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Maurice Samuel

モーリス・サミュエル

Mōrisu Samyueru

Pen Names: Frank K. Notch（Pen name used for the nonfiction work 'King Mob'）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1895-02-08 （Măcin, Tulcea County, Romania）
Died
1972-05-04 （New York City, United States） age 77
Nationality
Romanian, British, American
Languages
English, Yiddish
Religion
Judaism
Residence History
Paris (early childhood) → England (childhood to young adulthood) → New York Lower East Side (adulthood)

Career

Occupations
novelist, translator, lecturer, radio personality, essayist
Active Years
1921-1971
Influenced By
Sholom Aleichem, Yiddish language and Jewish culture, Chaim Weizmann (friend/influence)
Influenced
Jewish writers and critics community

Education

Victoria University of Manchester (now University of Manchester)
Attended courses in science and literature / Courses in chemistry, physics and literature
Period: 1910年代
Country: United Kingdom
Attended on a scholarship but did not graduate; took classes in chemistry, physics, mathematics and literature.

Awards

Anisfield-Wolf Book Award
1944
Work: The World of Sholom Aleichem
Organization: Anisfield-Wolf Foundation
Result: 受賞
Itzik Manger Prize
1972
Organization: Itzik Manger Prize committee
Result: 受賞（死後）

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Outsider

1921 Fiction

An early novel addressing themes of isolation and social estrangement.

isolationindividual vs society

You Gentiles

1924 Non-fiction

An essayistic work discussing misunderstandings between Jews and Gentiles and emphasizing features of Jewish culture.

Jewish identitycultural misunderstanding

The World of Sholom Aleichem

1943 Non-fiction

A study of Sholom Aleichem's works and context, discussing his place in Jewish literature.

Jewish literatureauthor study

Web of Lucifer

1947 Historical fiction

A historical novel set in Renaissance Italy during the rule of the Borgias.

powerintrigue

I, the Jew

1927 Non-fiction

Reflections on his Jewish identity and cultural experiences.

memoirJewish experience

In Praise of Yiddish

1971 Essay

An essay collection defending and celebrating the value of the Yiddish language and Jewish culture.

defense of Yiddishcultural preservation

Bibliography

  • The Outsider (1921)
  • Whatever Gods (1923)
  • You Gentiles (1924)
  • I, the Jew (1927)
  • King Mob: A Study of the Present-Day Mind (1931)
  • On the Rim of the Wilderness (1931)
  • Jews on Approval (1932)
  • The Great Hatred (1940)
  • The World of Sholom Aleichem (1943)
  • Harvest in the Desert (1944)
  • Haggadah of Passover (translation) (1947)
  • Prince of the Ghetto (1948)
  • The Gentleman and the Jew (1950)
  • Level Sunlight (1953)
  • The Professor And The Fossil (1956)
  • Certain People of the Book (1955)
  • Little Did I Know: Recollections and Reflections (1963)
  • Blood Accusation: the Strange History of the Beiliss Case (1966)
  • Light on Israel (1968)
  • In Praise of Yiddish (1971)
  • In the Beginning, Love: Dialogues on the Bible (collaboration, 1975 publication)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
polemic and argumentative styleexpository approach combining description and analysis
Recurring Motifs
Jewish identitycombatting anti-Semitismdiasporabiblical and religious themes

Legacy

Maurice Samuel was a 20th-century Jewish intellectual and writer known for defending Jewish culture and campaigning against anti-Semitism. He was respected within the Jewish community during his life, influenced public discourse through radio programs discussing the Bible, and continued to be recognized posthumously (e.g., Itzik Manger Prize).

Archives

  • American Jewish Archives (Maurice Samuel Papers)

In Popular Culture

  • Appeared on NBC radio program 'Eternal Light: The Words We Live By' from 1953–1971

Trivia

  • He published 'King Mob' under the pseudonym 'Frank K. Notch'.
  • Served in the United States Army during World War I.
  • His engagement to Marie Syrkin was effectively annulled by her family.
  • Participated in NBC radio discussions about the Bible from 1953 to 1971.