Pinchas Sadeh

Pinhas Feldman (later Sadeh) was born in Galicia (then part of Poland).[1] His family immigrated to Mandatory Palestine in 1934, settling in Tel Aviv.[1] He lived and studied in Kibbutz Sarid. Later, he studied in England.[5] Sadeh worked as a shepherd at Kvutzat Kinneret. There he met Yael Sacks, whom he married in 1956 but the union lasted only three months. In 1962–1969, he was married to Yehudit.[6] He began publishing his work in 1945.[7]

Sadeh died in Jerusalem at the age of 64.[1][8]

Sadeh's literary output consisted of six collections of verse, two novels, a novella, four books of essays, a children's book and a collection of Hassidic folktales. Sadeh's work addressed elementary existential issues. He spoke of his writing as "theological" and a "moral act."[9] His first poem translated into English, "Proverbs of the Virgins," appeared in Commentary magazine in August 1950.[10] His collections of poetry included Burden of Dumah.[1] His novels included One Man's Condition and Death of Avimelech.[1] He also wrote an autobiographical account of his early life (up to age 27), Life as a Parable. Life as a Parable became his most celebrated work. According to one literary critic, it "expressed a 'yearning for religiosity' in a country that sanctified secularism."[7]

Sade also wrote comic books, which he signed with a pseudonym.[11] He was the author of most of the comics published in Haaretz Shelanu, a children's magazine, using the name "Yariv Amazya." Many of his comics were science-fiction based.[12]

Memorial plaque for Pinchas Sadeh

Sadeh won the 1990 Bialik Prize for Literature, jointly with T. Carmi and Natan Yonatan.[13] He was a 1973 recipient of the Prime Minister's Prize for Hebrew Literary Works.

• Hebrew literature
• Israeli literature

• An Existential Treatment of Biblical Theme: Pinhas Sadeh's "The Death of Abimelech"
• Pinchas Sadeh’s Religiosity