L. was born on 18 January 1888 in Shidlovets, Poland. His parents were merchants. He learned in a cheder and in a Beit HaMedrash, at the same time in a folkshul. He sang with a cantor and wrote songs in actual themes, which he used to by himself sing or give to badkhanim. Used "zey forshteln" at weddings. At the age of fourteen he founded a circle of "amateurs" and with them he acted in "Bar Kochba," The production and the subsequent attempts of the circle called forth an enormous [treumus] from the town against him and he had to, after a pogrom against them them at home, he fled to Lodz, where he in 1903 entered into Spivakovski-Fiszon troupe as a chorus singer, taking up carpentry at the same time. In 1904 he debuted as "Selim" in Latayner's "Ash Re," Then he joined Sharavner's troupe where he acted for a year as an amateur. In 1905 he acted for three months with Guzik, then six months in a members troupe. A year in Lantzman's troupe. Again in a members troupe, in which L. later became (in four months) director. Then he returned for a half-year in a members troupe. Then L. went abroad and acted in Yiddish theatre in Vienna and Paris.

After military conscription he acted in Sharavner's troupe, then again in Germany, Czechoslovakia, Budapest, Paris, Switzerland (with Yakov Spivakovski) and again in Paris. In wartime with Izikovitsh in Poland).

From 1915 until 1919 he was director of a troupe in the German and Austrian occupied regions of Poland. Then he acted for ten