Born on 25 October 1883 in Koniev, Kiev Gubernia, Ukraine. His father and uncles were merchants. As a child he was a chorister. Until age fourteen he learned in cheders [religious elementary schools], then wandered off to his fathers, who had in previous times could be found in America, and he took him in to work in a helmet factory, but seeing a Yiddish theatre production got him so excited, that he became attracted to theatre, and after several years of his being in America, he founded (with Kaufman, Littman et al) the "Independent Dramatic Club," performing around two or three years, traveling with "amateurs" across the province, until in Chicago, he was allowed into a troupe with the Shoengolds, and with them he traveled and played to Toronto, Buffalo and again Chicago. Here he went over to the troupe of Charles Nathanson and then became engaged to Max Gabel in New York, where he played for a series of years, and then went over to Nathan Goldberg (early on in Newark and then in New York), where he played for fifteen years as a character and father role player.

B. Botwinick writes:

"Hyman Rappoport is not deeply popular, and because of this he is very poor. He suffers and he goes nowhere. In the zaytike getlekh of life, he does not look like the great actors. He does not know the theatrical theatres. Therefore he now has lost his opportunities, that critics should see him and write about him. Therefore the wider Jewish theatre audience does not know him. ... He plays honestly, faithful and with talent ...he was born into a

family of butchers. His grandfather, his father, his uncles, were the elders who took him to America. R. remained with his grandparents. When he was eighteen years of age and a student, he arrived in America, and the father was in business and hoped to make this fun for his son [?], took him into his business, however Hyman indeed, in the first week in America, had for the first time in his life, saw a theatre production. The stage, the actors, the Lighting, the scenery, the music and the entire glantz and theatre tararas captured the naive heart of the kaniever young man. Starting with amateurs, dramatic friends, he schlepped across the province for several years, and in the end came to Max Gabel in his "Third Street Theatre." He played in Gabel's small theatre for eight years, and in the province, and especially when Gabel took over the Lipzin Theatre, Rapoport went to Newark. Fate drove him now in zaytike geslekh ...from Newark, where he had played with the Goldbergs, where he already came with them from Brownsville, Brooklyn, Lyric and after in Harlem's "Lenox"

Uriel Mazik [Alter Epstein] writes:

"When he came to a production in the "Lenox" Theatre, you will surely find in the program the name Rapoport. The gallery of the types in which he plays, very large, he has been seen as a Jew, as a Christian, as a good father, as a passionate old man, as an intrigue, as a righteous man With one word--Rapoport is one of the most technical actors in the company (troupe) at the "Lenox" Theatre.

In the role of Efrim Friedman in "Eytsikn edus [Only Witness?]," Rapoport plays oyf smit [hot],  transcribing theatricality into the character. A feature of Rapoport's artistic work. He doesn't have the necessary measures, discipline, creates a moment and impression. He has talent. He knows hot to create a type... The role of Efrim Friedman -- not good."

R. passed away in New York.

M.E.

• Uriel Mazik -- Bilder galeree fun undzere yidishe shoyspiler, "Der tog," N.Y., 18 May 1918.

• B. Botwinick -- Yunge talanten oyf der yidisher bine, "Forward," N.Y., 4 Dec. 1918.