edelheit/shlomo

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

Shlomo Edelheit

Born on 14 December 1884 [according to Z. Reyzen's "Lexicon" -- 1882] in Rymanov, Eastern Galicia. Father -- a ritual slaughterer and cantor. From his mother's side -- a ureynikl for the "Good Jew" R' Mendele Pristoker. He received a strong Chasidic education, learned with the great rabbis of Galicia. Renowned for a msmid and eloy. At age seventeen he received the joy of rabbinut,but them he began to read Haskalah, and khkirh literature, learned languages, printed in "HaMagid" (tr's) under the pseudonym "Ben-shmuel" a story "Yld shnkrs" with a critique about Chasidism, which stamped him as a "epicurus". Around that time he published under the pseudonym of Shkh'r a book in Yiddish with the title "Der shreklekher khalum, oder, Fun gihnum in gn-edn" in Shm'r's style.

Due to the persecution of the city fanatic. he left home and migrated across Western Galicia and Egypt, and in the span of this time he wrote correspondences in the Galician Hebrew journals.

1903 -- arrived in America, where he published stories and skits in the local Yiddish periodic editions. 1906 -- traveled back to Galicia, participated in the local press, such as in the illustrated editions. Then again he left Galicia, lived for several years in Germany, then in Antwerp. 1913 -- again arrived in America, where he published from time to time skits in the local Yiddish periodic editions and several translations of Artsybashev and Strindberg.

In Europe E. began to write for Yiddish theatre and published "Der eybiger shmerts, a one acter" (Copenhagen, 1909, 24 pp.), which was also performed there, "Di yerushah" ("Idisher vokhenblat", N. Y., then published separately in Lemberg, 1911), "Fartog" in Chicago's "Kultur"), "Naomi and Ruth" (in "Der yunger kemffer", N. Y) in "S'iz a kholom nor geven" ("Tsuzamen", N. Y.).

On 8 December 1916 in Brooklyn's Lyric Theatre, there was staged by M. Wilensky, E.'s play "Di tsvay tates" (called by the author "Ir sud"). On 24 December 1920 in the same theatre there was staged E.'s lebensbild "Nokh halbe nakht".

On 16 August 1925 in N. Y.'s "Forward", there was published E.'s one-act "Der tsvayter man".

On 3 September 1926 in the National Theare there was staged "Der student prints in Heydelberg ["Alt-Heidelberg"] by D. Danli, music by Z. Ramberg, translated by Sh. Edelheit, lyrics translated by Jacob Jacobs, staged by S. Goldenbug".

E. had handwritten the following plays:

"Nokh der shrfh" (a symbolic drama)
"In der tifer nakht" (a Chasidic play)
"Beym grenits" (a one-acter)
"Oyf di veyse vegn"
"A held in gefaln"
Translation of "Yungt" by Max Halbe
"Iber der tifenish" by Pshibeshevsky
Tsipereyn" by Sardoy

E. is employed with a Yiddish theatre as a press agent.

E.'s wife has published several one-acters.

Sh. E.

Z. Reyzen -- "Lexicon of Yiddish LIterature", Vol. II, pp. 715-718.
A teater mensh -- Fier idishe teaters efenen zikh morgn in nyu-york in bruklyn, "Tog", N. Y., 8 September 1926.
Dr. A. Mukdoni -- Der onhoyb, "Morning Journal", N. Y,, 13 September 1926.
Ab. Cahan -- Theater notitsen, "Forward", N. Y., 17 September 1926.
A. Frumkin -- Gerotene operete in neshonal teater, "Tog", N. Y., 17 September 1926.

Adapted from the original Yiddish text found within the "Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre" by Zalmen Zylbercweig, Volume 2, page 1543.