She was born on 1 April 1904 in Brest-Litovsk, Polish Lithuania.

Her father was a shoemaker.

In 1915 V. was sent out by the Russian war administration from Brest to Minsk where went to the professional Yiddish school, and there she learned as a tailor until 1920. From 1920-1 she also took year-long courses to be a teacher in a trade school, where Rafelsky was a teacher.

Already since 1918 V. had participated in various dramatic circles, but after becoming known to Rafelsky, she performed in the amateur group under his leadership, from which she joined his studio.

In 1921 V. performed in Moscow in the Yiddish section of the White Russia Institute for Scenic Arts, where she learned until 1926, and when the studio transformed into Vim't, V. automatically became a member of that theatre.
 

Sh. E.