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Shlomo
Grossman
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Born on 23 June 1893 in
Allentown, Pennsylvania, America. Father -- a rabbi in
Philadelphia. He wanted to become a rabbi and learn in
Schechter's Rabbinical Seminary, but after receiving his
bachelor's degree from Columbia University, where he
also had begun his literary career with the editing of
the university journal, G. entered into the Office of
Education, which was a part of the Yiddish kehillah in
New York.
During the war G. worked at
the Jewish Welfare Board, where he was director of
entertainment, arranged productions and concerts for the
Jewish soldiers in the military camps, and went off to
write and adapt one-acters into English.
When Schnitzer founded the
Yiddish art theatre in New York, G. left his office work
and became manager of the theatre. Later G. was a
long-time publicity manager for Schwartz's Yiddish Art
Theatre, for which he translated into Yiddish Gogol's "Revizor",
which was performed in that theatre.
Z. Segalovitsh had publicly
accused, that in the Art Theatre, they had performed "Revizor"
from his (Segalovitsh's) printed translation.
1926-27 -- G. was the
director of an Anglo-Jewish playhouse, and here staged
his English translation of Peretz Hirshbein's [play] "Di
grine felder". |
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In 1927 he also was for a
short time a publicity manager and member of the
Repertory Committee in the Yiddish Irving Place Art
Theatre.
G. also translated into
English "Shmates (Rags)" by Leivick, and the play
"Samson and Delilah", with which Ben Ami went over to
the English stage.
For a certain time he
printed in English-Yiddish journals one-acters and
stories for children. The Bureau of Jewish Education had
issued in brochure form around seventy of those
one-acters, which were performed in the Yiddish
communist centers.
The lat time G. had
attempted to work for tokis.
On 5 August 1930 G., due to
financial distress, committed suicide in Boston.
Alter Epstein characterized
G.'s activities: "He was through and through Jewish. He
spoke Yiddish very well and was famous for it. However,
he had always encouraged his association with the
English society and the American literary circles. He
was at times a mediator between the two worlds, and they
he many expectations of him. ... He was able to do much
that was good for the popularization of Yiddish in the
American world. ...Jewish life is the main motif in many
of his one-acters and songs, which he had written.
M. E. from
Jacob Mestel.
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Alter Epstein -- Der
trgisher suf fun dem yungen teatral, "Shliomke"
Grossman, "Der tog", N. Y., 6 August 1930.
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M. Bendov -- Shlomo
grossman, idish englisher shreyber, shpringt fun
15th flor un vert der-hrg'et, "Forward", N. Y., 6
August 1930.
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[--] -- Shlomo
grossman, idisher dramaturg bageht zelbstmord,
"Morning Journal", N. Y., 6 August 1930.
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Z. Segalovitsh -- An
erklerung vegn "revizor", "Theatre and Art", Lodz,
4, 1922.
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