V. was born on 25 September 1896 in Drohitshin, Grodno Gubernia, Polish Lithuania, to Chasidic parents. His father was a grain merchant.

V. studied at a yeshiva.

In 1915 he immigrated to America. He worked for a short time in the automobile profession and soon became a member of the "Jacob Gordin Dramatic Society" (which later developed the professional actors Louis Weisberg and Yechiel Goldsmith).

Afterwards V. started traveling across the province with "word-concerts", later traveling to Chicago where he acted in the troupe of Davidzon and with the "Chicago Dramatic Society". He traveled with an itinerant troupe across the province through western cities.

In 1930 he settled in Los Angeles, where in the first year he often participated with troupes, where Eliahu Tenenholtz, Vera Gordon and Julius Nathanson played, and he also had the opportunity to participate as a guest star with the Vilna Troupe, with Jacob Ben-Ami and Maurice Schwartz.

V. had also participated in some motion pictures for "Paramount (Studios)."