Lives in the Yiddish Theatre
SHORT BIOGRAPHIES OF THOSE INVOLVED IN THE Yiddish THEATRE
aS DESCRIBED IN zALMEN zYLBERCWEIG'S "lEKSIKON FUN YIDISHN TEATER"

1931-1969
 

I.J. Weinrot
(Yitzhak Yosef)
 

 

Born on 5 November 1905 in Lodz, Poland. Father -- a bookbinder. He learned in a cheder and in a shul. In 1914 his father immigrated to America and soon prepared himself to bring over his family that was still situated with relatives in the town of Shildov. But here the war broke out, and the family remained, distraught, until they first arrived in 1920 in Toronto, Canada. Here W. learned in a Talmud Torah and in a yeshiva of R' Grobard and helped found, together with Grobard's son, Pinchus (a former rabbi), the local "HaShomer HaTzair". W. learned here in school, and studied several years in the University of Toronto, entering into the Poalei Zion movement and took up with (formerly) Dr. Horowitz, with creating advertisements for the programs of the local Yiddish theatre. So after he became excited about theatre and, especially after the time from 1926 until 1932, when he worked in the local Yiddish newspaper (Editor Reynveyn and later Shapiro), in the advertising department and at the same time as a reporter).

W. opened a "Hazamir Concert Bureau" for Canada and organized the Canadian tour for the former "Habima" members Benjamin Zemach and Chayale Gruber, as well as the Canadian representation of the Yiddish films of "Amkino", Ben Ami's film "Der vandernder yid", and in the 1932-33 season he was, together with Shlezinger and Sam Cohen, the manager of the local Yiddish "Standard" Theatre (with the guest-starring Joseph Schoengold, Berta Gerstin, Bernard Elving, Morris Krohner) and later with

 the guest-starring Molly Picon, Menasha Skulnik, the Germans, Hollander. In 1934 Jacob Ben Ami brought his troupe (with Stella Adler) to perform in Canada "Lilyam" in Yiddish, and in 1935, together with John Eizenberg, brought attractions, then organized the concerts for Pinchas Yasinovski, Emma Shiver, Al. Harris, Saul Meizels et al.

W. was a member in the large General Executive of the Jewish National Arbeter Farband, chairman of the Farband Shtot Committee in Toronto, and since he has made his home in Los Angeles -- president of the "Institute of Jewish Education, president of the Farband in Los Angeles, and chairman of "Histadrut".
 

M. E. 


 

 

 

 


 

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Adapted from the original Yiddish text found within the  "Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre" by Zalmen Zylbercweig, Volume 3, page 2268.
 

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