"Torkvemada" in
Victor Hugo's play. At the same time B. began
with pedagogical activity, dedicated his
practice to the younger generation.
During the Second World War B. was found in
Middle Asia, where he performed as an estrada
artist, visited many hospitals and strove
through artistic words to help the wounded.
In 1947 B. was stage
director in Lemberg, and there played the title
role of "Tevye the Dairyman" (in his
adaptation), then in Ukraine, where he performed
in Kulbak's "Boytre" (playing the title role),
"The Two Kuni Lemels" ("Max"), "Kabtsn'zon un
Hungerman," "Hershele Ostropeler" ("Kalman"), "Uriel
Acosta," "Familye ovadis" ("Zanvl Ovadis"), "Der
umbekanter (The Unknown)," and in his
translation, plays by Chekhov, Tolstoy and Mark
Twain.
After the Second
World War B. settled in Kovno, where he
organized and directed, and since 1960 with a
Yiddish dramatic collective at the Cultural
Palace for the professional union, and traveled
across cities and towns of Lithuania, bringing
to the Jewish masses of people the Yiddish
artistic word.
B. also composed a
two-act play, "Never Forget," about the
horrific murders of he Hitler murderers, and the
Litvak fascist nationalism.
The play on 6 April
1965 was performed in Kovno, and it was written
about by Muni Glazer and Peretz
Zelmanovsky:
"The production had
a great success, has been widely noted in the
press, which underlined Yakov Belzer's talent
both as an author and as a stage direction and
actor. The main motive for the event was to
succeed in peoples' friendship in the fight
against radicalism and fascism.
We got to know some
of his great content-rich correspondents. If you
have friends, students, a spectator, writer,
dramaturge, lovers of the Yiddish word, and all
respect this deserving Yiddish actor. Despite
his age, he is always creative, leads the
mentioned Jewish collective, travels around,
gives concerts, and is closely associated with
the Vilnius Jewish artistic collective, which
has now been transformed into a folks theatre."
Y. Yanes writes
about the offering in Kovno:
The play brings to
the heart the tragedy of the Jewish people. On
the stage the people as Jewish students are
going freely into the Soviet Army. An old Jewish
grandfather, a clockmaker played by Yakov Belzer,
is the central role in the play. The The old man
is sacrificing to the Jewish people. He tells
the fascist leaders that a people cannot be
killed. It's Israel lives, the Yiddish people
live and are living. A prominent Russian teacher
played for the famous artist Chava Eidelman,
becomes a leader of a partisan group. On the
stage the Russians and Jewish partisans, who
swear to take revenge for the innocent victims.
Touching images, one after another, run past our
eyes, scenes of the surviving tragedies. Often
the silence weeps over the silence, and you hear
long-lasting applause.
After the production
there came up onto the stage one of the names of
the Cultural Ministerium, the director of the
Kovno culture palace of the trade union. He said
about the colossal earnings of the art
circle and praised the collective for putting on
the play, 'Never Forget,' which is a great
contribution in the struggle for peace. He gave
Yakov Belzer a medal."
The play also was
offered on 26 April 1965 in Vilna. In July 1967,
in honor of the fifty year jubilee of the
October Revolution, B. staged with the Kovno
dramatic collective, "Der shtumer muzikant,"
according to the account by L. Bogdanova, and
"In yene teg" by A. Ulyanimski (both in his
translation).
Sh.E.
-
Y. Yanes --
Derfalgrayche farshtelungen fun yidishn
teater in kovne un vilne, "Morgn frayhayt,"
N.Y., 11 June 1965.
-
Munye Glazer
and Peretz Zelmanovsky -- 50 yor oyf der
yidisher bine, dort, 1 December 1965.
-
L. Even --
Derfolgrayche forshtelung in kovne fun
yidisher teater grupe, dort, 10 August 1967.
