L. was born on 4 July 1893 in Warsaw, Poland. His father was a dealer of bookbinding machines  He learned in a cheder and in a "real" school. As a child he sang with Cantor Sherman, and at the age of ten he acted in Polish in the shul. At age twelve he acted in the Yiddish children's troupe in the Muranow Yiddish Theatre and soon thereafter traveled with the children's troupe, which stood under the direction of leadership of Gustav Shvartzbard.

As an adult he debuted in Lermanke's troupe in the Muranow, Mohilev Gubernia, as "Mikhal shadkhan" in Richter's "Hertsele myukhs" and remained to act for one year in the troupe, from there he crossed over to Zhitomirski's troupe, where he acted for two years, then three years with Shvartsbard across Poland and Russia, a season with M. D. Vaksman in Lodz, a short time with the Kaminski troupe in Warsaw's Kaminiski Theatre, and four years in Warsaw's Central Theatre in the era of the translated European operettas.

In 1920 he came to America and acted for several weeks in Brooklyn's Liberty Theatre and in Philadelphia with Anshel Schorr, then some seasons in he People's Theatre (with Goldenburg and Satz), Toronto, Cleveland, Brooklyn's Liberty (with Michalesko), two seasons with German in the Hopkinson Theatre, and a season with German in Chicago. In 1931-32 he was in Toronto, and in 1932-33 he was at the Hopkinson Theatre (with Menasha Skulnik).