Born -- as she says -- in 1890 in Grodno, Polish Lithuania, into an Orthodox family. At the age of ten she came with her family to America, where she learned in school and often attended the Sabbath afternoon productions in the Yiddish theatre, from which she became so excited that for an entire week she used to imitate the actresses. At the age of fifteen she became a member in a dramatic club, with whom she toured, acting in Elizabeth (New Jersey) in the play "Heym in amerike". She debuted in a soubrette role. Instead of [hanging] posters, she went around [with] the female actresses around to the houses and advertised about the production.

For a short time afterwards S. became a professional actress. For several years she acted in the Yiddish vaudeville houses, where she showed off a great skill in the so-called "Arbl-proze." Then she went over to the legitimate Yiddish theatre as a "leading lady", standing at the top of various Yiddish theatres in New York and in the province. Thus she had a season acting in Boston with Jacob Silbert. Then for several seasons she was the partner in New York with Schildkraut, Kessler and Morris Moshkovich, [spending] two seasons directing with the "110th Street Theatre" in New York, which had taken the name "Mae Simon Theatre", and a season with the Royal Theatre in New York.

S. had also participated in the main role in the film "The Liar," and in June 1930 she was assumed the title role in the Yiddish sound film "Mayn yidishe mame (My Jewish Mother)" (under the direction of Sidney M. Goldin).