Isaak Kabo
Isaak Kabo was born in 1909 in the Jewish agricultural colony of Novozlatopol, Ukraine but soon family moved to Odessa. As a child he studied the violin and attained a level of proficiency. Nevertheless, his dream was to become an architect and he prepared for that profession. Although he began working at a metallurgical plant, he soon transferred to studying at the Moscow Institute of Architecture. However, during the period when students had to apply to the naval military school, Kabo decided that this was really what he wanted. As a result he began serving in the Red Army in 1932. He graduated from submariners' school in 1936 and participated in the war with finland in 1939-1940. During the Soviet-German war the name of Captain 3rd class Isaak Kabo, commander of Submarine Shch-309, became well known in the Baltic Fleet. For its combat service his boat received the honorable distinction of being referred to as a "Guard" ship while in October 1942 its captain was recommended by the commander of the submarines of the Baltic Fleet for the honor of Hero of the Soviet Union. However the government did not agree and awarded Kabo the lesser honor of the Order of Lenin. In 1944 Kabo and his crew were sent to England to bring the submarine Unison B-3 to the Soviet Union. On the way the submarine was attacked by a German one but, thanks to skillful maneuvering, the Soviet crew succeeded in avoiding the enemy torpedoes and brought their ship safely to the Soviet polar region. For this exploit Kabo was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. From that time he served with the Northern Fleet.
The Yiddish poet Leyb Kvitko published the article "Isaak Kabo, Submarine Captain" in Eynikayt on March 15, 1943 and his poem "Isaak Kabo" on April 5, 1943 in the same newspaper.
After the war he continued serving in submarines, and graduated from the Military Navy Academy in 1951. In 1953 - 1963 he lectured at military institutions. Isaak Kabo died in Leningrad in 1981.
The Poem "Captain Itskhok Kabo" by Leyb Kvitko
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Captain Itskhok Kabo |
קאַפיטאַן יצחק קאַבאָ |
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Who is it that stirs up the Baltic Sea |
מיט וועמען רוישט דער באַלטישער ים |
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It's Yitskhok Kabo, the fiddler, |
ס'איז יצחק קאַבאָ דער פֿידל-שפּילער, |
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The Baltic zone knows Yitskhok Kabo! |
ווי יצחק קאַבאָ די באַלטיק קען! |
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This fiddler plays with them there, |
ער שפּילט זיי אָפּ דאָרט, - |
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He is aided by his stern second in command Katsnelson, |
אים העלפֿט קאַצנעלסאָן דער שטרענגער "זאַם" |
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He had once dreamed of becoming an architect |
געטרוימט האָט ער אַמאָל צו זײַן אַן אַרכיטעקט |
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But instead the fiddler Itskhok Kabo, |
נאָר יצחק קאַבאָ דער פֿידל-שפּילער, |
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That noble captain lives in the depths of the ocean. |
עס לעבט אין טיף פֿון ים אַ שיינער קאַפּיטאַן, |
|
That is Itskhok Kabo, the fiddler, |
ס'איז יצחק קאַבאָ דער פֿידל-שפּילער, אונדזער שטאָלץ און חיות. |
