Born in Russia in 1860 and trained as a teacher, Abraham Cahan emigrated to New York City in 1882. He documented the immigrant experience in Yekl: A Tale of the New York Ghetto (1896) and examined the immigrant's struggle for the American dream of success in The Rise of David Levinsky (1917). His work was recognized and praised for its realism by William Dean Howells. In addition to producing a number of short story collections, he worked as a journalist and founded and edited the Yiddish newspaper Forverts (Jewish Daily Forward). His influence in the Jewish American cultural community has been extensive. Cahan was a committed socialist who fought strongly against communism.
Jules Chametzky teaches at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.