First modern Romanian-Hebrew dictionary, serving Jewish exiles from Ceausescu’s Romania, 1962

Mendel P. Mendel: Dictionar român ebraic. מלון רומני-עברי . Vol 1 and 2. Holon: M. P. Mendel, 1962/63.

8vo. [4] 234 [1]; 200 pages. Offset on thick paper, bound in the original publisher's black cloth covers with title on cover (vol. 1) and spine (vol. 1 and 2).

Updated, revised and enlarged edition of probably the first modern Romanian-Hebrew dictionary, containing about 20.000 terms mainly focussed on contemporary everyday language.

Author, Publishing: Mendel P. Mendel originated from Piatra Neamţ (Moldovian part of nowadays Romania), where a large Jewish community had already formed in the 18th century. In 1932/33 Mendel compiled the first edition of present Romanian-Hebrew dictionary, a volume published in Bucharest by the »Cultural organisation of Jewish Women in Romania« and prefaced by the famous Romanian writer Gala Galaction. Shortly after the war had ended, Mendel, still living in Bucharest, published a »History of Modern Hewbrew Literature«, before he himself headed to Tel Aviv, where he continued his publishing endeavour by compiling a conversational grammar for those two languages, which appeared in the late 1940s.

In 1962/63 present enlarged and updated edition of his dictionary followed, most important for many Jews emigrating from Ceauşescu's Romania to Israel in those years. Mendel self-published this book in the town of Holon, probably in a small print run.

Condition: Gilt title printing in parts worn, paper very slightly time-stained, vol. 1 with a few barely seeable finger stains. rear paste down with one little remark, otherwise well preserved set of this dictionary.

Rarity: Hard to find in trade. OCLC/WorldCat locates only 5 copies worldwide (in Israel and the US), no copy even in Romania.