A new edition of Bialik's poetry translated by Jabotinsky has been presented in Tel Aviv

The official presentation of the renowned collection of poems "Songs and Poems" by Chaim Nachman Bialik, translated by Vladimir Jabotinsky, took place at the Bialik House Museum in Tel Aviv. Published by the Babel Publishing House with the support of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, the book is part of the large-scale "EAJC Library" project. Its objective is to publish and support the publication of unique volumes of the Jewish library. The digital realization of the project is the special portal "Bialik: Prophet of Our Time," where anyone can explore the biography and work of the poet, which eloquently embody the entire history of the Jewish people leading up to the establishment of the State of Israel.

The event was supported by the Tel Aviv Municipality, Babel Publishing House, and the "SNOB TLV" cultural and intellectual club. The presentation opened with a discussion on Chaim Nachman Bialik\'s work, featuring presentations by the editor of the reprinted edition of "Songs and Poems" and author of the epilogue, the renowned philologist and lecturer at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Dr. Zoia Kopelman; the owner of the Babel bookstore and publishing house, Evgeny Kogan; and the Director General of the EAJC, Dr. Haim Ben Yakov.

In his speech, Congress Director General Dr. Haim Ben Yakov introduced the "EAJC Library" project and its significance for Russian-speaking Jewish culture.

Dr. Zoia Kopelman, in turn, spoke about Bialik\'s figure and his place in Israeli poetry, reading the classic\'s poems to the audience.

Following the presentation, Ze\'ev Volk, a well-known tour guide and a great admirer of Bialik\'s work, led a tour of the Bialik House Museum for the event participants.

Chaim Nachman Bialik is an outstanding Jewish poet and a classic of Israeli literature. He was translated into Russian by such classical figures of the "Silver Age" of Russian poetry as Valery Bryusov, Fyodor Sologub, and Vyacheslav Ivanov. However, the most famous translations were those by Vladimir Ze\'ev Jabotinsky, another pioneer of modern Jewish literature and journalism. The collection contains one of Bialik\'s most famous poems, "The City of Slaughter," written after the Kishinev pogrom of 1903. The first edition of "Songs and Poems" was published in 1911, and within a short period, seven editions were released, with a total circulation of over 35,000 copies. In 2021, the Babel Bookstore Publishing House, with the support of the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress, published a new edition of the collection, featuring an epilogue by Zoia Kopelman.