Pages from My Life

Born near Vilna, Abraham Cahan received a traditional Jewish education, but while studying at a teacher-training institute, he lost his religious faith and embraced socialism. He immigrated to New York City in 1882 to avoid arrest for radical political activities. He became a journalist, contributing to Russian-, Yiddish-, and English-language newspapers. From 1903 to 1946, he edited Forverts. During his years in America, his socialism lost its radical edge, and he became an opponent of communist influence in the labor movement and a supporter of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He was also an accomplished novelist and short-story writer in English.