ERC > LEXICON OF THE YIDDISH THEATRE  >  VOLUME 5  >  SIMCHA WEINSTOCK


Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre
BIOGRAPHIES OF THOSE WHO WERE ONCE INVOLVED IN THE Yiddish THEATRE;
aS FEATURED IN zALMEN zYLBERCWEIG'S  "lEKSIKON FUN YIDISHN TEATER"


VOLUME 5: THE KDOYSHIM (MARTYRS) EDITION, 1967, Mexico City
 


 

Simcha Weinstock
 

Born in 1898 in Lodz, Poland, into a merchant family. He completed a Yiddish-Polish gymnasium, later for a time worked in a printing shop. In his younger years he directed with the dramatic studio "Baginen" for the "Bund" in Lodz. He studied in David Herman's theatre studio, and then became a member in his troupe. W. acted in the small-arts theatres "Ararat" and "Azazel," for which he wrote one-acters and scenes. He also printed articles about Yiddish theatre in the Yiddish periodic press.

W. translated into Yiddish Pirandela's "Henrikh der ferter" (staged in Jonas Turkow's troupe), H. Baum's "Glikl fun hameln" (performed by Ida Kaminska), and the play "Dole vapfer" ("Flaterkop"), a play of love in three acts by Johann Fabritsius.

According to Jonas Turkow, W. was called "Sam," and also directed with a dramatic circle.

On 9 November 1928 W. staged with the Vlotslavka section of the "Yidishe bine", Sholem Aleichem's "Gold Diggers."

In 1937 he, together with Hersh Glovinsky, became the leaders of the Yiddish theatre in Danzig. On 10 April 1937 he had, with Pearl Urich and Jacob Mandelblit, staged in Danzig his operetta in two acts, "Mitn Khkh fun tlis ktn," music by R. Karude. In July 1937 he had, together with Jacob Mandelblit, organized a theatre collective "Akord" (ensemble, comedies, operettas, revue,

 


dramas), and toured across the province, and later in the same year made a Yiddish "word concert" with his wife Lola Zilberman across the Scandinavian countries.

When the Germans had in September 1939 begun the war against Poland, W. was acting in Jonas Turkow's troupe in Danzig, and then returned to Lodz, in 1940 he was with the evacuation in Bialystok and later until June 1941 he acted in Yiddish theatre in Lemberg.

As the saved actor Severin Zwerling said, W. was a Jewish policeman in the Lemberg ghetto. One time, during an "action", he came to him in his home and happened upon his mother lying sick in bed. This is actually still the best motive to be saved from the destruction of who he is (?), W. cried (tseveynt) and left the sick person and went away.

W. later, together with his wife, the Lodz Yiddish actress Lola Zilberman, was killed by the Nazis.


M. E. from Severin Zwerling.

  • "Lexicon of the New Yiddish Literature," Vol. III, New York, 1960, pp. 384-385.

  • Jonas Turkow -- "Extinguished Stars," Buenos Aires, 1953, Vol. II, p. 90.

 

 

 


 

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Adapted from the original Yiddish text found within the  "Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre" by Zalmen Zylbercweig, Volume 5, page 4228.
 

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