Born in 1897 in Kishinev, Bessarabia, to a well-to-do family. His father died when he was still very young. S. studied Jewish studies, graduated from the Kishinev gymnasium and studied law at Odessa University.

While still a student, S. became interested in singing, dramatic recitation and readings. When he was in sixth class he produced -- for the students -- Dostoyevsky’s “Crime and Punishment” in Russian, acting as “Raskolnikov”. The teachers, as well as the Russian actors Varlamov and Sibiryakov, talked him into leaving the university and devoting himself to to the stage.

S. started taking drama courses in Kharkov, then visited the drama studio of Moscow’s Art Theatre, traveled to his sister in Italy and studied music there.

When he returned to Russia, he joined the “Grotesque” theatre next, moving on to other Russian theatres at times dramatic, at times operatic. 

He moved to the Yiddish stage when he was in Bucharest, due to the initiative of Jacob Kalich who was then touring with Molly Picon. He joined Kalich’s troupe, then Clara Young’s troupe, and toured with Yiddish theatre in Europe for four years until he joined Joseph Kessler’s troupe in London.