Born in Bessarabia, lived in
Odessa, where he was a student of a Russian dramatic
school and belongs to the initiative group with which
Peretz Hirshbein had in1908 founded as the "Hirshbein
Troupe." Later he became a Yiddish actor and especially
was popular across Russia as an excellent reader of
Sholem Aleichem.
V. was an initiator and
chairman of the committee to create a Yiddish artists'
union , and one of the important organizations of the
first convention of the Yiddish actors in Kiev.
In 1969 V. passed away in
Moscow.
Zina Rappel writes in her
book, "For Generations of Yiddish Theatre":
"Was a student, completing
the Odessa high school. Seeing Ester-Rokhl Kaminski's
acting and falling in love with Yiddish theatre, he
became such a fervent admirer of Ester-Rokhl, that he
went on her tour across Russia, and with his high
intelligence, he made many contributions to Yiddish
theatre. The Verite began to organize the Yiddish
actors, and he began to prepare a convention for all the
actors of Kiev.
Meanwhile, being in
Yekaterinoslav, he organized our troupe.
...(Later) the
convention occurred in Kiev. Perhaps five hundred actors
and actresses were at the convention, and they voted
that the main seat of the actors' organization should be
in Kharkov. Verite should be the director; all the
Yiddish theatres across Russia should have one main
strong box, which should be found in the organization --
in Kharkov."
Sh.E. from Meir
Melman and Jacob Belzer.
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