:Abram Kofman

Kofman was from Odesa, Russian Empire, and was born in 1864-1865.{{cite book |last=Auld |first=William |author-link=William Auld |title=Esperanta Antologio, Poemoj 1887-1981 |year=1984 |isbn=9789290170303 |edition=2nd |page=852 |oclc=717456065}} Professionally, he worked as a bookkeeper. He learnt the international auxiliary language Esperanto in 1889, less than two years after it was debuted by Zamenhof in 1887.{{Sfn|Künzli|2010|p=173}} Ric Berger names him the first in Russia to promote Esperanto;{{cite magazine |last=Berger |first=Ric |author-link=Ric Berger |date=June 1948 |title=Jan Kajš |url=http://cosmoglotta.pbworks.com/w/page/131565816/Cosmoglotta%20A%20138%20%28jun%201948%29 |url-status=live |magazine=Cosmoglotta A |issue=138 |page=49 |issn=0010-9533 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102203349/http://cosmoglotta.pbworks.com/w/page/131565816/Cosmoglotta%20A%20138%20(jun%201948) |archive-date=2 November 2023 |access-date=2 November 2023}} he was one of the first Esperantist Russian Jews{{Sfn|Künzli|2010|p=490}} and one of three Jewish Esperantists in Odesa by 1902.{{cite journal |last=Trunte |first=Nicolina |date=2021-01-01 |title=Gibt es eine Slavia Judaica? |url=https://www.academia.edu/82392611 |journal=Zeitschrift für Slavische Philologie |location=Heidelberg |publisher=Universitätsverlag Winter |volume=77 |issue=1}}

Scholars of Esperanto literature ramify three periods: Kofman worked in the First ({{Langx|eo|Unua periodo|links=no}}), comprising writers until the First World War. {{Ill|Tazio Carlevalo|eo}} identifies three schools of thought during this period: Kofman belonged to the "Slavic School",{{Efn|Also referred to as the "Slav School" by {{Ill|Geoffrey Sutton|eo}} and the "Slavia" by Nikolaos Trunte.}} active between 1916 and 1920. This was the first main school of Esperanto literature: its writers generally wrote from before the 20th century until 1920. The school may be further divided into two generations: Kofman was a member of the first. Kofman's peers in this group were generally Zamenhof's contemporaries, such as authors {{Ill|Vasilij Devjatnin|ru|Девятнин, Василий Николаевич|eo|Vasilij Devjatnin}}, {{Ill|Leo Belmont|eo}}, and Zamenhof's brother {{Ill|Felix Zamenhof|fr|Feliks Zamenhof|pl|Feliks Zamenhof}}.{{cite book |last=Römer |first=Cornelia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PRALAQAAMAAJ&q=abram+kofman+esperanto |title=Das Phänomen Homer in Papyri, Handschriften und Drucken |date=2009 |publisher=Phoibos Verlag |isbn=978-3-85161-014-7 |page=111 |language=de |access-date=5 November 2023}}{{cite book |last=Trunte |first=Nicolina |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bQhOCCxiaFgC&dq=abram+kofman+esperanto&pg=PA266 |title=Schnittpunkt Slavistik: Einflussforschung |date=2012 |publisher=V&R unipress GmbH |isbn=978-3-89971-972-7 |pages=266–267 |language=de |access-date=5 November 2023}}{{cite book |last1=Lapenna |first1=Ivo |url=https://www.taziocarlevaro.ch/dds_culturali_letterari/A5%20Carlevaro%20Esperanto%20Perspektivo%20Kulturo%202074.pdf |title=Esperanto en perspektivo: faktoj kaj analizoj pri la internacia lingvo |last2=Lins |first2=Ulrich |last3=Carlevaro |first3=Tazio |date=1974 |publisher=Universala Esperanto-Asocio, Centro de Esploro kaj Dokumentado pri la Monda Lingvo-Problemo |pages=39, 49 |language=eo |oclc=842344709}} The school of thought sought for stylistic freedom,{{cite book |last=Janton |first=Pierre |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R_ZGfG2a1tIC&dq=abram+kofman+esperanto&pg=PA33 |title=Esperanto: Language, Literature, and Community |date=22 March 2016 |publisher=State University of New York Press |isbn=978-1-4384-0780-7 |page=96 |language=en |access-date=5 November 2023}} and Carlevalo notes their "relative abundance of pure lyric voices."

Kofman wrote both original material as well as translations for several Esperanto periodicals; he wrote in a variety of genres, including satirical epigrams and narrative poetry. He appeared in Zamenhof's 1903 anthology {{Ill|Fundamenta Krestomatio|eo}} (Fundamental Chrestomathy).A short story was featured in Louis de Beaufront's {{Ill|L'Espérantiste|eo|L' Espérantiste}},{{cite book |last=Sutton |first=Geoffrey |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-Z_8CG9g2jIC&q=Concise+Encyclopedia+of+the+Original+Literature+of+Esperanto |title=Concise Encyclopedia of the Original Literature of Esperanto, 1887-2007 |date=2008 |publisher=Mondial |isbn=978-1-59569-090-6 |pages=38–39 |language=en |access-date=5 November 2023}} and he collaborated with the Czech magazine {{Ill|Bohema Esperantisto|eo|Bohema esperantisto}}.{{sfn|Szerdahelyi|1979|p=373}}{{Cite magazine |last=NN |date=November 1903 |title=Synopsis of the Grammar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3A0SAAAAIAAJ&dq=%22Bohema+Esperantisto%22+magazine&pg=PA15 |access-date=30 June 2024 |magazine=The Esperantist |issue=1}} Several contributions to La Esperantisto and Lingvo Internacia were made under the pseudonym "Amiko" ("Friend"); although initially believed to be from Zamenhof, they were later discovered to be Kofman's works.{{Cite magazine |last=NN |date=February 1954 |title=LA POETO "AMIKO" ne estas Majstro! |trans-title=The Poet "Amiko" Is Not The Master! |url=https://www.esperantobrno.cz/prago/Praha-ek-1954-11.pdf |access-date=2024-07-01 |magazine=Bulteno |location=Prague |page=1 |language=eo |issue=11}} In 1896, he planned to publish a collection of poems entitled Voices of People ({{Lang|eo|Voĉoj de Popoloj}}) in eighteen languages, but it was never released.{{cite book |last=Halén |first=Harry |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Rdw3SQnFo2gC&q=abram+kofman+esperanto |title=Biliktu Bakshi, the Knowledgeable Teacher: G.J. Ramstedt's Career as a Scholar |date=1998 |publisher=Finno-Ugrian Society |isbn=978-952-5150-15-5 |page=15 |language=en |access-date=5 November 2023}} For the texts in Finnish, Estonian, Hungarian, Japanese, and Mordvin, he asked for assistance from the Finnish Esperantist Gustaf John Ramstedt, incorrectly believing that Ramstedt could speak Japanese.{{cite web |last= |first= |date=19 December 2014 |title=Nia trezoro: Gustav John Ramstedt |url=https://sezonoj.ru/2014/12/trezoro-4/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102204257/https://sezonoj.ru/2014/12/trezoro-4/ |archive-date=2 November 2023 |access-date=2 November 2023 |website=La Ondo de Esperanto |language=eo}} In an open letter in the magazine Lingvo Internacia, Kofman stated that he hoped to eventually have 35-50 languages.{{cite journal |last=Kofman |first=Abram |date=December 1896 |title=Malfermita letero al esperantistoj de ĉiuj landoj |trans-title=Open letter to Esperantists of every nation |url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Lingvo_Internacia_-_Decembro_1896.pdf |journal=Lingvo Internacia |issue=12 |pages=230–231 |access-date=2 November 2023 |archive-date=20 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231120215713/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Lingvo_Internacia_-_Decembro_1896.pdf |url-status=live }}

File:Брошура Заменгофа 1901 року.png

Kofman was the first Ancient Greek–Esperanto translator, translating Homer's Iliad between 1895 and 1897 as Iliado. He was part of a team of Jewish translators in Odesa which created a translation of the Old Testament into Esperanto, and in 1893 he translated the Book of Esther and the Book of Ruth; Kofman also later translated the Book of Esther into Ido in 1925.{{cite journal |last=Jeziorkowska-Polakowska |first=Anna |date=2018 |title=La Sankta Biblio Ludwika Zamnhofa |url=https://repozytorium.uwb.edu.pl/jspui/handle/11320/10011 |journal=Żydzi Wschodniej Polski. Seria 6, Żydzi białostoccy: Od początków do 1939 roku, redakcja naukowa Jarosław Ławski, Kamil K. Pilichiewicz, Anna Wydrycka |language=pl |publisher=Wydawnictwo PRYMAT, Mariusz Śliwowski |volume=36 |pages=208, 212 |isbn=978-83-7657-207-9 |access-date=2 November 2023 |archive-date=2 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102203350/https://repozytorium.uwb.edu.pl/jspui/handle/11320/10011 |url-status=live }}{{Sfn|Szerdahelyi|1979|pp=373-374}} In 1902 during the Second World Esperanto Congress, Kofman was elected by the {{Ill|Lingva Komitato|eo}} (Language Committee) to a commission that corrected errors in the {{Ill|Universala Vortaro|eo|quote=yes}} ("Universal Dictionary") of the Fundamento de Esperanto.{{cite book |last=Zamenhof |first=Ludwik Lazar |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=028tAAAAMAAJ&q=kofman |title=Fundamento de Esperanto: Naua eldono kun enkondukoj |date=1963 |publisher=Esperantaj francaj edlonoj |editor-last=Auld |editor-first=André |language=eo}}

Kofman was a close friend of L. L. Zamenhof, the creator of Esperanto, who communicated with Kofman regarding his ideas for Judaism. On 28 May 1901, Zamenhof sent Kofman a letter{{Efn|Full text available on Wikisource}} about his plans for Hillelism (Hilelismo), his planned version of Judaism that would form an international religion. This included the manuscript form of a brochure for the religion, that Zamenhof would publish later in 1901. Kofman did not read the full brochure, and responded with a letter of disgust, viewing the introduction of a philosophy such as Hillelism dangerous to the reputation of the Esperanto movement;{{cite journal |last=Żelazny |first=Walter |date=18 February 2022 |title=Próba rozwiązania kwestii żydowskiej przez Ludwika Zamenhofa |journal=Sprawy Narodowościowe |series=Seria Nowa |issue=38 |page=111 |doi=10.11649/sn.2011.008 |issn=2392-2427 |s2cid=247101476 |doi-access=free}} Zamenhof had wanted to use Esperanto as a "neutral language" in the religion.{{Sfn|Künzli|2010|pp=175, 466}} Kofman was one of a number of educated Jews among which Zamenhof allowed the brochure to circulate.{{Sfn|Künzli|2010|p=165}} He received an overall negative response, particularly from Esperantists in Poland and France.

Kofman has received both positive and negative attention. He has been described as a "pioneer" by several, including Julio Baghy and {{Ill|Geoffrey Sutton|eo}}. {{Ill|István Szerdahelyi|eo|4=hu|5=Szerdahelyi István (eszperantista)}} writes: "His pioneering work deserves attention from those to come". The hexameter he produced{{Cite book |last=Neves |first=Gonçalo |url=http://archive.org/details/Esperanto_kaj_Ido_malsamaj_vojoj_sur_Parnason |title=Esperanto kaj Ido: malsamaj vojoj sur Parnason |date=2019-05-03 |publisher=Drako |location=Espinho |page=12 |language=eo |trans-title=Esperanto and Ido: roads to Parnassus |hdl=11013/5586}} in his translation of the Iliad was criticised by Gaston Waringhien as "unskillful copying", and worse than work by Kálmán Kalocsay. In the 1933 Enciklopedio de Esperanto, Julio Baghy described Kofman as an artistic translator, writing:{{Text and translation|Liaj stilo kaj tradukmaniero distingiĝas per arta simpleco kaj viva klareco. Lia pionira laboro meritas atenton de la posteuloj. En la komenca periodo de la literatura lingvo li vekis admiron per sia esprimkapableco.|His style and manner of translation are distinguished by artistic simplicity and vivid clarity. His pioneering work deserves attention by the coming [Esperantists]. In the initial era of the literary language he drew admiration for his capacity of expression.}}

{{Quote box

| title = La Literaturo en Ido [Literature in Ido]

| quote = Nia linguo, per sa konstanta {{sic}} devlopo, divenas sempre plu richa, do sempre plu apta a literatural uzado.

Our language, by its constant development, will become ever richer, thus ever more apt for literary use.

| author = Abram Kofman

| width = 25%

| source = November 1910 in {{ill|La Belga Sonorilo|eo}} {{cite book |last=Gonçalo Neves |url=http://archive.org/details/GNevesEsperantoEdIdoDiferantaVoyiAdsurParnaso |title=Esperanto ed Ido: diferanta voyi adsur Parnaso |date=7 December 2018 |page=36}}

}}

Although in 1894, Kofman was one of 157 Esperantists who voted against a reform of Esperanto by Zamenhof,{{cite magazine |last=Berger |first=Ric |author-link=Ric Berger |date=June 1946 |title=Vive de Edgar de Wahl |url=http://cosmoglotta.pbworks.com/w/page/131074887/Cosmoglotta%20A%20130%20%28jun%201946%29 |url-status=live |magazine=Cosmoglotta A |issue=130 |page=17 |issn=0010-9533 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102203358/http://cosmoglotta.pbworks.com/w/page/131074887/Cosmoglotta%20A%20130%20(jun%201946) |archive-date=2 November 2023 |access-date=2 November 2023}} in 1907, he shifted his allegiance from Esperanto to Ido: Idists have used the 1894 reform to support the validity of their movement.{{Cite book |last=Forster |first=Peter G. |url=https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110824568/html |title=The Esperanto Movement |date=1982-12-31 |publisher=De Gruyter |isbn=978-90-279-3399-7 |page=136 |doi=10.1515/9783110824568}} Ido was introduced by the Delegation for the Adoption of an International Auxiliary Language, and around a tenth of Esperantists would change movement alongside him.{{cite book |last=Baghy |first=Julio |author-link=Julio Baghy |title=Enciklopedio de Esperanto |title-link=Enciklopedio de Esperanto |year=1933 |isbn=978-1232959021 |page=795 |chapter=Koffman, A.}} He would later come to support Edgar de Wahl's Interlingue (Occidental), and was author of a later-destroyed manuscript of a Russian-Occidental dictionary. Kofman translated poetry into Occidental; a translation of a poem by Ivan Krylov by Kofman appeared in the magazine International magazine of stenography (Occidental: {{Lang|ie|Revúe internationale de sténographie}}).{{cite magazine |last=NN |date=November 1947 |title=Cronica |trans-title=Annals |url=http://cosmoglotta.pbworks.com/w/page/131025573/Cosmoglotta%20B%20094%20%28nov%201947%29 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231102203350/http://cosmoglotta.pbworks.com/w/page/131025573/Cosmoglotta%20B%20094%20(nov%201947) |archive-date=2 November 2023 |access-date=2 November 2023 |magazine=Cosmoglotta B |page=106 |issue=94 |issn=0010-9533}} In 1979, {{Ill|István Szerdahelyi|eo}} called Kofman "apparently the only one to have written poetry in three [spoken] constructed languages."{{Sfn|Szerdahelyi|1979|pp=373-374|p=373.|ps="Estas verŝajne la sola, kiu verkis poemojn en tri planlingvoj."}}

Kofman's date of death is uncertain, but is held to be around 1940. A message in the Occidental-language magazine Cosmoglotta records him as having died "just before the war"; he was reported to have died during aerial bombing in 1940.{{Efn|Beginning only on 22 July 1941, Odessa was bombed heavily by the German air force during the seventy-three-day Siege of Odessa conducted under Operation Barbarossa.{{Cite book |last=ʾArad |first=Yitzhak |title=The Holocaust in the Soviet Union |date=2009 |publisher=University of Nebraska Press Yad Vashem |isbn=978-0-8032-2059-1 |series=The comprehensive history of the Holocaust |location=Lincoln, Neb. Jerusalem |pages=525–527}}{{Cite book |last=Dallin |first=Alexander |title=Odessa, 1941-1944: A Case Study of Soviet Territory under Foreign Rule |date=2022-07-01 |publisher=Histria Books |isbn=978-1-59211-127-5 |language=en}} }}

== Bibliography ==

Works{{cite book |last1=Carlevaro |first1=Tazio |url=https://archive.org/details/bibliografio-di-ido-3ma-ed-2020/page/n1/mode/2up |title=Bibliografio de Ido |last2=Tiberio |first2=Madonna |last3=Haupenthal |first3=Reinhard |last4=Neves |first4=Gonçalo |isbn=978-88-87282-41-2 |edition=3rd |publication-date=2020-07-27 |pages=46, 86, 94 |language=io |trans-title=Bibliography of Ido |author-link3=Reinhard Haupenthal}}{{Sfn|Szerdahelyi|1979|pp=373-374}}

• {{cite book |last1=Kofman |first1=Abram |title=Pri la verbigado en L. I. |last2=de Beaufront |first2=Louis |year=1896 |language=eo |trans-title=Concerning verb conjugation in International Languages |ref=none |author-link2=Louis de Beaufront}}
• {{cite magazine |ref=none|last=Kofman |first=Abram |author-mask=3 |date=1907 |title=Kristino, pretigu la liton! |trans-title=Christina, make the bed! |magazine=Lingvo Internacia |language=eo}}
• {{cite book |ref=none |last=Kofman |first=Abram |title=Учебник международного языка Идо |year=1910 |location=Odessa |language=ru |trans-title={{Transliteration|ru|Učebnik meždunarodnago jazyka Ido}}; English: Textbook of the International Language Ido |author-mask=3 |author-link2=Louis de Beaufront}}
• {{cite book |ref=none |last=Kofman |first=Abram |title=Словарь международного языка Идо |year=1910 |location=Odessa |language=ru |trans-title={{Transliteration|ru|Slovar' meždunarodnogo jazyka Ido}}; English: Dictionary of the International Language Ido |author-mask=3 |author-link2=Louis de Beaufront}}
• {{cite book |ref=none |last=Kofman |first=Abram |url=http://www.ido-vivo.info/lalibropriesther.pdf |title=Nova varianti di antiqua temo / La Libro pri Esther |publisher=Per Ahlberg |year=1925 |location=Stockholm |language=io |trans-title=New variants on an ancient theme / The Book of Esther |author-mask=3 |author-link2=Louis de Beaufront}}

Poems (selection)

• Kofman, Abram (year unknown). Filino de Iftah [Jephthah's daughter] (in Esperanto)
• ——— (year unknown). Malpli kaj Multpli [Much less and Much more] (in Esperanto)
• ——— (1930). [https://anno.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno-plus?aid=e1e&datum=1930&page=64&size=24&qid=7HBKJFLAFH48UCASILSCN3OT5324ZI Criterie] [Criteria] (in Occidental){{cite magazine |last=NN |date=May 1930 |title=Un old pionero russ |trans-title=An old Russian pioneer |url=https://anno.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno-plus?aid=e1e&datum=1930&page=55&size=24&qid=7HBKJFLAFH48UCASILSCN3OT5324ZI |access-date=2023-12-05 |magazine=Helvetia |pages=56–57 |language=ie |via=Austrian Newspapers Online}}

Translations{{sfn|Szerdahelyi|1979|p=373}}

• {{cite book |ref=none |last1=Homer |url=https://anno.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno-buch?apm=0&aid=100032&zoom=1 |title=Iliado |last2=Kofman |first2=Abram |publisher=W. Tümmel |year=1895–97 |location=Nuremberg |at=cantos 1-9 |language=eo |trans-title=Iliad |author-link=Homer}}
• {{cite book |ref=none |last1=von Goethe |first1=Johann Wolfgang |title=Faust |title-link=Faust |last2=Kofman |first2=Abram |year=1900 |series=Sinfonia magazine |location=Moscow |language=eo |chapter=La kanto de Margareto |trans-chapter=The song of Margaret |author-mask2=3 |author-link=Johann Wolfgang von Goethe}}
• {{cite book |ref=none |last1=Byron |first1=George |title=Kain, Mistero |last2=Kofman |first2=Abram |publisher=W. Tümmel |year=1896 |location=Nuremberg |language=eo |trans-title=Cain: A Mystery |author-mask2=3 |author-link=Lord Byron}}
• {{cite book |ref=none |last1=Heine |first1=Heinrich |title=Pentraĵoj el vojaĝo |last2=Kofman |first2=Abram |last3=Gernet |first3=Vladimir |publisher=W. Tümmel |year=1897 |location=Nuremberg |language=eo |trans-title=Paintings from a journey |author-mask2=3 |author-link=Heinrich Heine |author-link3=:eo:Vladimir Gernet}}
• {{cite book |ref=none |last1=Beaumarchais |first1=Pierre |url= |title=Edziĝo de Figaro |last2=Kofman |first2=Abram |publisher=W. Tümmel |year=1898 |location=Nuremberg |at=Act One |language=eo |trans-title=The Marriage of Figaro |author-mask2=3 |author-link=Pierre Beaumarchais}}
• {{cite book |ref=none |last1=Stanchinskiy |first1=A. P. |title=Lenin montras a ni la voyo |title-link= |last2=Kofman |first2=Abram |year=1928 |series= |location=Leipzig |author-mask2=3 |language=io |trans-title=Lenin shows you the way}}

{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Wikisource-lang|eo|Aŭtoro:Abram Kofman|Abram Kofman}}

• {{cite book |last=Künzli |first=Andreas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xIV_OJNvIdsC&dq=abram+kofman+esperanto&pg=PA146 |title=L.L. Zamenhof (1859-1917): Esperanto, Hillelismus (Homaranismus) und die "jüdische Frage" in Ost- und Westeuropa |date=2010 |publisher=Otto Harrassowitz Verlag |isbn=978-3-447-06232-9 |language=de |author-link=Andreas Künzli |access-date=5 November 2023 |archive-date=20 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231120215818/https://books.google.com/books?id=xIV_OJNvIdsC&dq=abram+kofman+esperanto&pg=PA146#v=onepage&q=abram%20kofman%20esperanto&f=false |url-status=live}}
• {{cite book |last=Szerdahelyi |first=István |title=Krestomatio de esperanta literaturo: tekstoj, dataro, bibliografio |date=1979 |publisher=Tankönyvkiadó |location=Budapest |pages=373–378 |language=eo |trans-title=Chrestomathy of Esperanto literature: texts, dates, biographies |chapter=Antoni Kofman |author-link=:eo:István Szerdahelyi}}

• {{cite book |last1=Delcourt |first1=Marcel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4X_HzgEACAAJ&q=Abraham+S.+%22Kofman%22:+kolekto+de+poezioj:+lia+vivo |title=Abraham S. Kofman: kolekto de poezioj: lia vivo |last2=Amouroux |first2=Jean |date=2000 |publisher=publisher unknown |language=eo |trans-title=Abraham S. Kofman: collection of poems: his life |ref=none |author-link2=:eo:Jean Amouroux}}

{{Portal bar|Poetry|Constructed languages|USSR}}{{Authority control|qid=Q12344605}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kofman, Abram}}

Category:1865 births

Category:Jewish Esperantists

Category:Writers from Odesa

Category:Russian Esperantists

Category:1940 deaths

Category:Deaths by airstrike during World War II

Category:Esperanto literature

Category:Interlingue speakers

Category:Translators of Homer

Category:Idists

Category:20th-century Russian male writers

Category:20th-century Russian Jews