**Yankev-Meyer Zalkind** (1875 - 1937) was a [Jewish Orthodox
rabbi](Judaism "wikilink"), an
[anarcho-communist](Anarcho-Communism "wikilink") and a close friend of
[Rudolf Rocker](Rudolf_Rocker "wikilink").

## Life

Yankev was born in the Russian Empire to a family of famous merchants
and rabbis. He was a highly successful [student](student "wikilink") and
went on to study [linguistics](Language "wikilink") and philosophy in
Germany, France and Switzerland and became able to speak over 20
languages.\[1\]

After graduating, Yank left for Britain and served as rabbi of Cardiff,
Wales and was an active [Zionist](Zionism "wikilink"). In 1913 he formed
a London Estate and began buying land in Israel with the hopes of
setting up Jewish communities in the area.\[2\]

During World War I he underwent a spiritual transformation and began to
advocate for [anarchism](anarchism "wikilink"). In 1916 he left Israel
in order to go to London as a [peace
campaigner](Anti-War_Movement "wikilink"). He befriended [Rudolf
Rocker](Rudolf_Rocker "wikilink") in this time and began to advocate for
the creation of an [anarchist
society](List_of_Libertarian_Socialist_Societies "wikilink") in the
Levant which could shelter the world's refugees.\[3\]

He also became a prominent hebrew-[language](language "wikilink")
writer, writing Jewish childrens books and attempted to translate the
Talmud into Yiddish.\[4\] He also argued rigorously that the logical
conclusion of the teachers of the Talmud was anarchism.\[5\] He moved
back to Israel in 1933 and died in Haifa in 1937.\[6\]

## References

<references />

1.  [Wikipedia](Wikipedia "wikilink") -
    <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yankev-Meyer_Zalkind>
2.  [Wikipedia](Wikipedia "wikilink") (Hebrew) -
    <https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%99%D7%A2%D7%A7%D7%91_%D7%9E%D7%90%D7%99%D7%A8_%D7%96%D7%9C%D7%A7%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%93>
3.
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