The Itzik Manger Prize for outstanding contributions to Yiddish literature (, ) was established in 1968, shortly before Itzik Manger's death in 1969. Manger "was and remains one of the best-known twentieth-century Yiddish poets." Introduction to Citron's translation of an essay written by Manger. The original essay was published in the Yiddish journal Der veker [The Awakener] in February 1960. The Prize has been described as the "most prestigious in Yiddish letters". The prize was awarded annually from 1969 to 1999.
History The prize was initiated by Meyer Weisgal, who was frustrated when Manger—then very ill—was denied the Israel Prize. The inaugural prize was given to Manger himself at a banquet on October 31, 1968. The banquet was attended by Golda Meir, then the prime minister of Israel, and by Zalman Shazar, then president. Subsequently, the prize was awarded annually, sometimes to several writers. Anthology of Manger's writing.
List of recipients
1969: Abraham Sutzkever, Aaron Zeitlin 1970: , Chaim Grade, Yoysef Kerler 1971: Kadia Molodowsky, 1972: Maurice Samuel, Isaiah Spiegel Short biography of Spiegel. 1973: Isaac Bashevis Singer 1974: Joseph Buloff, Rachel Korn 1975: Rajzel Zychlinsky 1976: , 1977: Yehuda Elberg, , Yankev-Tsvi Shargel 1978: Rukhl Fishman, Meyer Stiker, Uri Zvi Greenberg, Eli Schechtman, Mordechai Strigler 1979: Chava Rosenfarb, Shloyme Rotman, , Shloyme Shenhod, Avrom Zak 1980: Samson Dunsky, Landing page for an audio recording. , Jonas Turkow, , Nakhmen Rap, Yitskhok Yanasovitsh 1981: Binem Heller, , Abraham Karpinowitz, Malka Heifetz Tussman 1982: Yaakov Zipper 1983: , Moishe Valdman, David E. Wolpe 1984: Rivka Basman Ben-Hayim, Yosl Lerner, Eliezer Podriachik 1985: Dov Seltzer, Itche Goldberg 1986: Pesach Burstein, Samuel L. Schneiderman, Elias Schulman 1988: Dina Halpern, Chava Turniansky, Ruth R. Wisse 1991: Yossl Birstein, Yonia Fain 1994: Mordkhe Schaechter, Rafael Chwoles 1997: Dovid Katz, Lev Berinski, Yiddishpiel 1998: Dan Miron Dan Miron wrote an essay for this book. 1999: Chava Alberstein, Joshua Fishman, Yenta Mash Contributor biography. , Joseph Mloteck
References
Further reading Citations noting the work Leksikon fun yidish-shraybers refer to