Herman, David, 1876-1937

Abramow, Eva Eisen-Orenstein, Boruch and Tsipa Abelman, Fanny Eisenberg, Rachel Ariel, M. Azovski, Chaim David Ariel, Majer Ajzenberg, Aron Ajzenberg, Chaim Brakarz, Max Bozyk, Joel Bergman, David Beigelman, Shabtai Blacher, Sarah Brez, Chewel Buzgan, Szyja Borodow, Sam Bronetski, Izrael Bialkowicz, R. Berman, Max Brin, Paul Breitman, Iser Bezman, Barishnikov, Abram Blat, Chana Braz, Michael Mazir (Bran), Sonia Bezman, Izrael Birnbaum, David Birnbaum, Yosef Khash, Wolf Neuhaus, Avrom Khash, Rafael Federman, Szyja Cwilich, Masha Kharash, Benjamin Epstein, Ida Erwest, David Epstein, Sonia Altboym, Adam Domb, Kadish Khash, Karl Cymbalist, CYSHO, Izaak Szlosberg, Shmuel Landau, David Herman, L. Sokolow, M. Ornstein, Lev Shriftzetser, Samuel Weinberg, David Ekstein, Anka Fabrikant, Shmuel Frank, Jacob Perman, Jakob Fiszer, Hersh Flaum, Sarah Flaum, Herman Fenigstein, Izaak Feld, Chana Foderman, Yitskhok Fishelewitz, Roza Gazel, Artur Grinberg, Izaak Turkow (Grudberg), Lola Goldstein, Gina Gold, Yehuda Grinhoyz, Sam Goldberg, Moshe Garbarz, Israel Glezer, Kalman Gutman, Regina Dreikurs, Moshe Gurwicz, Wolf Godik, Abram Icchok Gotfrid, Goldfarb, Leon Getlicherman, Esther Goldenberg.

This series contains documents from actors, singers, composers, directors, all members of the YAF in Poland. These documents include correspondence, convention delegate cards, photographs, certificates, questionnaire forms, reviews, and other materials relating to individuals.

This series consists of formerly unprocessed materials in the Records of the Yidisher Artistn Farayn.

The collection contains play manuscripts, programs, playbills, posters, photographs, correspondence, agreements, scrapbooks, clippings, printed ephemera, and memorabilia relating to Yiddish theater primarily in the early twentieth century, especially the interwar period. Also included are items of printed ephemera related to Yiddish film, Hebrew theater, and a broad range of Jewish performers, including cantors, singers and dancers. Geographically, the materials originate predominantly in Poland and other parts of Eastern Europe, including parts of the Russian Empire and, later, the Soviet Union; and, to a lesser extent, the United States, especially New York City. Also included are materials from Western Europe, Palestine (Eretz Israel), South America, and other regions around the world. Among the theater personalities represented in the collection with significant amounts of material are Herz Grossbard, David Herman, Joseph Winogradoff, Rudolf Zaslavsky, Zygmunt Turkow, Jonas Turkow, Moyshe Lipman, Ida Kaminska, and Esther Rachel Kaminska. The theater groups best represented include the Varshever Yidisher Kunst-Teater (VYKT; Warsaw Yiddish Art Theater), founded by Zygmunt Turkow and Ida Kaminska; the Vilna Troupe; Yung Teater / Nay Teater (Warsaw; Vilna), under the direction of Michael Weichert; the Moscow State Yiddish Theater (known by its Russian acronym "GOSET"); Maurice Schwartz's Yiddish Art Theatre, of New York; and the Hebrew theater "Habimah." A wide variety of other professional as well as amateur theater groups are represented with smaller amounts of material.

This subseries contains personal papers of theater director David Herman, including personal documents, correspondence, manuscript fragments, notes, ephemera, and clippings, relating mainly to Herman's career in Poland and elsewhere in Europe, before his departure for the United States in 1933, along with some clippings and ephemera dating as late as 1938, the year following his death. Included are some 50 items of correspondence exchanged between Herman and his wife Sarah Herman, spanning the years 1907 to 1934, and a few items relating specifically to Sarah Herman.

These materials were evidently among the papers that David Herman donated to the YIVO Institute in Vilna in 1933, before he left for the United States, and the further materials that Sarah Herman donated to YIVO Vilna immediately following his death. Those donations were the basis for an exhibition at the YIVO Institute in Vilna that opened on 23 June 1938, in honor of the one-year anniversary of David Herman's death.

Photographs found with these papers are located in Series IV. Photographs; see Folders 1307-1308.

This series contains materials related to performances and activities of theaters and theater troupes, organized by geographic location. Some files also pertain to a variety of local organizations that presented theatrical events and concerts, as well as organizations that promoted and supported Yiddish or Hebrew theater. The last subseries, Yiddish Theater (General) and Unidentified Materials, contains a small grouping of materials not related to specific localities, including manuscripts, clippings, and unidentified materials.

The materials in this series consist predominantly of theater programs; ephemera such as fliers, invitations, and tickets; and newspaper clippings (occasionally scrapbooks). The series contains, in all, an estimated 1700 to 1800 programs. The programs pertain to plays; revues; recitations; concerts, including cantorial concerts; dance performances; honorary evenings; and various special events of local organizations.

To a lesser extent, there are also publications and periodicals; and sometimes generic correspondence such as letters to supporters and fundraising letters, and, occasionally, manuscripts of articles about the given theater troupe, typically intended for publication in newspapers. (Some of the latter items were evidently donated by Zalman Reisen, editor of the Vilner Tog.)

The materials of the above types found under any given heading for a theater troupe, theater, or organization, are typically of mixed provenance, collected by various different individuals.

This series also occasionally includes small amounts of original records of theater troupes, such as correspondence and financial records.

Original letters from troupe members or leaders addressed to the literary historian and newspaper editor Zalman Reisen are found in the files for the Vilna Troupe (Folder 533); and "Ararat" (Folder 596). In the case of the Varshever Yidisher Kunst-Teater (VYKT), there is a small amount of original correspondence received by the troupe, including a letter from Richard Beer-Hofmann (Folder 500).

Fragmentary financial records are included for the Vilna Troupe, 1922 (Folder 538); and a ledger book for the "Baveglekher Yidisher Dramatisher Teater," 1921-1922, under the geographic heading for Warsaw (Folder 633). (According to an entry in Zylbercweig, VI: 4993, the latter troupe was founded by Jonas Turkow.)

Other notable provenance-based groupings of materials in the subseries for Poland are found under the following city headings:

Łuck (Lutsk, Ukraine): papers of the theater director Abraham Kolodny related to the "Yidishe Fraye Bine," 1910-1920 (Folders 621-622), along with theater programs likely collected by him.

Brześć nad Bugiem (Brest, Belarus): a scrapbook documenting performances of the Brisker Dramatishe Studye, 1927-1929, created by M. Sarwer (Sarver), the group's artistic director, along with programs evidently collected by him (Folders 696-697).

Częstochowa: receipts of impresario N. Zolotarew related to a tour of Lidia Potocka (Folder 668).

Also noteworthy is a scrapbook pertaining to a 1934 revival of the experimental Yiddish puppet theater "Khad Gadyo" in Łódź (founded in 1922, a collaboration between and Moyshe Broderzon and the artist Yitskhok Broyner); it contains the script of the performance, photographs and clippings (Folder 615).

Troupes represented with the most substantial amounts of materials include:

In Subseries 1. Poland, under the sub-heading "Poland by Theater Troupe": Varshever Yidisher Kunst-Teater (VYKT); Varshever Nayer Yidisher Teater (VNYT); the Vilna Troupe; Yung Teater/Nay Teater; and the "Kleynkunst," or revue theaters "Azazel," "Ararat," "Sambatyon," and "Yidishe bande."

In Subseries 4, United States, the Yiddish Art Theater, New York (directed by Maurice Schwartz).

In Subseries 6, Palestine (Eretz Israel), the Hebrew theaters Habimah and Ohel, respectively.

In the case of these major theater troupes, most of the material related to them is gathered under their name heading, found under the geographic locality with which they are primarily associated; however, the materials found there also include items pertaining to their tours in other parts of the country or region, and internationally.

On the other hand, files for specific towns, cities, or countries, in general contain many programs and clippings pertaining to guest appearances of individual performers, as well as smaller ensembles and troupes, who are based somewhere else.

Clippings are generally classified according to the main topic of the article (i.e. not necessarily according to the locality where it was published).

It should be noted that throughout the series, a distinction is usually made between professional theater and concerts, on the one hand, and amateur theater, or 'dramatic circles' on the other; when materials are related to amateur groups that distinction is typically specified in the heading. The distinction is especially clear in the subseries for Poland, which includes a separate sub-subseries for Amateur Theater (this follows the scheme established by Jonas Turkow during his preliminary organization of these materials at the YIVO Institute in New York).

Finally, as background, it should be noted that the programs that form the backbone of this series in representing the troupes, theaters, and localities, were among the materials that were organized and cataloged by Jonas Turkow at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research in New York, in the late 1950s to mid 1960s. They bear stamped or handwritten item numbers (falling within the range 175167 to 177690) that Turkow assigned based on his initial sequencing of them in alphabetical order according to the names of the authors of plays (with concert programs grouped together at the end). Subequently, he selected certain programs to form groupings under peformer names (see Series II, subseries 1. Programs) and others to form groupings under the names of theater troupes and geographic headings (constituting the present series). The selection of the programs found in this series under general geographic headings, for particular towns, cities, and countries (as opposed to headings for the featured performer or director, as in Series II) thus reflects the arrangement devised by Turkow, documented in the cross-references he provided on his catalog cards for the programs. For further details, see the Scope and Content Note for Series I, Subseries 2, Programs.

This series contains materials related to performances and activities of theaters and theater troupes, organized by geographic location. Some files also pertain to a variety of local organizations that presented theatrical events and concerts, as well as organizations that promoted and supported Yiddish or Hebrew theater. The last subseries, Yiddish Theater (General) and Unidentified Materials, contains a small grouping of materials not related to specific localities, including manuscripts, clippings, and unidentified materials.

The materials in this series consist predominantly of theater programs; ephemera such as fliers, invitations, and tickets; and newspaper clippings (occasionally scrapbooks). The series contains, in all, an estimated 1700 to 1800 programs. The programs pertain to plays; revues; recitations; concerts, including cantorial concerts; dance performances; honorary evenings; and various special events of local organizations.

To a lesser extent, there are also publications and periodicals; and sometimes generic correspondence such as letters to supporters and fundraising letters, and, occasionally, manuscripts of articles about the given theater troupe, typically intended for publication in newspapers. (Some of the latter items were evidently donated by Zalman Reisen, editor of the Vilner Tog.)

The materials of the above types found under any given heading for a theater troupe, theater, or organization, are typically of mixed provenance, collected by various different individuals.

This series also occasionally includes small amounts of original records of theater troupes, such as correspondence and financial records.

Original letters from troupe members or leaders addressed to the literary historian and newspaper editor Zalman Reisen are found in the files for the Vilna Troupe (Folder 533); and "Ararat" (Folder 596). In the case of the Varshever Yidisher Kunst-Teater (VYKT), there is a small amount of original correspondence received by the troupe, including a letter from Richard Beer-Hofmann (Folder 500).

Fragmentary financial records are included for the Vilna Troupe, 1922 (Folder 538); and a ledger book for the "Baveglekher Yidisher Dramatisher Teater," 1921-1922, under the geographic heading for Warsaw (Folder 633). (According to an entry in Zylbercweig, VI: 4993, the latter troupe was founded by Jonas Turkow.)

Other notable provenance-based groupings of materials in the subseries for Poland are found under the following city headings:

Łuck (Lutsk, Ukraine): papers of the theater director Abraham Kolodny related to the "Yidishe Fraye Bine," 1910-1920 (Folders 621-622), along with theater programs likely collected by him.

Brześć nad Bugiem (Brest, Belarus): a scrapbook documenting performances of the Brisker Dramatishe Studye, 1927-1929, created by M. Sarwer (Sarver), the group's artistic director, along with programs evidently collected by him (Folders 696-697).

Częstochowa: receipts of impresario N. Zolotarew related to a tour of Lidia Potocka (Folder 668).

Also noteworthy is a scrapbook pertaining to a 1934 revival of the experimental Yiddish puppet theater "Khad Gadyo" in Łódź (founded in 1922, a collaboration between and Moyshe Broderzon and the artist Yitskhok Broyner); it contains the script of the performance, photographs and clippings (Folder 615).

Troupes represented with the most substantial amounts of materials include:

In Subseries 1. Poland, under the sub-heading "Poland by Theater Troupe": Varshever Yidisher Kunst-Teater (VYKT); Varshever Nayer Yidisher Teater (VNYT); the Vilna Troupe; Yung Teater/Nay Teater; and the "Kleynkunst," or revue theaters "Azazel," "Ararat," "Sambatyon," and "Yidishe bande."

In Subseries 4, United States, the Yiddish Art Theater, New York (directed by Maurice Schwartz).

In Subseries 6, Palestine (Eretz Israel), the Hebrew theaters Habimah and Ohel, respectively.

In the case of these major theater troupes, most of the material related to them is gathered under their name heading, found under the geographic locality with which they are primarily associated; however, the materials found there also include items pertaining to their tours in other parts of the country or region, and internationally.

On the other hand, files for specific towns, cities, or countries, in general contain many programs and clippings pertaining to guest appearances of individual performers, as well as smaller ensembles and troupes, who are based somewhere else.

Clippings are generally classified according to the main topic of the article (i.e. not necessarily according to the locality where it was published).

It should be noted that throughout the series, a distinction is usually made between professional theater and concerts, on the one hand, and amateur theater, or 'dramatic circles' on the other; when materials are related to amateur groups that distinction is typically specified in the heading. The distinction is especially clear in the subseries for Poland, which includes a separate sub-subseries for Amateur Theater (this follows the scheme established by Jonas Turkow during his preliminary organization of these materials at the YIVO Institute in New York).

Finally, as background, it should be noted that the programs that form the backbone of this series in representing the troupes, theaters, and localities, were among the materials that were organized and cataloged by Jonas Turkow at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research in New York, in the late 1950s to mid 1960s. They bear stamped or handwritten item numbers (falling within the range 175167 to 177690) that Turkow assigned based on his initial sequencing of them in alphabetical order according to the names of the authors of plays (with concert programs grouped together at the end). Subequently, he selected certain programs to form groupings under peformer names (see Series II, subseries 1. Programs) and others to form groupings under the names of theater troupes and geographic headings (constituting the present series). The selection of the programs found in this series under general geographic headings, for particular towns, cities, and countries (as opposed to headings for the featured performer or director, as in Series II) thus reflects the arrangement devised by Turkow, documented in the cross-references he provided on his catalog cards for the programs. For further details, see the Scope and Content Note for Series I, Subseries 2, Programs.

Localities: Baranowicze (Baranavichy), Będzin, Grodno, Kalisz, Lida, Łódź, Nieśwież (Nyasvizh), Siedlce, Częstochowa, Warsaw

Mostly pertains to productions directed by Herman, including works by S. Ansky ("Der dibek"), Peretz Hirschbein ("Di grine felder," "Eliyohu hanovi"), and I. L. Peretz ("Bay nakht afn altn mark," "Di goldene keyt," "Shvester"), in one instance for a commemorative gathering for Peretz in Warsaw, in 1925. A pamphlet related to an evening honoring Herman in Łódź has a text by Moyshe Broderzon and cover illustration by Yitskhok Broyner. 17 items.

Localities: Będzin, Kalisz, Kraków, Lida, Łódź, New York, Pińsk (Pinsk), Vilna, Warsaw

Programs for productions directed by Herman, relating to the following plays: "Di grine felder," "Puste kretshme," and "Di neveyle" by Peretz Hirschbein; "Der neyder" by Herman (Chaim) Lieberman, starring Jennie Goldstein; "A mayse mit Hershele Ostropolyer" by Moshe Lifshits, featuring Yosef Kamen; "Di mishpokhe" by H. D. Nomberg; "Bay nakht afn altn mark" by I. L. Peretz; and "Rase" by Johan Fabricius. One program is for a literary-humorous evening of the "Yung-Yidish" theater studio, directed by Herman, and featuring a recitation by him of Peretz's "Di goldene keyt." 14 items.

This subseries comprises approximately 1,000 oversize posters stored in map drawers. In Jonas Turkow's arrangement and cataloging of the items in the collection, oversize posters were fully integrated with the playbills found in Subseries 3; the item numbers they received fall within the same sequence as those of the playbills. Both types of items were categorized under the Yiddish heading "afishn" (posters, playbills; related to the French: affiche). The arrangement of the posters, therefore, mirrors that of the playbills in Subseries 3, with correponding folder titles and numbers (the folders containing posters are distinguished with the addition of a suffix "P" to the folder number).

Fragments of drafts. Characters: Kenigsberg; Madam Kenigsberg; their children Anyela and Leon; and Hene and Khaya (dinstmeydlekh). At top of one leaf is a list of characters and a small sketch of the stage. One page is on letterhead of Hotel Schiller, Amsterdam. 6 leaves.

Includes: one item inscribed to Herman from Ferenc [?] Weinmann, Lwów, 1931; and seven other photos that were found with his papers (Subseries II.4, Folders 294-312). Of the latter, three are photos of Verveer family members, the Netherlands, specifically three brothers: the painter Salomon Verveer (1813-1867), the painter and photographer Elchanon Verveer (1823-1900), and artist Maurits Verveer (1817-1903); those photos have the imprint of Maurits Verveer, court photographer, the Netherlands (L. L. M. M. le Roi et la Reine des Pays-Bas). The remaining four photos are unidentified: two (a man and a woman) are by J. Baer, Rotterdam, one (a man) by C. E. Westerborg, Arnhem, and one (a woman) by W. Twardzicki, Warsaw. 8 items.

Actors' role books for the roles of "Drianov," "Ivan," and "Matvey," for Act II, and "Vasili," for Act III. Other characters mentioned are Polkovnik, Malke, and Stefan. 6 leaves.

The author name given on the items is "Dovid Sures." Herman is known to have used this pen name on a manuscript of a play of this title found among his papers after his death (Leksikon fun der nayer yidisher literatur, Congress for Jewish Culture, 1960, vol. 3, cols. 207-208).

4 actors' role books for the roles of "Avrom Moyshe," "Alte rebetsin," "Sheva," and "Shloymele." Also included: one leaf (p. 19) of a manuscript of the play, and one leaf of a draft, written on letterhead of the "Azazel" revue theater, Warsaw. Other characters in the play besides the named roles include Khayim, Mendele, Sheyndl, and Yoysef. 22 leaves.

The author name on the role book for Avrom Moyshe is given as "Ish Khosid." Herman is known to have used this pen name on a manuscript of a play of this title found among his papers after his death (Leksikon fun der nayer yidisher literatur, Congress for Jewish Culture, 1960, vol. 3, cols. 207-208). See also: fragments of various manuscripts of this play, in YIVO's digitized collection RG 8000 (held in the Lithuanian Central State Archives), Shipping List 3, Folder 70.

Draft in a small ledger notebook. Characters include: Malke, her mother Dvoyre, Osher, Reb Sholem Shpiner, Polkovnik. At back are two pages of further notes, with the characters Matvey and Ivan. Stamp of YIVO collector Gershon Epstein, Paris. 14 leaves.

Although the author name does not appear, the manuscript evidently relates to the same work by Herman as the role books found in Folder 4144C. See also: various manuscript fragments related to this work, in YIVO's digitized collection RG 8000 (held in the Lithuanian Central State Archives), Shipping List 3, Folder 20; Shipping List 3, Folder 75 and Folder 83; and Shipping List 8, Folder 128.

Two notebooks, containing two different copies of Act I only, both including some loose leaves pertaining to Act II. Consists of first notebook (no. 166052-166081), with additional loose material stamped no. 166082-166108; and second notebook (no. 166109-166154), with loose material stamped no. 166155-166158. The second manuscript (no. 166109) was copied by Yankev Nayman, dated January 1925. The first notebook (no. 166052) has a stationer's stamp from Carl Pick, Vienna. Also included is a typed page, in Polish (no. 166108), listing the points of a presentation on Sabbatai Zevi; and a handwritten synopsis in Polish (no. 166104-166106) of a 3-act drama with the full title "Sabataj Cwi, czyli fałszywy Mesjasz" (Sabbatai Zevi, or False Messiah). Original folder no. 4066. See also: a typed version of the same Polish-language synopsis, in Folder 4144E.

The title pages refer to the author by the pen name "Ish Khosid" (i.e. pious man); during processing at YIVO Vilna the initials "D. H." were noted on the Esther-Rachel Kaminska Theater Museum label. These manuscripts apparently relate to the same work represented by the recently processed materials in Folder 4144E, which are identifiable as belonging to David Herman. Herman is known to have used the pen name "Ish Khosid" on the manuscript of "Heylige zind" (see Folder 4144A). See also: additional material related to this play, in YIVO's digitized collection RG 8000 (held in the Lithuanian Central State Archives), Shipping List 3, Folder 52 (listed under the title "Ger Tsedek"); and Shipping List 8, Folder 132.

Partial manuscript pertaining mainly to Acts I and II, and a typed synopsis, in Polish, of a 3-act play, with the full title "Sabataj Cwi, czyli fałszywy Mesjasz" (Sabbatai Zevi, or False Messiah). See also: a handwritten version of the same synopsis, in Folder 4144D. Among the materials is a section of a small notebook that was housed in a small Vilna cardboard folder (remnant included) bearing a Theater Museum label identifying it simply as a manuscript of D. Herman. Approximately 40 handwritten leaves.

Included is a note by Herman's wife Sara identifying the material as pertaining to his work on the play; she was not sure whether he completed it ("ikh meyn, az dos darf zayn 'Shabsi Tsvi', vos Dovid Herman hot oykh geshribn, tsi farendigt, gedenk ikh nisht").

Wife of David Herman. One item is a drawing signed by the artist, 1927. 3 items.

One notebook with Act III only (18 leaves) and one loose leaf from a different act, or different manuscript of the same play. Pencil sketches at the front of the notebook of a male and a female figure, and additional sketches of their clothing, with notes (in Roman characters) about the colors of clothing items. Notebook manufactured in Lwów, with cover printed in Polish. The main character is a female named "Lasmi"; other characters are: Kartina, Nia, Pravira, Tovikromo. See also: typescripts and handwritten manuscripts and drafts of the same work, in YIVO's digitized collection RG 8000 (held in the Lithuanian Central State Archives), Shipping List 3, Folder 80; Subseries VIII.2, Folder 134; and Shipping List 18, Folder 142.

Translation of Fabricius's Dutch-language play Lasmi, likely by David Herman, who is known to have translated the play (Leksikon fun der nayer yidisher literatur, Congress for Jewish Culture, 1960, vol. 3, col. 208).

Partial typescript (Acts I and II), with handwritten emendations, and an accompanying program for a production of the play by the Folksbine, at Central High School, Bridgeport, Connecticut, first performance on 29 December 1935, directed by David Herman. Includes: 1) title page and list of characters, with names of cast members (stamped no. 173346-173347). 2) program (no. 173348-173349). 3) Act I (23 leaves), apparently incomplete. 4) Act II (no. 173350-173396). The name Max Oringer (with address: 2120 Harrison Av., Bronx, N.Y.) is written on the verso of the last page (no. 173396).

Adaptation by David Herman.