Zlateh the Goat

A Nobel literary prize winner and animal rights activist, Isaac Bashevis Singer was born in 1903 in a small village in Poland. At a young age, he moved to Warsaw with his family. With the outbreak of World War I, Singer moved to his mother’s home village before returning to the city life of Warsaw a few years later. Singer’s early years paint the setting for “Zlateh the Goat.”

At the invitation of his brother, Singer immigrated to the US four years before the Nazi invasion of Poland in 1939. He left behind a five-year-old son, Israel Zamir, whom he had with Runia Pontsch, a political activist and the daughter of a rabbi. Singer reunited with his son in 1955, but their relationship was strained.

In New York, Singer met Alma Wasserman, a Jewish-German refugee, and they married in 1940. They never had any children and resided in New York and Florida until their passing. Singer died in Seaside, Florida in 1991.

Being the son and grandson of a Hasidic rabbi, Singer’s work often centers around and is inspired by Jewish-Yiddish culture. All his works were originally written in Yiddish and published in a Yiddish newspaper. His critics have dubbed his message as too progressive for the Yiddish and too traditional for secular readers.

Singer received honorary doctorate degrees from various universities. A 1986 documentary about his life was nominated for an Academy Award. PETA has recognized his work regarding animal rights. “Zlateh the Goat” was a runner-up for the Newberry Medal in 1967. Four streets, a city square, and a park were named after him. In 1973, he won the Itzik Manger prize, considered the most prestigious prize in Yiddish literature. In addition, Singer won a National Book Award and was inducted into the Jewish-American Hall of Fame.

In the PBS documentary on Singer's life, the author is quoted as saying, “In their behavior toward creatures, all men are Nazis” (“Isaac in America: A Journey with Isaac Bashevis Singer.” Youtube). Singer believed in animal rights as deeply as many believe in human rights. This theme is evident in “Zlateh the Goat.”