Eliezer Smoli

Eliezer Smoli (Smoler) (1901-1985) was born in Volhynia, the Ukraine. The son of a melamed, or learned teacher, he was the youngest of 11 children, and received a traditional education. Smoli began writing at the age of ten, and at the age of 16 left home to study at a yeshiva in Odessa. Smoli emigrated to Eretz Israel in 1920 with a group of pioneers and graduated from a teachers’ seminary in Jerusalem. After finishing his studies, he went north to teach the children of guards and pioneers. He began writing poetry, but Asher Barash encouraged him to write fiction. He continued teaching for 40 years. In 1936 Smoli studied natural sciences at Berlin University. After the creation of the State, Smoli was appointed supervisor of schools for the Sharon region. His stories were published in newspapers during the 1920s. He received the Israel Prize for Children’s Literature in 1957.