
  21. ^ Researcher's testimony in The Central Database of Shoah Victims' Names.
  22. ^ Aruanne rahvaluule kogumisest 1931 // Virulane, 6 jaanuar 1932. P.4.
  23. ^ Aruanne rahvaluule kogumisest 1931 // Meie Maa. 14 jaanuar 1932. P.2
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