Lazaro Liacho

The son of Polish immigrant Jacob Liachovitzky, Lazaro Liacho wrote for and edited Yiddish journals and newspapers in Argentina. For conveniences sake he abbreviated his surname to Liacho (Gardiol 11). Liacho's work reflected a solitary sense of existence with an emphasis on the autobiographical, testimonial, and ethical. From this perspective, Jewish themes were a consistent aspect of his work as was the urban motif as reflected in the title of his posthumous work, Cantos de tango y vida (Songs from the Tango and Life; 1970). In addition to his creative efforts, Liacho was active in the Sociedad Argentina de Escritores (S.A.D.E.), the Argentine Society of Writers (Herrera 380).

In his capacity as poet and writer, Liacho treated to a considerable extent the situation of Jewish immigrants in the austere interior agricultural settlements of Argentina. Since Liacho generally was optimistic about Argentina, he frequently portrayed it as the "new Zion". The authors short stories, though, dealt with various themes such as the oppression from which immigrants had escaped while others were set in more contemporary locations from Buenos Aires to Israel. More specifically, some of the subjects and genres treated by Liacho in these stories included the Holocaust, Nazi oppression, Auschwitz, Israel, traveler's tales, mysteries, personal relationships, and symbolism. However, while his writing has been characterized as undeveloped and of little literary value, at teh same time he was viewed as providing an impetus to young Jewish writers in Argentina (Gardiol 11-12).

Other comments on Liacho's works have been more favorable. For example, Robert Goodman noted that some of Liacho's poetry and stories are secular in nature while others clearly reflect Jewish themes resulting in a blend of both Jewish and Argentine cultures. Nonetheless, while Liacho demonstrates an honest lyricism and a genuine concern for Jewish suffering, he still is basically and Argentine writer who occasionally treats Jewish themes (Boleslavsky 141-42, as cited by Goodman 41, n. 67). Three volumes of Liacho's poetry were published in 1940 and two volumes of poetry appeared in 1966 and 1969, respectively, containing a mix of Jewish and general subjects (Goodman 41)

The Romanticist aspect of Liacho is reflected in his poetry and stories on Israel, all of which were published in the journal Judaica. They are best understood within an historical context since Liacho produced a decade before the creation of the state of Israel. It is probable that his generous praise of Israel represented a reaction to increased anti-Semitism in Argentina aided by Nazi propaganda. Following the war and the creation of Israel, however, Liacho ceased writing about Israel, although in his poetry he referred to the possibility of moving there. In his poems to Israel, Liacho professed his love for and loyalty to it but lamented the fact that Israel was so far and remote and thus an unattainable destination. He also described Israel as an eternal spiritual reality, which perservered despite a history of persecution and hatred of the Jews. Liacho further described Israel as a seed blown in the wind, which is firmly established in a persecuted people. Despite Israel's difficult history, Jews refused to relinquish their birthright and heritage. The Jewish people endure just as Jerusalem and the Wailing Wall do, serving a beckoning symbol of permanence to Jews scattered throughout the world. Liacho also described Israel as the real home for the Jews. Only there could Jews live in peace since it is the land of their ancestors. Throughout several poems, Liacho proclaimed his enduring love of Israel and his willingness to die for it. The fact that Liacho never acted on these sentiments by settling in Israel once it became a reality reflected the prevalent sense of Argentine Jews in relation to Israel. They felt a spiritual tie to Israel and were very cognizant of its significance to Judaism, yet retained a strong affinity for Argentina (Goodman 82-84)

Naomi Lindstrom observed that Liacho was more associated with Jewish themes than, for example, Samuel Eichelbaum (1894-1967). As a poet and essayist Liacho offered a "classically bucolic treatment to the idea of the Argentine interior as the site of the new Zion" in a collection entitled Sionida desde la pampas (Odes of Zion from Pampa; 1969), which also included his Sonata judia de Nueva York (Jewish Sonata of New York; 1969). While Liacho presented a rural view of Jewish immigrants as a significant underlying theme of his poetry, he also treated the historical Buenos Aires criollo (Creole) tradition, reflecting a buculturalism which marked his life (Lindstrom 20). Robert Weisbrot described Liacho as a "famed Jewish writer and the child of colonists" (50) who while sharing the "ethnic concerns" of his contemporaries who wrote in Yiddish, placed more emphasis on life in Argentina (56). Weisbrot also viewed him as one of the better known Argentine poets, who later in his career attained national recognition for collections of poetry like Bocado de pan (morsel of Bread; 1931) and Pan de Buenos Aires (Bread of Buenos Aires; 1940). Liacho was particularly interested in depicting Jewish-Christian relations in Argentina. Toward the end of his career, Liacho dealt with such subjects as the Bible, religion, and metaphysics as exemplified by works like Entre Dios y Satan (Between God and Sata; 1966[Weisbrot 187]).

Since Liacho was noted for his short stories it would be worthwhile to consider a collection entitled Sobre el fil de la vida (Life's Cutting Edge; 1969). This work consists of twenty-five stories, the highlights of which follow. Several stories have a Holocaust theme. "Ayuda de Cristo (Help from Christ) describes how Jews were marched through a town by Nazi soldiers and eventually executed by their oppresors. "Dios en Auschwitz" (God in Auschwitz), as indicated by the title, tells of the murder of Jews in that concentration camp. "La bestia" (The Beast) is a tale which, in symbolic terms, depicts Jews as collectively being treated as a beast. Violence pervades in many of Liacho's stories as demonstrated in the case of "El asenino y la venganza" (Revenge and the Assassin), the tale of a Jewish refugee from Poland who kills the soldier who had murdered his family in a pogrom years earlier. "El hombre justo" (The Just Man) exceeds the violence of ..." by portraying Nazi atrocities committed against Jews.

More indirect symbolism is utilized in the rather fanciful tale entitled "La muerte" (Death). Insects were able to claim the house of a fastidious Jewish widdow by purposely bringing on the plague only later, ironically, to fall to exterminators. In a contrasting story, a rabbi's devotion to his son is tested and met in "El heroe y Dios" (God and the Hero).

A number of stories have in common the theme of Israel. For example, "Padre e hijo" (Father and Son) is a bout a father writing home to his parents in Argentina describing his young son's experiences in an Israeli kibbutz. In "El marrocano" (The Moroccan), a Moroccan-Israeli tries to persuade a visitor from Argentina to remain in Israel to marry her.

Liacho employed other themes and literary styles in this short story collection as reflected in several tales about travelers. One story tells of the revelations of a traveler concerning the unexpected death of his unfaithful wife while another depicts a traveler's short lived romance with an attractive widow. Liacho utilizes fantasy and surrealism in yet other stories. In "El triaje" (The Suit), a used clothes dealer suffers an ill fate after buying a suit which formerly belonged to a suicide victim. In a humorous vein, in "Expendedora de esperanzas" (Dealer in Hopes), a young man unlucky in romance is unsuccessful in repeated attempts to hang himself because a sorceress sold him a rope which broke at each attempt.

Liacho also delved into mystery. "La revelacion" (The Revelation) is about the murder of a rich older woman by her younger husband. Other stories involve more realism by relating stories of daily life, some of which are quite tragic. "Clavado a la tierra" (Nailed to the Ground) is the story of a young man who wants to leave his surrondings but cannot due to his job. "La amada judia" (The Jewish Girlfriend) tells of a Christian man spurned due to his Jewish girlfriend's preference for a Jewish husband.

Published in the year he died (at age sixty-three), this short story collcetion marked and summarized Liacho's many themes and literary styles. Sobre el filo de la vida revealed the varying concerns and styles spanning his literary life. As suggested in the title, the stories were gleaned from the "edge of life" and developed throughout his professional career. Some stories recall Old World ghettos while others are set in more contemporary times, reflecting Liacho's changing interests, experiences and writing styles (Gardiol 11-12).

In addition to his poetry and stories, Liacho should also be remembered for his emotional personal account of and moving tribute to the great Argentine literary figure, Leopoldo Lugones (1874-1930). This tribute, "Glosario del ayer y del manana: Israel y Leopolodo Lugenes), was written on the the third anniversary of Lugones's death and so may be viewed as a symbolic yahrzeit (or death anniversary) for Lugones. Liacho begins by relating that on the day of Lugones's death almost three years earlier (February 18, 1938), he was enjoying a vacation with his family on the island of Tigre. He ends his tribute by relating the significant role the Lugones played in his life as well as influential works such as Las montanas de oro (The Mountains of Gold 1897) and Filosoficula (1924) that had great impact on him. Liacho also presented in this tribute a chronological account documenting the many instances in which Lugones had befriended and supported Jews both in Argentina and throughout the world.

Full biography at - http://books.google.com/books?id=VeB_AAAAQBAJ&lpg=PA342&ots=gTGev7I...

Has a book of poetry entered in the Library of Congress. Lázaro *Liacho (1897–1969), a journalist and poet, and his father, Jacob Simon Liachovitzky (1874–1937), a journalist and a leading Zionist, both wrote on Jewish themes. he was a very famous poet in Argentina about Zionism

The Following books by him are available at the Northwestern University Library

Liacho, Lázaro 	Alberto Gerchunoff/ Lázaro Liacho. 	1975 	NU Libraries Location: MAIN Library 	Call Number: 868.915 G365Zl 	Status: Not checked out -2- 	Liacho, Lázaro 	Judaísmo y humanismo, selección y prólogo de Lázaro Liacho. 	1943 	NU Libraries Location: Oak Grove Library Center--Request Online 	Call Number: 296 N828j 	Status: Not checked out -3- 	Liacho, Lázaro 	Siónidas desde la pampa y Sonata judía de Nueva York. 	1969

In 1969 the noted poet and writer Lazaro Liacho wrote, " I am an Argentine patriot and a defender of Judaism: http://americanjewisharchives.org/publications/journal/PDF/1982_34_...