pozy/arnold

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

Arnold (Aryeih) Pozy
(Israel Aryeih Pozikov)

Born on 21 March 1894 in the village of Chigrinovke, Mohilev Gubernia, Russia. His father was a rabbi, who had refused the chair of the Chief Rabbinate and took up with the forest and grain trade. Until the age of thirteen he learned in the village with a special religious teacher, and then in a yeshiva in Mohilev. At the age of fifteen he enrolled in the Mohilev technical school of I"ka (?), where he studied for two years, then became an extern, endured the exams for a real school, and in 1914 he traveled to London, England, where he attended the St. James College.

In London P. began his literary activity and here in 1915 published his first book, "The War and the Jewish Question." In 1916 he was an associate editor for "Idisher expres," and at the same time he worked with various periodical editions in Copenhagen and Canada.

In 1920 he immigrated to America, migrating across the United States, and at first in 1926, when he became a teacher in the Sholem Aleichem School in Chicago, returned to the pen, especially to write children's plays.

Besides various publications, novels and publicity work, P. published the following theatre pieces: "Der binshṭoḳ," a play in two scenes (Chicago, 1927, published in Vilna in the same year), which was staged in 1928 in New York through the impartial schools, under the direction of Itzhak Rotblum, dance by Lilien Shapiro, and then in Buenos Aires, Toronto, Vilna, Cleveland

and other cities; also the one-acter was translated into Russian by Dr. Y. N. Steinberg. "Sara Bat Tuvim," a fantasy in one act (New York, 1919.) "Der fremder," a dramatic poem for older children, in one act, Milwaukee Yiddish Folks School (mimeographed -- Milwaukee 1929.) "Der oyfshtand fun di kinder," a play in five acts (Vilna 1930, previously printed in "Der khaver," then in a separate edition, which was confiscated by the Polish censors), staged at the end of the Winter of 1930 in the impartial New York school, under the direction of M. Elkin. "Di fir zin fun der hagaddah," a Passover play in one act (New York 1930). "Yosh," a play in seven scenes {Vilna 1931). "Dos likht un di yolke," a Channukah play in one act (Milwaukee 1932). "Trukene beyner," a Purim play in one act (New York 1932). "Di redaktsie," a comedy in one act (New York 1933), staged on 23 March 1932 through the "Yiddish Dramatic Circle" in Milwaukee, under the direction of Yitzhak Tepper. "Di zaverukhe," a drama in one act (New York 1934). "Haknkreytz," a drama in one act and twenty scenes, and a farce play (New York 1935). "Yosef," a dramatic poem in three acts and prologue (Chicago 1939), and "Der nes," a popular history in one act (New York 1943).

Some of the one-acters were staged in many cities.

P. also had in manuscript: "Dos roite yidele," a Shavuous play in one scene; "Der rshe vil fangen rus'n," a Shavuous 'vunder' play in five scenes; "Ven di himlen shpaltn zikh," a Rosh Hashanah play in six scenes; "Elihu hanovi's msnh," a play in five scenes, and "Der goldener toyer," a musical drama in three acts (seven scenes), which was released to the press.

P.'s published plays were:

Der binshṭok, a play in two scenes, publisher L. M. Stein, Chicago 1927 [16°, 36 pp.]
1a. ["Grininke beymelekh," Vilna, June 1927].
Sarah bat Tuvim, a fantasy in one act ["Unzer bukh," New York, 3-4, 1929]
Der oyfshtand fun di kinder, a play in five scenes, ["Der khaver," Vilna, 3-7, 1930]
3a. Publisher "New Yiddish Folkshul"
Di fir zin fun der hagaddah, a Pesakh play in one act ["Kinder zhurnal," New York, April, May 1930]
Yosh, a play in seven scenes, publisher B. Kletzkin, Vilna-Warsaw 1931 [16°, 159 pp.]
Dos likhtl un di yolke, a Chanukkah play in one act ["Milwaukee Yiddish Voice," December 1932]
Trukene beyner, a Purim play in one act, publisher of Max Yankowitz, New Yor 1932 [16°, 56 pp.]
Di redaktsie, a comedy in one act ["Di feder," New York, Fall 1933]
Di zaverukhe, a drama in one act ["Di feder," New York, Fall 1933]
Hakenkreiz, a drama in one [act] and twenty scenes and a prelude. Publisher "Signal," New York 1935, [16°, 225 pp.]
Yosef, a dramatic poem in three acts in prologue. Publisher Tseshinski, Chicago 1939 [16°, 199 pp.]
Der nes, a popular history in one act ["Yidishe shriftn," New York, Vol. 11, 1943]

Sh. E.

Y. A. Rontsh -- Tsvey kinder forshtelungen, "Frayhayt," N. Y., 13 April 1928.
B. G. Zak -- "Kanader Odler," Montreal, 1 April 1928.
Elk -- "Yidisher tageblat," N. Y., 10 April 1928.
Sh. Niger -- "Der tog," N. Y., 30 April 1928.
Avraham Reizen -- "Di feder," N. Y., May 1928.
Y. B. [Botoshansky] -- "Di prese," Buenos Aires, 27 July 1929.
Jacob Botoshansky -- "Di prese," Buenos Aires, 11 March 1931.
Ch. Ginzburg -- Bibliografie, "Milvoker ididshe shtime," 18 September 1931.
Z. Veynper -- Aryeih pozy's "hakenkreis," "Oyfkum," N. Y., Nov.-Dec. 1935.
L. Miller -- "Hakenkreis," "Signal," N. Y., February 1936.
Herman Gold -- A drame mit tsufil idealn, "Nyu Yorker vokhnblat," Vol. 1, 1936.
Dr. A. Mukdoni -- Tsvey dramen, "Morning Journal," N. Y., 24 January 1935.
L. Zh. [Zhitnitsky] -- Literatur-komentarn, "Di prese," Buenos Aires, 1 April 1936.
N. Y. Gotlib -- Kreytz un "hanekreis," "Kanader odler," Montreal, 24 August 1936.
Y. R. Brinman -- "Oyfgang," Rumania, August 1936.
Sh. Niger -- Geleyent un geshribn, "Der tog," N. Y., 1 November 1936.
Dr. Sh. Bernstein -- "Dos idishe folk," N. Y., 27 September 1939.
Dr. A. Mukdoni -- Bikher un shreiber, "Morning Journal," N. Y., 17 January 1940.
A. A. Roback -- "Supplement to the Story of Yiddish Literature," Cambridge, Mass. 1940.

Adapted from the original Yiddish text found within the "Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre" by Zalmen Zylbercweig, Volume 3, page 1609.