This article appeared in the May 7, 2003 Jewish Advocate.

Tales of a learned tolerance

by Susie Davidson

Advocate Correspondent

CHELMSFORD - 12 plays, two novels, 40 or so research papers and several hundred poems later, Yakov Zilberberg is still smarting, and still writing. Because of the career-damaging prejudice he encountered in the Soviet Union, the retired engineering professor, who did not begin writing in English until after he emigrated to the US in 1977 at the age of 42, has taken on all forms of discrimination ever since.

As a researcher and professor at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell, Zilberberg has published over 40 papers in both languages. In addition, he has published poetry in several anthologies, recorded verse for several CDs and contributed pieces to the University of Massachusetts at Lowell's Literary Society and the Chelmsford Public Library's Poetry Community Collection. His fourth play, The Tarnished File, was produced in October, 1988, byt the Theatre-in-Progress of Boston. He participates in poetry slams at the Chelmsford library and recently appeared on Billerica Access TV's Stand-up Poetry show. Upcoming readings include May 21 at 8 p.m. at Borders Bookstore, 281 Daniel Webster Highway in Nashua, New Hampshire (Exit 1 off Route 3 North).

Born in 1934 in Odessa, he was very much aware of the antisemitic climate. "As a Jew in the former USSR, I had very little choice of future profession," he recalled. "I had to apply to an Institute (the equivalent of an American college or university), where acceptance was never assured." He claims that had he a choice, he would have become an engineer rathe than a historian or journalist.

In 1970, following the defense of his dissertation, Zilberberg was awarded a

degree of Candidate of Sciences, the approximate equivalent of a Ph.D., by the

Leningrad Technological Institute. A begrudging gesture, it was ultimately not

to be; three years later, the VAK (Vyshays Attestatsionnaya Komissiya, which

translates to Highest Authorization Board), revoked the distinction. Zilberberg

prepared a second dissertation, but this time, was not even allowed to defend

it, in a process he termed as humiliating and futile, waged against an

impossible bureaucracy.

He eventually received a Ph.D. from the University of New Hampshire in 1981. “This is the main reason why I abhor all types of discrimination,” he said.

The three tales in his debut for 1st Book Library are concerned with racial

discrimination, fighting prejudices against unconventional gay and lesbian

families, and the historical struggles of 20th century Russian Jewry. “Although it’s in the form of fairy tales and fables, with witches and wizards as some of the main characters, the Tales deal with important social and historic issues,” he said. The work is written in classical verse, which adheres to a strict rhythm and rhyming style. Relatively easy to read and memorize, Zilberberg maintains, the format is resurging under the name of New Formalism.

Racial discrimination is condemned and the work ethic lauded in his Tale of

Dancing Chair, which champions creative potential and confronts bigotry,

injustice, and unfair judgment. A Tale of Captive Puffins explores the history

of Russian/Soviet Jewry over the past century; its fables' characters

representing Tsarist Russia and the Soviet Union, Weimar and Nazi Germany.

The final Tale, Of Boy Nightingale, proclaims love, respect, and loyalty as

traits identifying and holding together families, and asserts that friendship

between children from different families is the greatest hope and strongest

weapon in the struggle against prejudices still prevalent in society,” said

Zilberberg, whose daughter and her partner have two children.

Zilberberg, who has lived with his wife Faina in Chelmsford since 1994, is

devoting his retirement to writing and his two grandchildren, Noah and Sophie.