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
 

Jacob (Avraham Yakov) Mandsorf
(Kelmovitsh)
 

 

M. was born on 12 January 1902 in Balitz, a village in the Kielce region, Poland. His parents were tenant farmers (or lessees). During Purim time he used to with his grandfather bring together all the children of the neighborhood and the father, who had never in his life not seen the theatre, used to put on and relax the audience.

He learned with a "helper" and later began to learn in the Stopnitz Yeshiva.

In 1912 his family settled in Lodz, where M. became a turner.

He began to learn in a worker's union, and he found with friends (in 1918) the youth organization "Tsukunft", and in 1919 he performed in Reyzen's "Gute brider" in a drama circle with the organization. Later L. took in lectures with the dramatic arts stage actor Elihu Stein.

During the Bolshevik Revolution he became a servant/footman in a village, then he went away to Warsaw where he again took in lectures with Stein, then as to his profession, he worked at the same time in dramatic circles and directed productions with dramatic circles in the province.

In 1925 he completed the Yiddish dramatic school in Warsaw and then he acted in David Herman's studio (debuting professionally on Pesakh 1925 in Peretz's "Night at the Old Marketplace") in Warsaw and in the province. At the end of 1925 he became engaged in "Azazel". On 20 September 1927 he entered into the Vilna Troupe. Later he acted with Buloff during his guest-starring appearances in Romania, then in Warsaw's Yiddish Dramatic Theatre, where he created (December 1931) the title role  of "Azef", and since 1932 he has returned to the Vilna Troupe.
 

Sh. and M. E.


 

 

 

 


 

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Adapted from the original Yiddish text found within the  "Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre" by Zalmen Zylbercweig, Volume 2, page 1222.
 

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