The brief life of author Jonas Kreppel (his surname means dumpling in Yiddish) is almost as compelling as his 15 “thrilling odes“ titled, Adventures of Max Spitzkopf, the Yiddish Sherlock Holmes. Born in 1874, Galicia, Kreppel’s family was Hasidic. Torah study, however, was not Kreppel’s sole pursuit. He penned Yiddish and German periodicals that were wildly popular and edited a Jewish encyclopedia. Kreppel wrote countless articles about German Jewry. He became a respected adviser to the Austrian foreign consulate. An “outspoken critic “of fascist ideology, Kreppel was arrested, sent to Buchenwald and murdered in 1940.

 

Originally written in Yiddish, published in Krakow, 1908, Kreppel’s thinly veiled mysteries reflect difficult times for Jews in early 20th century, Europe. Some critics called Keppel’s work “shund” (trash) though notables such as Nobel Prize laureate, Isaac Beshevis Singer, read all Kreppel’s “crime capers” and referred to them as “high art.” Of course the masses loved Kreppel’s amusing tales and adored its superhero, the indomitable, Viennese private-eye, Max Spitzkopf

 

A champion of justice, an avenger for persecuted Jews, Max Spitzkopf  “has always taken every opportunity to stand up for Jews.” The renowned “King of Detectives,“ bold as a lion, fights antisemites, blood libel accusations, forced baptism of Jewish girls, kidnappings, Jews falsely accused of fraud and gruesome murders perpetrated by villains of every stripe. Spitzkopf inveigles himself into the vortex of danger to restore justice and truth. Renowned as “The Yiddish Sherlock Holmes” Spitzkopf heads the famous Viennese detective bureau appropriately named “Blitz”--lightning.

 

Spitzkopf’s loyal sidekick, Hermann Fuchs—the “Robin to Batman” or the “Watson to Sherlock Holmes”--- is no powder –puff. Intrepid, Fuchs courageously confronts dangerous thugs risking life and limb ever ready to serve his indefatigable boss. Spitzkopf uses disguises, fake identification to entrap the “bad guys” and thwart disaster. He always carries “two loaded revolvers, a ring of lock picks, skeleton keys and an electric torch“ as befits a man on a mission to defend Jews.

 

Peppered with Yiddish expressions and illustrations that capture intense moments in the plot Kreppel’s action-packed “crime capers” are fun not only for young readers but mystery buffs at any age. Each “cliff hanger” is predictable, easy to unravel. Though some plots contain over-the-top melodrama, we eagerly follow the stalwart “mastermind detective“ and trumpet his ingenious plans to nab the nogoodniks and bring the scoundrels to justice for their dastardly deeds.

Vividly rendered into English by Singer, actor, author Mikhl Yashinsky Kreppel’s legacy is a gratifying example of Yiddish pulp fiction penned over a century ago now translated for contemporary readers.