Born in Odessa, Ukraine. His parents were not well-to-do. He studied in a cheder and then graduated from a local state school. When he was ten years old he played children’s roles in a Russian troupe. When he was thirteen, he was already a member in an amateur club run and directed by actor David Fachler, and at the age of fifteen he was an extra in Peretz Hirshbein’s troupe at the Odessa Philharmonic.

In 1911 S. was engaged by Korik in his professional troupe. Here he acted for a while, and then he moved into Mishurat’s troupe where he acted until the end of 1913, when he joined the Kaniewski-Kharlamp troupe.

In 1915 he played in Bolgarov’s theatre in Odessa with Clara Young (Directors Zaslavsky and Liebert), then he served in the army and was captured by the Austrians in the summer of 1916.

In 1917 S. was sent to Lemberg, appearing in Gimpel’s troupe until the Russian Revolution broke out. He returned to Russia and appeared in Albert Segalesco’s troupe in Odessa.

In 1919 S. toured across Russia with a cooperative troupe where he played for four months with Mark Meyerson. In 1920 he played in Odessa’s “Kunst-vinkel (Art Corner)”, and then toured the province with a group of actors (among them Albert Segalesco) until 1923.