Z. was born on 15 May 1866 in Vilna, Polish Lithuania. He received a traditional Jewish education, and for a certain time attended the local real school, then went away to Paris, where he heard lectures at the Sorbonne. In his early youth he debuted in "HaMelits" and "HaTzfirah". In 1887 he went away to London and there began to write Yiddish. Later Z. immigrated to America and settled in Chicago, where for the first time he encountered the Jewish Workers Movement. Here he finished the Jewish facultat and was active as an advocate. For a certain time he also was a procurer.

Z. was associated with various periodical editions and is today an editor for "Der idisher kurier" in Chicago.

In 1891 Z.'s melodrama "Shimshen hagiber (Samson, the Hero)" was staged in 1895 by Thomashefsky and Adler (music by Herman Fidler). In 1912 Schildkraut staged Z.'s play "Zalmen trubador", and in 1926 had the Vilna Troupe perform Z.'s play "Der biterer tropn" in Chicago.

M. E.

• Z. Reyzen -- Lexicon of Yiddish Literature, Vol. I, pp. 1028-9.

• B. Gorin -- History of Yiddish Theatre, [list of plays].

• Bessie Thomashefsky -- "The Story of my Life", p. 145.