Yosl's childhood in Krynki wasn't idyllic. His family endured bitter poverty and forced and loveless marriages; his father was often absent.

In this memoir of his childhood, Yosl describes everyday life in the shtetl, its inhabitants and their idiosyncrasies. Young, impressionable and headstrong, Yosl witnessed pivotal events within Judaism and the Russian Empire at the end of the 19th century. His first-hand accounts of the rise of the anti-tsarist and labor movements, and the often-harsh conflicts between different Jewish belief systems, are detailed and riveting.

Set within his own family, Yosl's narrative describes their unique and sometimes conflicting personalities, their struggles, and their whole-hearted and life-threatening participation in the anti-tsarist and Jewish labor movements.

This remarkable book is now available in English translation by Beate Schützmann-Krebs.

Krynki [Pol, Rus], Krinek [Yid], Krienek, Krinki, Krinok

Odelsk, Belarus 9 miles N
Kolonia Izaaka, Belarus 9 miles N
Vyalikaya Byerastavitsa, Belarus 11 miles ESE
Gródek 12 miles SSW
Indura, Belarus 13 miles NNE
Sokółka 16 miles NW
Michałowo 18 miles SSW
Jałówka 18 miles SSE
Kuźnica 18 miles NNW
Supraśl 18 miles W    
Svislach, Belarus 21 miles SE
Mstibovo, Belarus 22 miles ESE
Lunna, Belarus 24 miles ENE