Lives in the Yiddish Theatre
SHORT BIOGRAPHIES OF THOSE INVOLVED IN THE Yiddish THEATRE
aS DESCRIBED IN zALMEN zYLBERCWEIG'S "lEKSIKON FUN YIDISHN TEATER"

1931-1969
 

Dr. Hilel Zolotarov
(Solotaroff)

 Born in 1865 in Yelisavetgrad, Ukraine. Father -- a tailor, a mashkhil of Jacob Gordin's society "Spiritual Biblical Brotherhood". Attended the real school, but did not complete it, because in 1881 his family immigrated to America. Under difficult material conditions, Z. in 1892 completed the medical facultat of New York University and then practiced as a doctor.

Z. was very active in the Yiddish radical movement in America; he is the pioneer and leader of the Yiddish anarchists, had helped found unions, directed a struggle against religion, was an active contributor to "Der folks-avokat", and in the Yiddish anarchistic press in London, later growing closer to the radical Zionists and published many publications and fictional works.

On 7 April 1917, with Berta Kalich in the main role, there was staged in Thomashefsky's theatre in New York Z's drama "Far ire kinder". In this drama, as well as in his English drama "Der shturem fun a neshome", Z. portrays the psychology of the Jewish revolutionary movement in America in her storm and stress period, and paints the Jewish intelligence then in New York.

In his drama "Der letster shumruny" (adapted also as a libretto for an opera, music by Boris Levenson), Z. takes as his theme the fear for the Jewish downfall in the struggle for the Jewish revival, transferring the problem into the milieu of the Samaritans.

  • Z. Reyzen -- "Lexicon of Yiddish Literature", Vol. I, pp. 1201-25.

  • J. Entin -- --Dr. zolotarov's drama un madam kalish's shpielen, "Di varhayt", N. Y., 11 April 1917.

  • Moyshe Nadir -- "Mayne hent hobn fargosn dos dozike blut", pp. 97-101.

  • N. B. L. -- Zayer gayst iz nokh mit unz, "Der tog", N. Y., 23 November 1924.


 

 

 

 


 

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Adapted from the original Yiddish text found within the  "Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre" by Zalmen Zylbercweig, Volume 1, page 735.
 

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