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Haim Hazaz

ハイム・ハザズ

Haim Hazaz

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1898-09-16 （Sidorovichi, Kiev Governorate, Russian Empire）
Died
1973-03-24 （Israel） age 74
Nationality
Israeli
Languages
Hebrew, Russian
Religion
Judaism (Breslov Hasidic background)
Residence History
Sidorovichi (birthplace) → Around Kiev (childhood) → Radomyshl (studies) → Crimea (c.1919–1921, in hiding) → Sevastopol (port of departure) → Istanbul (c.1921–1923) → Paris (1923–1931) → Jerusalem (1931–1973)

Career

Occupations
Writer, Novelist, Public speaker
Active Years
1918-1973
Influenced By
Hayim Nahman Bialik, Fyodor Dostoevsky (Russian literature), Leo Tolstoy (Russian literature), Ze'ev Jabotinsky (via translations)
Influenced
Writers of modern Hebrew literature, Israeli literary circles generally

Education

Private tutors / traditional Jewish education
Hebrew and religious studies
Period: 幼年期 – 青年期 (具体年不明)
Country: Russian Empire
Received private and traditional Jewish education in early years; later familiarized with Russian classics.

Awards

Bialik Prize
1942
Organization: Tel Aviv Municipality
Result: 受賞
Bialik Prize
1970
Organization: Tel Aviv Municipality
Result: 受賞
Israel Prize (Literature)
1953
Category: 文学
Organization: State of Israel
Result: 受賞
Irving and Bertha Neuman Literary Prize
1966
Organization: New York University Institute of Hebrew Studies
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

In a Forest Settlement

1930 Novel

A two-volume novel based on childhood memories portraying the life of a rural Jewish family in Ukraine on the eve of the 1905 revolution, focusing on social upheaval and inner conflicts.

DiasporaFamilyMemorySocial upheaval

Broken Millstones (Collected works, vol.1)

1942 Collected stories/essays

The first volume of collected stories and essays from the interwar period, published by the newly established Am Oved and helping cement the author's reputation.

Jewish societyHistorical depthIdentity

Thou That Dwellest in the Gardens

Novel

A novel inspired by Hazaz's time living among Yemenite immigrants in Jerusalem, portraying community tensions and cultural encounters.

ImmigrationCultural clashCommunity

Yaish

Novel

A long novel centered on a Yemenite community, notable for psychological depth and traditional elements.

TraditionIdentitySpirituality

Gates of Bronze

Short fiction / Novel

Considered one of his notable works, weaving together history and individual destiny.

HistoryFate

Bibliography

  • Early Poems and Stories
  • In a Forest Settlement (ביישוב של יער)
  • Broken Millstones (ריחיים שבורים)
  • Thou That Dwellest in the Gardens (היושבת בגנים)
  • Yaish
  • Numerous other short stories and essays

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Biblical and traditional literary influencesStructured philosophical dialoguesVivid character portrayals
Recurring Motifs
Diaspora and returnJerusalemHistorical memoryImmigrant communities

Health

  • Heart attack (myocardial infarction / heart disease)
    1973年（発作により死亡）
    Died of a heart attack in 1973. Continued literary activity until that year.

Legacy

Haim Hazaz is regarded as one of the most versatile narrators in Hebrew literature, portraying wide geographic and historical scopes. Winner of the Bialik Prize and Israel Prize, his works on Jerusalem and diaspora life deeply influenced subsequent Hebrew literature.

Archives

  • National Library of Israel (holds or may hold Hazaz-related materials)

Trivia

  • His birthplace Sidorovichi is the same village associated with Yitzhak Rabin's family.
  • In 1918 he published the poem 'On Guard' (על המשמר) in the Hebrew journal Ha-Shiloah, marking his literary debut.
  • In 1921 he left via Sevastopol to Istanbul, later lived in Paris, and moved to Jerusalem in 1931.
  • Married Aviva Kushnir (née Ginzburg-Peleg) in 1951.