PJURKO, ABRAHAM MARCUS:
Russian Hebraist and pedagogue; born at Lomza Feb. 15, 1853. After having studied Talmud and rabbinics, he devoted himself to modern Hebrew literature, publishing successively: "Bat Yiftaḥ" (Lyck, 1873), a Biblical poem; "Re'uyim ha-Debarim le-Mi she-Amaram" (Warsaw, 1880), criticisms on Biblical and Talmudical legends; "Sefer Miktabim ha-Shalem" (ib. 1882), a Hebrew letter-writer, containing 150 specimens of letters on different subjects; "Niṭ'e Na'amanim" (ib. 1884), 100 stories for the young; "Kur ha-Mibḥan" (ib. 1887), a book for teachers, containing a Biblical catechism; "Haskalah Medumah" (ib. 1888), a sketch of Jewish life.
In 1893 Pjurko published eleven stories for children, two of which were written by his son Ḥayyim, and in 1894 "Shebeṭ Sofer ha-Shalem," a new letter-writer, also containing 150 specimens. In the same year he published "Yalḳuṭ ha-Re'im," a grammatical work in verse, and issued a new and revised edition of his "Niṭ'e Na'amanim." "Elef ha-Magen," a grammar for school courses, was published in 1898.
In 1899 Pjurko began the publication of the weekly periodical "Gan Sha'ashu'im," in which, besides numerous articles by him, two of his works deserving special mention were published, namely, "Ab le-Banim" (1899) and "Ha-Rab we-Talmidaw" (1900). The latter work consists of essays on grammar. In addition, Pjurko has contributed to many Hebrew periodicals.
