Tsvi Hirsh Rubinstein

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

Tsvi Hirsh Rubinstein

Born on 1 February 1889 in Lemberg, Galicia. His father was a big merchant. His mother in earlier times used to write verses. He studied till his eight class in the fourth Lemberg gymnazie, and in the home until age sixteen, where he learned Tanakh and Gemora.

At age thirteen he began to write songs in Poland. At the age of twenty-one he immigrated to America, where he published at first in German newspapers, then in Yiddish. He participated in various Yiddish newspapers and journals in America, and also edited trade newspapers.

He worked at "Varhayt" and the "Forward," and since December 1919 he was a constant contributor in "Tog," where he for a long time the editor of the Worker's Department.

Since 1922 he was the editor of city issues, writing there humorous feuilletons and journalistic articles, also under various pseudonyms.

R. directed several minor programs on the Yiddish radio. He manifested a great interest in Yiddish theatre, and for Yiddish actors. So he wrote the memoirs of Bertha Kalich, under the name "Mayn lebn" ("Tog," N.Y., 14 December-4 March 1925.)

B.Ts. Goldberg writes about this:

"Ts.H. Rubinstein has written the memoirs of Bertha Kalich, which came out more personal, heymish and effeminate. Both a Galitsainer, from Lemberg tsi derbay, Rubinstein was able to write about the former Lemberg, as the Second Avenue of his time. This was given in "Tog."

R. also was a co-editor of "Rumshinsky Book," published in New York in 1931 for Rumshinsky's fiftieth birthday.

R.'s sons Shlomo and Bernie were in the radio industry.

On 29 November 1943 R. passed away in New York. In the editorial article of the "Tog":

"..The death has torn away from the Tog's family one of their dear members of many years, Tsvi Hirsh Rubinstein. ..one of those Yiddish journalists who, from his profession, was able to make a kind of art ...he was also a gritty Yiddish newsman. ....he had a special sense for it, which a Yiddish newspaper should give the reader, both in details of the news, as in articles, and generally reading material."

And M. Dantsis writes:

"...In fact, Tzvi Hirsh Rubinstein passed away, not in the week when a blood infection in his brain had occurred, like a bullet and he expired. In truth his death came to him two years before. Then came the robber with his shiny knife in the editorial of the "Tog," while "Ruby" sat with the writers...now, as always, like all the years of his newspaper career, over his head in work ...I was just right there when his face had suddenly turned into a fearful grimace, and he halfway had placed his head on the stool. He continued to live for the next two years ....but Rubinstein, the newspaper man already was dead."

Z. Reisen -- "Lexicon of Yiddish Literature," Vilna, Vol. 4, 1929, pp. 279-280.
M. Dantsis -- Der letster "gut shabes, gut yor," "Der tog," N.Y., 4 Dec. 1943.
B.Ts. Goldberg -- In gang fun tog, "Tog," N.Y., 29 June 1968.

Adapted from the original Yiddish text found within the "Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre" by Zalmen Zylbercweig, Volume 6, page 5363.