The copyright of this thesis vests in the author. No quotation from it or information derived from it is to be published without full acknowledgement of the source. The thesis is to be used for private study or non- commercial research purposes only. Published by the University of Cape Town (UCT) in terms of the non-exclusive license granted to UCT by the author. University of Cape Town T THE HISTORY OF YIDDISH THEATRE IN SOUTH AFRICA FROM THE LATE NINETEENTH CENTURY TO 1960 By Veronica-Sue Belling (PNKVER003) Dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Master of Arts in Jewish Civilization Departmentty of Hebrew of Cape and Jewish TownStudies Faculty of the Humanities University of Cape Town Universi 2003 This work has not been previously submi!led In whole, or in part, for the award of any degree_ II is my own work. Each significant contribution to, and quotation in, this dissertation from the work, or works, of other people has been attributed. and has been cited ~nd referenced Signature Date I . h . ? (l<:"'3 Signature Removed DEDICATION This d;ssertaton IS Cledica:eCl to my mother, Milly Penkin (Kitzner), I'ko participatea in Y,dCl!sh cammcln!ty theatre in Paarl and wha !nstlled In me a lave of Yiad, sh ana YicJiS!JKil'll It IS also deCllcateCl to Il'y father, Jack Pe nKin, \'ffW \'illingly sCiffered SBVBn sls:e,s ,,1 his sitting roam an a Sunaay ilaKk,'ng a ISh<Ji/lliA in a language thai he eauld not lH1a e'stand Town Cape of University '" ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation would not Ilave beel1 written wil'1out the generous aSSistance Of t~e Yive> Institute fO'r Jewish Researc-· ;:1 New Y(}rk and t~e illsp;ratlcn 0' the F'aCl;lty of !-',e Weinreich Yiddish Sl;mmar Program at Coll;mbia Univers'ty. T~Jnks alsG to the ass stanca Of the Kal; an Cantes for Jawis~ Studies anc' Research at the Un;"Ic'slly O'f Care TGWll a'ld to tile ellcol;ragement of the Director Gf the Ccn:re, Prof M Iton Shain who supervised this j ssertatlo~ I J'n also i~jebted to 'n,. col eagues in GO"JCcnr:lCnt PL;bl'cc;tIOns Manl;scripts anc' Archives African Studies, Sare Bcoks, Jnd Hiddi.'l9'1 Hall Libraries vro wOl;ld a',vays go tile extra I'lile to assist me Jnd share their extensive expertise. I mL;st 0;150 e<rress my aprreciation to Dc UIC Ben Yosef. Cilief Librana:1 at tile Gitlin Library of the W~tar~ Provi%e Ziollist Cou%;1 Naomi Musiker, Archivist at the Sout~ African Jew;s~ BoardTown Of Deputies Archives 111 Johall~esburg Av;va Astr;nsky, Head Librarian at the YivG Illstitute for Jewish Researc'1 In New Yerk, and to ali t~e Library Assista~ts ;n :~e Read;ng RGom Of the National Libcary Gf South Africa i~ Cape TOWIl , Thallks also tG Sau' OZYllski for e~trlisti'l9 'ne with :he prec;Gus p~etegrap~s of h;s fat~er Ba~IlY, Finally tilanks toCape my c'alighter Gal'a, for proofceadillg t-·,s manuscript a~d te Illy son, Ayal, for sca:1nillg ofi:1 t--,a rictures University CONTENTS ABSTRACT CHAPTER 1 Introduction 1 CHAPTER 2. Yiddish theatre: historical overview 9 CHAPTER 3. The Golden years, 1896·1910 17 CHAPTER 4. The B~rren years, 1911-1930 Town CHAPTER 5. Zionists, radicals and refugees: community the~tre In the Transvaal, 1930·1947Cape CHAPTER 6. Community theatre atof the Cape, 1930·1947 102 CHAPTER 7. A Short lived revival, 1947-1960 CHAPTER 8. UniversityConclusion 140 BIBLIOGRAPHY APPENDICES ;I Visiting comp~nies, artists & writers 16' i i) Amateur productions 108 iii) South African pl~ys 179 iv) List of illustrations '" v in in ng.,g,nn,;;o"T on was common Town a Cape was of In 1 in University in on source was in was (1 in rn,::,!:jTr"Q never 1 in Town Cape of University 1. in in to Town was were Capeit was wane. of is in to University mass in in in 1 The Pale of Settlement is the area in Czarist Russia where Jews were allowed to settle 1771-1917. It stretched from the Prussian border to the Black Sea on Russia's 1 vol. 13,p.24. 2 of were also .",.,"'"",.;,,, 1 and 1914. were etc., as in 7 In Town in Cape in a a of a a 9 as an much University 6 a in 4 In Eastern referred to Jews with no fixed Sholem Aleichem's character Menahem Mendel with his wild schemes of a fortune is the ~r,..n"'T'lIn~ ,ffm""nl',,'" L. of 1971, pp. 216-217. The Jews of Latin Rev. New The Jews of Latin .... "".. ,,,: ... Jewish Buenos """1'1./1." ",,,,,n1<> state 1 p.173. The Bund is the abbreviation for the Alc,ealeVlner Yidisher Arbeter Bund in un the General Jewish Workers' Union in Poland and the Jewish Socialist was founded in Russia in 1897. Judaica 1 vol. 4, p. 1497. 3 1 2 a were in an Town 16 is Cape of were is not mean University 9 D.G. education', in Hebrew in 1 pp. 155- South Africa and MIJ,:"'''~lIrl Virlfrli",·h in Jewish life and 1 two centuries of Jewish settlement in rev. Brandl 1 91-92. South 4 even if is answer as no in It is "."'."... ,, are: 1 Town Cape In of In is were a University in in 5 20 A more is in in 22 A came numerous in 24 are more in C1~I~nrln on Town in 1 Cape of 1 1 28 at leisure: Luscombe Searelle and Universityeds M. & M. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,rt stars: a world of Yiddish rnp;;'1rp;r 372-373. of the Paar/ Jewish Jubilee 'Mansdorf zayn letsten tur : Dorem Afrike', in Yankev Mansdorf in zayn eds M. R. Yankey Mansdorf mit der mithelf fun der Kultur- & Rhodesia: 1 125-139. 1931-1 6 v. 6 it. is own Hlflflnnr:.~nrIV 29 was on an weeklies. the 1 1 was 1 of Town were Cape no of 1 and 1 32 in University is a was '"'0,.;:", .........""'" were not 29 Veronica Centre for Studies and Rp.!,:p.~lrr.h Rochel Turok ,,,,,,,..,,,,, of Town U.C.T. Libraries. 7 never come across In .............. ... it was 33 Town on Cape of one ""r1,,nl" as in was if it was one can University lam more. as ever IdeiOICIQV and indifference: the destruction Yidish in South Africa', in aSlJec'[s of the eds M. Shain & R. & 8 names names is own names was names were In .... ,..,.•.•. ,.., I'"Trorrn,<:,,,., or Town sources Cape of University 9 in in at Town as Cape a in area of on University 2 1 was 1E. Atlas of modem Jewish Oxford New 1 p.32. 10 in a in in 1 3 name. were a names soon Town a one Cape f'lf'Ilnrj:l'ctctllnn in 1 of 6 University in 1 in . The rI<:>c'i .... ,.,,"'t'" those were tolerated t-nr.V(~/01Jal'!r1I::l .JUllatv'a. 1 vol. 13, p. 11 on 1 was on a was a were as Town as it was Cape an of in in some a a University was even more new 6 S. A 1-I1·",..,'1I o( Yiddish literature. 76. ___ ,__ , 1 vol. 15, 12 as (1 (1 muse as in 1 a came over in it was a as Town Cape career, no more was of was 10 a is it in so in University saw in one on 11 13 It reason never in is were as a 12 1 was Town Cape over ",rot"""'" in """'nn,.... 14 of University an on course .. .,."',"' ....,. in came as it was in 1071-1073. The Moscow Yiddish State Theater: Yiddish culture on the Soviet p.6. 1067-1068. 1 1 14 was to was It was was soon Town 17 Cape of are season, to a a University came in 1 a a n~.·,,~~ of the theatre: Sarah ,in Jewish vol. no. 2, in pp. 15 In 1 came as it in in Town Cape of University 18 pp.25-26. THE GOLDEN YEARS 1896-1910 1. Sarah Sylvia 2. Hannan Hiersch 3. Gaiety Theatre Town 10. Morris Waxman 7. S. Wallerste in Cape 4.of Joseph Sacks 8. E. Wallerstein 11. Rosa Waxman University 5. House of Freeoom. 1907. 9. B~nnie Wallerstein 12. Fanny Waxman 6. Gaiety Theatre l7 1 0 in in 1 in 1 1 1 Town 4 Cape was of are a University even a came 2 '1"""nTI1'U 3 Jews and Zionism: the South African 1 p.5. Ibid. 3 See R. <>'",,'II::>TII" Jews in Ph.D., London 18 a was DO'OIEIS were over on common on in in Town Cape a as masses, ofcame was in new University as it never Jewish communities in frontier societies: 1 p.171. Tel 1 pp. 145-155. eds G. Saron & 19 in in as a Town Cape of 11 a was University a as 1 in area 20 in it new 13 in 15 were men a Town or 1 8 were Cape of were University pp 16-17. , in The Jews in 1 in 1891. G. The Jews in South aSSiOClatlCln with the South African Jewish Board of LlCLIUU<O;:' South Yiddish 1918. South African music em:;VCIOD8e(JI8. Oxford vol. 3, pp. 10-18. 21 in 19 1 it 20 a career in In Town 21 Cape a of 1 nrr""",n so ;:)U.",\.oO;:";:);:) University , in Founders th"'<:Itr~.C! in , in Architectural R",('rll"rl vol.