Mendele Mocher Sforim (real name Sholem-Yankev Broide, passport name Solomon Moiseevich Abramovich) was an outstanding writer, publicist, and educator who laid the foundations of modern Jewish literature. His work combined irony, humor, and pressing social issues, and his time in Odesa became a pivotal stage in his life and literary career.
Early Years
He was born on December 21, 1835 (January 2, 1836) in the town of Kapyl, located in present-day Belarus. He received a traditional Jewish education. After his father's death, the family fell into poverty, forcing young Sholem-Yankev to continue his studies away from home. In the town of Mlyny, he wrote his first poems in Hebrew, and his wanderings across Lithuania and Ukraine with the vagrant Avreml the Lame would later become rich material for his literary works.

Literary Career
In 1853, he moved to Kamianets-Podilskyi, where he studied languages and mathematics, obtained a teaching qualification, and began to teach. In 1857, he embarked on active publishing work: his first writings on natural science, pedagogy, and literary criticism appeared in the newspaper Ha-Magid. Seeking to spark an interest in science among Jewish youth, Mendele wrote the book History of Nature, creating new terminology in Hebrew.

Odesa played a crucial role in his development. In 1862, together with I. M. Lifshitz, he launched the Yiddish-language newspaper Kol Mevaser, where from 1864 to 1865 his novella The Little Man was published. It was in this work that the pseudonym Mendele Mocher Sforim (“Mendele the Bookseller”) first appeared, marking the beginning of a new era in Jewish literature.

In 1881, the Jewish classic settled permanently in Odesa, where he was appointed head of the reformed Jewish school (Talmud-Torah). He held this position until the end of his life, with the exception of a three-year period (1905–1908), when he fled to Geneva due to anti-Jewish pogroms. After his return, he once again resumed his post and returned to his study.

Later Years and Legacy
Mendele Mocher Sforim died in Odesa on November 25 (December 8), 1917. After his death, a museum was established in his study, but it was destroyed during the Second World War. His works and educational efforts left a profound legacy in Jewish culture and literature.

Interesting Facts
• The pseudonym Mendele Mocher Sforim first appeared in the novella The Little Man.
• Odesa became his creative and personal center, where education and literature were closely intertwined.
• He endured periods of violent pogroms while remaining devoted to Jewish culture and the education of children.