Isaac E. Rontch

Isaac Elhanan Rontch (also spelled Rontsh) spent his early life in Konin and Łódź. Upon arriving in the United States, he lived in Chicago, where he attended Northwestern University, published his writing, and taught in Yiddish schools. In 1924, he moved to New York, where he helped found the group of Leftist poets known as Proletpen (Proletarian Pen). During his lifetime, Rontch most likely thought of himself primarily as a poet. Today, he is remembered for a study on New York’s landsmanshaften—organizations for immigrants originally from a particular town or region—and for editing a volume of letters from American soldiers deployed during World War II. He died in Los Angeles.