Born on 3 October 1902 in Stawiski, once Lomza Gubernia, Poland. Father -- a feldsher (old-time barber-surgeon). Until age ten, he learned in a cheder and then enrolled in Yarotshinski's Talmud Torah in Lodz, wherein his family moved to after his father's death. He completed in 1917 the Talmud Torah, in 1923 -- Dr. Broyde's Hebrew gymnasium, and he learned for two semesters in the philosophy facultat in Warsaw's university.

Even as a child he manifested a desire to imitate, and in the gymnasium he participated in the school productions under the leadership of teacher Tuman-Tumansky (a former professional regisseur), then he performed in Yiddish, Polish and Hebrew evenings as an imitator. Learning in the university, H. at the same time attended Dr. M. Weichert's dramatic school. Due to material conditions, H. settled in Lodz, where he learned in the Polish dramatic school with the municipal theatre (Director Barvinsky), and acted in episodic roles in that theatre. Returning to Warsaw, H. lived by giving lessons and studied further in Dr. Weichert's dramatic school, from which David Herman's studio was later installed. In 1925 H. traveled with this studio to act across the province, and when the studio disbanded, and H. became taken into the local association, he entered as "L. Sarnov inro "Azazel". However, after two months he went over to Jonas Turkow's provincial troupe. Half-a-year later, H. joined "Vikt" (Leaders: Ida Kaminska and Z. Turkow), then he acted four months in Krakow's Yiddish social theatre (leader A. Morevsky), [then] again several months in "Azazel".
 

Sh. E.