Yalan-Stekelis (formerly Wilensky), Miriam
YALAN-STEKELIS (formerly Wilensky), MIRIAM (1900–1984), Hebrew poet and writer of children's literature. Born in Russia, Miriam Yalan-Stekelis immigrated to Ereẓ Israel in 1920, and lived in Jerusalem, working at Hadassah. From 1926 she was in the Slavonic Department (heading it 1929–56) of the Jewish National and University Library. Her husband was Moshe *Stekelis.
In 1922 she began to publish (two poems in Ha-Ḥayyim) and subsequently her works appeared in various newspapers and journals. Her children's poetry which first appeared in 1934 (mainly in Davar li-Yladim) was followed by many children's books. She received the Israel Prize for children's literature, 1957, and published three volumes of collected works, Shir ha-Gedi, Yesh Li Sod, Ba-Ḥalomi (1958–63). Sheker, a collection of three stories, appeared in 1966. A collection of poems and stories (Shirim ve-Sippurim) was published in 1987. Miriam Yalan-Stekelis translated to and from Hebrew, including Russian folktales into Hebrew, Peraḥ ha-Shani (1952), and the diaries and letters of J. Trumpeldor into German. In 1968 she published the memoirs of her father, Yehudah Leib Nisan *Wilensky, to which she added much biographical material.
ADD. BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Y. Zoref, Shirat ha-Yeladim shel M. Yalan-Shtekelis (1991). M. Regev, "Bein Zikkaron Otobiografi le-Sippur Yeladim,," in: Ma'agalei Keriah, 22 (1994), 21–25; M. Rosenberg, Iyyunim bi-Shetayim mi-Yẓirot M. Yalan-Shtekelis (1993).G. Almog, Tefisot Olam ve-Gishot Ḥinukhiyyot bi-Yẓiratah shel M. Yalan-Shtekelis li-Yeladim (1995); R. Garon, Reẓef u-Temurah be-Shirat ha-Yeladim shel M. Yalan-Shtekelis (1996); R. Gonen, "Miryam Yalan Shtekelis bi-Re'i ha-Iyyur," in: Iyyunim be-Sifrut Yeladim, 12 (2002), 39–59; G. Almog, "Bein Sippur le-Shir: M. Yalan-Shtekelis," in: Iyyunim be-Sifrut Yeladim, 13 (2003), 63–73.
Sources: Encyclopaedia Judaica. © 2007 The Gale Group. All Rights Reserved.