Born 1892 in Minsk, White Russia. 

Started a stage career with Hirshbein’s troupe and then played in Povsky’s Folks Theatre. He left for London before World War I and returned to Russia after the October revolution. Upon his return, W. was invited to Minsk by the First United Troupe of the Yiddish Artists Union and became manager of the local Yiddish chamber theatre during the German occupation. When the Red Army took over the city, W. was appointed as manager of the local drama theatre and held that office until the Polish army occupied Minsk. W. then joined the new dramatic theatre of Vilna (Manager -- Morevsky), but, after a short time he switched to Lipovski’s troupe where he became director. In Vilna W. was active in organizing a department for a Yiddish actors association in Poland, acting first as secretary and then as vice-president of the department.

In 1921 he travelled to Kovno with the Vilna Folks Theatre and in 1922 W. and a few actors took over the state theatre which became known as the “Associated Lithuanian Troupe”. Until the end of 1923, W. acted in Kovno and then left for America. There he joined the Vilna Troupe and played in this troupe until 1930--with the exception of the 1926-7 season when he played at the Irving Place Art Theatre (Director -- Ben-Ami).

Sh. E.