SAMOSCZ, DAVID:

By: Isidore Singer, Gotthard Deutsch

German author of Hebrew books for the young; born at Kempen, province of Posen, Dec. 29, 1789; died at Breslau April 29, 1864. He went at an early age to Breslau, where he was a tutor and private teacher until 1822, when he entered business. Having met with reverses he toward the end of his life devoted himself again to literature. He was a prolific author of stories for the young, written in Hebrew and adapted mainly from the German, and of text-books of instruction in the Jewish religion.

His works include: "Ger Ẓedeḳ," Breslau, 1816, the history of the conversion of Joseph Steblitzki, written in German with Hebrew characters; "HeḤaruẓ wehe-'Aẓel, der Fleissige und der Träge," ib. 1817; "Pillegesh Pe-Gibeah, ein Biblisches Drama," ib. 1818; "Tokeḥot Musar, Campe's Sittenbüchlein in Hebräischer Uebersetzung," ib. 1819; "Resise Meliẓah, Hebräische Blumenlese," Dyhernfurth, 1822;"Mafteaḥ bat Dawid, Hebräischer Briefsteller," Breslau, 1823; "Meẓi'at Ameriḳa," on the discovery of America (after Campe), ib. 1824; "Robinson der Jüngere," in Hebrew (also after Campe), ib. 1824; "Aguddat Shoshannim, Hebräische Gedichtsammlung," ib. 1825; "Halikot 'Olam, ein Sittendrama," ib. 1829; a text-book of Hebrew instruction in three parts: (1) "Esh Dat," a primer and a catechism, (2) "Ohel Dawid," a Hebrew grammar, and (3) "Shire Dawid," occasional poems, ib. 1834; "Rigshat Nafshi," a poem in honor of the visit of King Frederick William III. to Breslau, ib. 1835; "Ḳol Nehi" (ib. 1840), elegy on the death (of Frederick William III., ib. 1840. Moreover, he contributed Hebrew poems to periodicals, such as "Bikkure ha-'Ittim," and to the works of his Breslau friends, M. B. Friedenthal, Jacob Raphael Fürstenthal, and others.

S. D.