K. was born in January 1889 in Shumsk, Volin Gubernia, Russia. His father worked in a mill. He learned in a cheder and did scholarly work with a "writer". In 1902, K. traveled to his father in Boston, America. Here he learned for a year in a night school. He peddled newspapers, was a metal worker and also was employed in a wall factory.

Together with Biber, Sara Goldberg (sister of Mrs. Bernardi), and Charles Rosen he founded an amateur troupe, where he debuted around 1906 as "Chaim Yoel" in Richter's "Hertsele meyukhes." After acting for several years with the amateurs, he organized a professional troupe with whom he acted across the region of New England. In 1921 he became manager (during Sundays) of Shawmut Theatre in Boston under the name "Kotts and Biber's Folks Company." From 1924 to 1929 he was manager of the Chelsea Theatre in Chelsea [Massachusetts], where they showed pictures and staged Yiddish theatre and Yiddish vaudeville. From 1929-33 he was the manager of the Grand Opera House [in Boston, Massachusetts] (together with Oscar Green). From 1930-31 he was manager of the Franklin Park Theatre [also in Boston.]