Unlocking hidden stories of Yiddish culture via A.N. Stencl’s Yiddish magazine Loshn un lebn

This website celebrates Loshn un lebn (Language & Life) the Yiddish literary magazine created by the Polish-born Yiddish poet A.N. Stencl (1897–1983). The publication developed out of small literary pamphlets by Stencl first appearing in 1940, printed by Narod Press in London. By 1946 these pamphlets had grown into a monthly magazine which continued until 1981. Stencl ran every aspect of the journal: editing, marketing, and selling it himself. Each issue featured his poetry and essays alongside contributions from many other Yiddish writers with articles on literature, politics, and everyday life. Loshn un lebn was a vital hub for Yiddish culture, connecting readers from London and around the world. After London’s Jewish East End largely dispersed post-war, Stencl remained selling his magazine outside local cafés and lecture halls, leading his Yiddish literary society, and keeping Yiddish alive. His magazine remains as a vital archive of Yiddish literature, society, language and life from 1940 – 1981.