Bidspirit auction | First US Edition: Di Brider

First US Edition: Di Brider Ashkenazi (Volume 1) by I. J. Singer – New York, 1937 - Author: The renowned Yiddish novelist and playwright Israel Joshua Singer (ישראל יהושע זינגר, 1893–1944). Content: This lot features Volume 1 (ערשטער טייל) of Singer’s masterwork, Di Brider Ashkenazi (די ברידער אשכנזי), subtitled Geburt (געבורט - ”Birth”). This sweeping family epic chronicles the massive industrial rise, class struggles, and cultural shifts within the textile city of Łódź, standing as one of the ultimate masterpieces of 20th-century Yiddish realist fiction. Volume 1 concludes on page 331 with the words: ”ענדע פון ערשטן טייל” (End of the First Part). Edition Details: The definitive First US Edition, published in New York (ניו-יארק) in 1937 by Max N. Meisel (מאקס נ. מייזיל). Printed entirely in the original Yiddish. Moving In Memoriam: The opening leaves feature a deeply personal printed dedication from the author honoring the memory of his young son, Yasha (יאשא), whose tragic death in 1935 profoundly altered Singer's life during the writing of this book. Notable Connection: While the title utilizes the famous rabbinic surname Ashkenazi, the core conflict of the novel—the agonizing tension between the deeply religious Chassidic world and modern secularism—directly mirrors the real-life sibling dynamic between the author and his famous younger brother, Isaac Bashevis Singer. Raised in a strict rabbinic household, Israel Joshua was a passionate secularist, while Isaac remained deeply religious and drawn to mysticism during his youth. This profound family friction heavily inspired the psychological depth of the novel, making this first American printing a crucial artifact documenting the internal soul-searching of pre-war Eastern European Jewry.