Andre Spire

Andre Spire , born with Nancy (Lorraine, France), the July 28th 1868, died in Paris in 1966, writer and poet French, militant Zionist.

Biography

Born in an easy Jewish family, it makes studies of letters, then of right. It enters to the Private school of political sciences, then with the Council of State (1894). A few months later burst the Affaire Dreyfus. Whorl fights in duel with a polemist of the Libre Word (nationalist newspaper and anti-semite directed by Edouard Drumont) which denounces an alleged Jewish monopoly on the Council of State. Whorl is wounded with the arm.

In 1896, it founds with a catholic colleague a philanthropic company, the Company of the Visitors, charged to help the workmen unemployed, patients or victims. Little time afterwards, it takes share with the activities of the Co-operation of the Ideas, outlines of a popular university. It meets there Daniel Halévy, with which it binds friendship. In parallel, it leaves the Council to enter to the Ministry of Labor, then joined the cabinet of Jean Dupuy, Minister for the Agriculture of the ministry Waldeck-Rousseau.

Disappointed reception which it receives in its social activities, it takes refuge in poetry, thus turning over to its young loves. It binds with Charles Péguy and publishes his And you laugh! in Books of the fortnight . In 1902, the Office of Work had ordered to him an investigation into the work conditions of the English workmen. It had been shocked by the Jewish ghetto of Whitechapel. In 1904, it tests a shock again by reading ' Had Gadya of Israel Zangwill in the Cahiers : the account evokes a young atheistic Jew ridges some with his judeity. Whorl is caught interest for the thought Zionist of Theodore Herzl but adheres to an organization territorialist, the Jewish Territorial Organization founded by Zangwill. Charles Péguy then refuses to publish his Jewish Poèmes in the Cahiers .

During the First World War, nonmobilizable, it must take again the family factory. It is also charged by the Ministry for Agriculture with thinking of the rebuilding. In parallel, it continues to write, on the one hand poetry ( And I wanted peace , 1916) and on the other hand a study on the Jews and the war , which appears in 1917. With leaving the war, it founds the League of the Friends of the Zionism then creates the review Palestine Nouvelle . In 1920, with the invitation of Dr. Chaim Weizmann, Spire visits the Palestine. It is very impressed by the activity of the colonists, which will inspire the poem Samaël or the original sin to him .

In 1940, it must be exiled with the the United States, where it teaches the French literature. In 1942, it thus joined the Private school of the high studies of New York, creation of free France of the De Gaulle general and the Belgian government in exile. It is shown very active and takes part in many conferences near Jewish organizations. After the war, it returns to France. He dies a few years later at the 98 years age.

Principal works

Poetry

the City presents , 1903;
And you laugh! , 1905;
And I wanted peace! , 1916;
Jewish Poems , 1919;
Samaël , 1921;
Poems from here and of over there , 1944;
Poems of yesterday and today , 1953;
Jewish Poems , 1959.

Prose

Israel Zangwill , 1909;
Jews and the war , 1917;
the Zionism , 1918;
Some Jews and half-Jews , 1928;
poetic Pleasure and muscular pleasure , 1944.

See too

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