ERC > LEXICON OF THE YIDDISH THEATRE  >  VOLUME 5  >  ESTER GOLDENBERG


Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre
BIOGRAPHIES OF THOSE WHO WERE ONCE INVOLVED IN THE Yiddish THEATRE;
aS FEATURED IN zALMEN zYLBERCWEIG'S  "lEKSIKON FUN YIDISHN TEATER"


VOLUME 5: THE KDOYSHIM (MARTYRS) EDITION, 1967, Mexico City

 

   Esther Goldenberg


According to Jonas Turkow, G. was an amateur in Romania, and when the "Vilna Troupe" played there, she participated with them in their productions. He acting, and she as "the wife," was very pleasing to the director of the "Vilna Troupe," M. Mazo, and he took here in as a member of the troupe, and she went with them to Poland. She married Mazo in whom she was very much in love.

Zygmunt Turkow writes:

"Since the year 1921, when I was together with Ida Kaminska, performing with the Vilner [Troupe] in Warsaw, ...it was the second time I worked together with M. Mazo, the director of the theater. Mazo was then the only Vilner in the 'Vilna Troupe.' ...the abrike ...were not any Vilners. Here one finds actors not only from various Polish cities, but even a Romanian, Ester Goldenberg, who has traveled after the 'Vilner' from Kishinev, and she continues as a "Vilner" until the end of her young, shortened life in the Warsaw ghetto."

And in the second place, she excelled in Poland, oysgefuremt several young actorial power, mentioned Zygmund Turkow as the first Ester Goldenberg.

 Outside of the "Vilna Troupe," G. had in 1932 played together with Ida Kaminska in Hadassah Halitsh in Warsaw's Yiddish Literary Association in a three female role play, "Mir froyen," by Anna Morozovitsh Chepkosvka.

 


In 1936 G. participated in the troupe, which she put together through Maurice Schwartz during his guest-appearances in Poland:

"Ester Goldenberg, the well-known artist, while the current action [was taking place] was not found in any place in the Warsaw Yiddish theatre, which stood at the level of 'Chinke-Pinke.' The individual who remains for that artist as Goldenberg, were performances of a literary-artistic character. Mrs. Goldenberg used to perform with great success in Yiddish, and part-time in Polish declamations or recitations that she used to perform with great success in Yiddish and partly in Polish. Declaiming or reciting she used to do topical things, as well as farmlkhmhdike.

Mrs. Goldenberg managed to stay away for a while from the first two destructive actions. Later she saw that the position of the Warsaw Jews was a neglected one. She therefore sought contact with the Polish circle, to move away. However she did not appear to follow through with her plan. The April action broke out (1943), while she, together with her husband, Mordecai Mazo, entered into a bunker that was built through the employee of the service institution [farzarungs-anshtgalt] of the Judenrat.

 


As "Jessica"
in "Shylok"

Jonas Turkow writes:

"Mazo frequently presents with papers in the House committees and organizations, the last time a series of artistic performances, together with his wife, the artist Esther Goldenberg. ...His friend was forced to move him to the Aryan side. However he was stubborn/obstinate, that he is already too old and weak to go on with life, and he will wait for death calmly. His young and beautiful wife, the talented actress Esther Goldenberg, who had a gorgeous Aryan appearance, sacrificied for him and indeed was killed with him.

During the uprising in he Warsaw ghetto, in April 1943, Mazo, together with his wife Esther Goldenberg and many thousands of nameless martyrs, lost their lives. One does not know where they were killed."


M.E. from Jonas Turkow.

  • Jonas Turkow -- "Azoy iz es geven," Buenos Aires, 1948, pp. 91, 241, 497, 498, 508.

  • Jonas Turkow -- "Extinguished Stars," Buenos Aires, 1953, Vol. 1, pp. 66-67.

  • Zygmunt Turkow -- "Di ibrgerisene tkufh," Buenos Aires, 1961, pp. 313, 320.

  • Emanuel Ringelblum -- "Writings from the Ghetto," Warsaw, 1963, Vol. 2, p. 201.

 


 

 

 

 


 

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Adapted from the original Yiddish text found within the  "Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre" by Zalmen Zylbercweig, Volume 5, page 4375.
 

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