Nadene Goldfoot
When we moved to Safed, Israel, we met up with David Bedine who gave Danny, former Little Theater actor in Florida, the idea of his writing something with acting to take to different towns in Israel. So Danny wrote our sketch of LAUGHING THROUGH KLITA. A little later on, I got brave and took a famous Yiddish story by Sholom Alecheim and wrote a play, starring Danny. We gathered up other actors and had a group, Yiddish Theater In English. The city gave us for free the area to produce and show our play. I wrote three of them, and one was called, "SHE MUST MARRY A DOCTOR!" I made all the costumes with my portable sewing machine, and we charged a fee to see our plays. A friend from Portland had moved across the street from us who carried a billboard over her head which advertised on both sides and we ran all over town putting up ads. Here is what we were trying to simulate, I think; something we then started hearing about: The National Theater (originally the Adler-Thomashefsky National Theatre) was a prominent 1,900-seat Yiddish theater located at the southwest corner of Chrystie and Houston streets in Manhattan's historic Yiddish Theater District.
Oh New York, center of Yiddish Theater, I have only gone through on a plane's stop but have heard of this part of our American history's Yiddish culture. This is certainly something to remember for our 250th Anniversary of USA's birth.
Opened in September 1912, it was designed by celebrated architect Thomas W. Lamb and leased by legendary Yiddish theater stars Boris Thomashefsky and Julius Adler.
- The Star: Boris Thomashefsky (1866–1939) was a Ukrainian-born singer, actor, and producer, widely crowned as the "prince of the Yiddish theater". He is also the grandfather of renowned American orchestra conductor Michael Tilson Thomas. Repertoire: Under Thomashefsky's management, the theater staged vibrant Yiddish productions, ranging from original works and adaptations (like a Jewish version of Uncle Tom's Cabin) to Yiddish renditions of classic European plays.
- Legacy: The venue served as a cultural anchor for Jewish immigrants in New York. After ceasing operations as a live theater in 1941, the building operated as a cinema before eventually being closed and demolished.Aaron Lebedeff in Der Yidisher Yankee
- One of the actors was Aaron Lebedeff (1873–1960)] was a Yiddish theatre star, born in Gomel, Belarus.In childhood he sang for the Hazzan, Borekh David. Having no interest in education, he was sent to learn a trade, but soon he ran away and began to play small roles in a Russian theaters in Bobruysk, Minsk and other towns. When the Russian troupe fell apart, he went back to Homel, taking part in amateur theatre and opening a dance club. When Leyzer Bernshtein's troupe arrived, he wheedled a place in it.
He was officially a chorister, unofficially a roadie/stage hand (pekl-treger). He dressed the actors and was a prompter. He finally debuted in Der Pipkiner rav and became the character actor he would remain, playing in different wandering theatre troupes across Russia. He was hired in Warsaw and became popular there as Der Litvisher Komiker (The Litvak comic). In 1912–13, he played in Łódź with Zandberg, then back to Warsaw; and at the outbreak of World War I, he was pressed into the Russian army and sent to Harbin, Manchuria, (1916), where he spent his time of military service giving concerts for the officers.
After being demobilized, he worked in Avrom Fishzohn's troupe; but in order to support himself, he often had to sing in Russian or English for the American Red Cross.He married Vera Lubow and later wandered toward Japan with his wife, presenting "International Concerts" (also in China). In 1920, he and his wife left for America and were hired for Boris Thomashevsky's National Theater production of Wolf Shumsky's Lyavke Molodyetz. He was such a hit that he became an overnight star of Yiddish theater in America.
Aaron died on November 8, 1960, and was buried next to his wife (who died two years prior) in the Yiddish Theatrical Alliance section of Mount Hebron Cemetery in Queens, NY.
- I was a protege of the great Boris Tomashevsky. He taught me everything I know. I'll never forget, he turned to me on his death bed and said: "Maxella, alle menschen muss zu machen, jeden tug a gentzen kachen!"Nun:What does that mean?Max:Who knows, I don't speak Yiddish. Strangely enough, neither did he. But in my heart, I knew what he was saying. He was saying when you're down and out and everybody thinks you're finished, that's the time to stand up on your two feet and shout: "Who do you have to f*** to get a break in this stinking town?" "— Mel Brooks, The Producers
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