David Ignatoff was born to a poor Hasidic family in Brusilov, where he received a traditional religious education.

[5] Ignatoff's "Der giber" ('The Hero'), a biblical story based on the legend of Yiftaḥ, was published in the first Shriftn.

In 1918 he released Dos Farborgene Likht ('The Hidden Light', 1918), a collection of tales based on the stories of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov.

[5] His major works include In keslgrub ('In the Crucible', 1918); Vundermayses fun Altn Prag ('Wondertales of Old Prague', 1920); the trilogy Af vayte vegn ('On Distant Roads', 1932); Dos vos kumt for (1932); and Far a nayer velt (1939).

[8] In the last forty years of his life Ignatoff was a member of the staff of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society.