01In brief
Leon Israel (1887–1955), also identified as “Lola,” was a Jewish artist, cartoonist, and muralist associated with the Forward. Born in Pinsk on December 12, 1887, he died in New York City on January 12, 1955. The Library of Congress credits “Lola [Leon Israel]” with an April 7, 1911, illustration in Der Groyser Kundes depicting the Triangle Waist Company as a demon drawing women into a factory inferno after the fire that killed 146 garment workers.
02Early Life
03Career
Israel worked as an artist, cartoonist, and muralist and was associated with the Forward, a Yiddish-language newspaper.[1] He is also linked to Der Groyser Kundes through an illustration credited to “Lola [Leon Israel].”[2] The satirical publication appeared in New York from 1908 to 1927 and was characterized as an outspoken critic of Yiddish press, literature, and theater; it became one of the Jewish community’s most popular and original publications.[4]
The April 7, 1911, issue—volume 3, number 14—contained Israel’s illustration responding to the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire of March 25, 1911, in which 146 garment workers died.[2][3] In the image, a salivating demonic figure labeled the Triangle Waist Company draws a line of women into the factory, where they are consumed by a raging inferno and drift upward toward heaven.[3] Public sympathy and outrage over the disaster led to the establishment of a Factory Investigating Commission that helped draft legislation mandating improved working conditions.[3] The issue is held in the Library of Congress Hebraic Section.[2]
04Legacy
The 1911 issue is preserved in the Library of Congress Hebraic Section.[2] Its inclusion in the library’s exhibition places Israel’s work among contemporary responses to the Triangle fire, alongside photographs, newspaper coverage, and Yiddish music about the victims.[3] The image provides a surviving example of Yiddish satirical art addressing the human cost of unsafe garment-factory conditions.[3]
Sources
- 1The American Jewish Archives, The Concise Dictionary of American Jewish Biography, accessed on September 24, 2026.
- 2Library of Congress, Exhibition Items - From Haven to Home: 350 Years of Jewish Life in America, accessed on September 24, 2026.
- 3Library of Congress, A Century of Immigration, 1820-1924 - From Haven to Home: 350 Years of Jewish Life in America, accessed on September 24, 2026.
- 4National Library of Israel, accessed on September 24, 2026.
IsraelPedia Question & Answers
Who was Leon Israel?
Leon Israel (1887–1955), also identified as "Lola," was a Jewish artist, cartoonist, and muralist associated with the Forward, a Yiddish-language newspaper. Born in Pinsk on December 12, 1887, he died in New York City on January 12, 1955. He is credited with a notable illustration published in Der Groyser Kundes responding to the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire of 1911.
What was Der Groyser Kundes?
Der Groyser Kundes was a satirical Yiddish publication that appeared in New York from 1908 to 1927. It was characterized as an outspoken critic of Yiddish press, literature, and theater, and became one of the Jewish community's most popular and original publications.
What did Leon Israel's 1911 illustration in Der Groyser Kundes depict?
Leon Israel's illustration, published in the April 7, 1911, issue of Der Groyser Kundes, responded to the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire of March 25, 1911, in which 146 garment workers died. The image shows a salivating demonic figure labeled the Triangle Waist Company drawing a line of women into the factory, where they are consumed by a raging inferno and drift upward toward heaven.
What were the consequences of the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire that inspired Leon Israel's illustration?
Public sympathy and outrage over the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire, in which 146 garment workers died, led to the establishment of a Factory Investigating Commission that helped draft legislation mandating improved working conditions.
Where is Leon Israel's 1911 illustration preserved today?
Leon Israel's 1911 illustration is held in the Library of Congress Hebraic Section, where it is included among contemporary responses to the Triangle fire alongside photographs, newspaper coverage, and Yiddish music about the victims.