Y. was born on 10 September 1898 in Ostroleka, Lomza Gubernia, Poland. His father was a tinsmith. He learned from his father.

During the World War he came to Odessa homeless and here for the first time attended a theatre production ("Avremele provodnik", staged by Korik), which brought to him the excitement of theatre acting. He began in the home to imitate the actors and he would often "perform" for the guests of his proprietor.

In 1917 he was an understudy in Libert's troupe in Penza, then he was a role rewriter in Breitman's troupe in Astrakhan. After [artistn-tsuzamenfor] he became delegated as a prompter in Lerman's troupe in the province, then was a prompter for Brandesco in Poltava.

In 1919 he was a prompter for Zaslavsky, and at first in Tashkent he had the opportunity several times to act with Nathanson-Grossman, later again he became a prompter, and in 1922 he entered as an actor into the Yiddish theatre "Kunst-vinkl (Art Corner)" in the Ukraine. At the end of 1925 he traveled with the moving theatre "Beuker". In 1926 he was taken into Kharkov's first Yiddish State Theatre, and at the end of 1928 went over to the Kiev State Theatre and afterwards into the Kharkov theatre for small forms with "Gezkolt".
 

Sh. E.