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Lives in the Yiddish Theatre

Harry Jordan, actor
cir late 1920s
Cleveland, Ohio

Harry Jordan was born Hershel Zerdanowski on May 27, 1895 in Skvira, Kiev Guberniya. He, his parents and siblings immigrated to the United States via Philadelphia in 1906. Here, Jordan graduated from public school and in 1913 began to play in Jewish varieties in Philadelphia. Afterwards for five years he performed sketches in English vaudeville, and he also performed in plays in dramatic clubs. In 1927-1928, Jordan played in the legitimate Yiddish theatre in Baltimore; in 1928-1929 he played in Detroit and Toronto, and in 1929-1930 he performed in Pittsburgh and Cleveland.

According to the autobiography of renown Yiddish actor/singer/dancer Herman Yablokoff ("Der Payatz"), Harry Jordan performed at the
Littman's Peoples Theatre during the theatre's second season, in 1928-29. The season included a play called "The Middle of the Road" and starred Bertha Kalish. This production was beset by a myriad of problems, including the flu. When actor Wolf Shumsky became ill with the flu, David Reitz took over his role, the leading male part, with Harry assuming David's role. However, after one evening and one matinee performance, David too would become seriously ill with the flu and had to be taken to the hospital. Harry Jordan now assumed the main male part for the evening performance; Oscar Ostroff took over Harry's role. Later that day, the one who had first taken over the lead, David Reitz, died. Even with all the changing of the roles, the play was a success... next
 

more photos


Harry Jordan with Bertha Gersten and Sam and Bertie Schragel
et al
cir 1920s

Harry Jordan
in costume, possibly in Jacob Gordin's "God,  Man, and Devil,"
Cleveland, Ohio
cir 1920s
 

Harry Jordan (back row, second from right)
with Boris Thomashefsky and company
cir  1925

Harry Jordan on the right, probably in vaudeville

Portrait of
Harry Jordan
by the artist
Rappoport,
New York

Harry Jordan with wife Mary (on the left) and her sister Ida Hoffman Honig (on the right), who was also an actress who lived and performed in New York




 


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