Born in Michalovtze, Hungary. Successor and student of Hersh Leib Sigeter. Composed several novels and story-scenes in Yiddish; also published ten booklets with songs, to which he by himself created music.

As a professional badkhan, V. produced, for simchas and weddings, songs adapted according to the time, on political-social themes. Most of the time his songs were galik, treflekh specifically. These songs were sung by him alone. His motifs were mostly melancholy, and were very popular among the Jewish artisans and peasants in the Carpathians.

For Purim and Simchas Torah V. created couplets, one-acters and farces, many with humor and satire.

V. also wrote for the stage, even plays for the traditional Purim players troupes, with whom he managed since 1900, partnering with a Munkacs resident, R' Kalmen Shuster [endearingly named R' Kalmen Purim], and also performed there.

V. is not a great grammarian on the oysgehaltnkeyt of the language. He is however very folksy. From 1925-7 V. edited and published the humorous weekly "Der munkatsher humorist", which was very popular, but later was driven out of the market by the other Yiddish periodic journals.

V. published a play with Lateiner's script, and "Der munkatsh belzer khrm" [,] original and very humorous in four acts for a Purimshpiele and family entertainment [,] composed by Asher Zelig Vays, Pustakoz 1, [keyn druk-yor nit ongebegn, nor, according the content is evident, that around 1927, 20 pp., 16°].

• S. Y. Dorzon -- Der yikhus fun yidish in karpatn-rus, "Literarishe bleter", Warsaw, 35, 1929.