Asch, Sholem, 1880-1957

The records of the People's Relief Committee for Jewish War Sufferers consist of correspondence with Jewish communities and relief organizations in Europe, Palestine, Cuba, South America, the United States, and Canada; as well as scrapbooks containing U.S. and Canadian Yiddish and English newspaper clippings and printed promotional literature pertaining to the fundraising activities of the People's Relief Committee in North America and abroad.

This collection contains materials related to the relief activities of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee in Europe in 1919. These include cables and other communications to the American Relief Administration, as well as to Sholom Asch, Jacob Billikopf, Morris Engelman, Max Pine, Lewis Strauss and Baruch Zuckerman.

This collection contains the minutes, correspondence and financial records of the I.L. Peretz Yiddish Writers’ Union from its founding in 1915 until 1973. Among the correspondence is a fair amount concerning the Fund for Jewish Refugee Writers, unions and union grievances, requests for aid from Jewish writers and activists in New York and abroad, and labor disputes and strikes.

This collection contains correspondence between Abraham Cahan and many important literary and political figures, as well as Yiddish manuscripts sent to Cahan for consideration in the Forward and notes and drafts of Cahan’s own writings. There are also several articles written about Cahan, before and after his death. These materials serve to illustrate both Cahan’s importance in the literary and publishing fields as well as his involvement in the American socialist and labor movements.

This collection contains the personal and professional papers of Joseph Buloff and Luba Kadison, leading actors of the Vilna Troupe and of the Yiddish and English stage, both in the United States and internationally. Most of the information concerns their theatrical careers, including play manuscripts, drawings and photographs of plays and actors, reviews, flyers, and musical scores. There is also some personal biographical information about Buloff, including his memoirs and audio cassettes of interviews. These materials show the importance and influence of Buloff and Kadison for Yiddish and English theater for over sixty years.

This collection contains correspondence between Mendel Osherowitch and many important literary and political figures, as well as Yiddish manuscripts by Osherowitch, clippings, photos, and obituaries and letters written to his family after his death. These materials illustrate Osherowitch’s importance in the Yiddish literary field as well as his role in various Jewish organizations.

This collection contains manuscripts of plays, articles and other writings, correspondence, memoirs, photographs, theater programs, and personal materials of Yiddish playwright, novelist, journalist, travel writer, and theater director Peretz Hirschbein. The collection helps to illustrate Hirschbein’s importance and lasting impact upon the revival of Yiddish theater and literature in the early twentieth century.

This collection contains the personal and professional papers of Shmuel Niger, including correspondence with many important literary figures, as well as manuscripts by Niger, writings about Niger written by others, Niger’s speeches and lectures, selections from his published writings, and biographical materials. These materials serve to illustrate Niger’s great importance to Yiddish literary criticism and Jewish historical writing as well as his role as a writer on contemporary themes, a teacher and lecturer, editor and communal leader.

- "Got fun nekome," 5 items. In Vilna and Białystok, tour of actors of the New York Yiddish Art Theatre, featuring Baratov and Lidia Potocka. In Paris, directed by H.-B. Epstein, with Weintraub-Graf, Burstin, and Berger family. In an unspecified locality in Poland, theater of K. M. Ebel of Lwów. In an unspecified locality in Poland, appearances of the Vilna Ensemble, featuring Nekhama, Kadish, Khash (Chasz), and Szryftzecer.

- "Onkl Mozes," 2 items. In Warsaw, guest performer Zygmunt Turkow, dramatization by Ida Kaminska, anniversary premiere in honor of Sholem Asch. In Antwerp/Brussels, guest performer Zygmunt Turkow, with Diana Blumenfeld and Yitzhak Turkow ("Grudberg").

- "Rebe Doktor Zilber," 2 items. In Vilna, guest performer Abraham Morewski, with Genia Shalit. In Zurich, 1934, directed by Rudolf Zaslavsky.

- "Tsurik gekumen" in Chicago, 1912. Progressive Literary Dramatic Club.

- "Unzer gloyben," 3 items. In Buenos Aires, 1922. In Vienna, 1927, Act II, Jüdische Künstlerspiele. In Vilna, assistant director, B. Epstein.

- "Mit'n shtrom" in Chicago, 1910. Progressive Literary and Dramatic Club.

- "Motke ganev," 9 items. In Pińczów, 1929, production of the Fareynikte Idishe Trupe under the direction of L. Winer. In Równe, directed by Isaac Nozyk. In an unspecified locality, under troupe leader Khayim Frenkel, with Henry Tarlo. In Warsaw, directed by and starring Zygmunt Turkow. In Warsaw, directed by Turkow and Landau. In Vilna, troupe of the Yidisher Artistn Fareyn under the direction of M. Winder. In Vilna, directed by and starring A. Samberg. In Vilna, directed by and starring Adam Domb. In Płock, 1922, with Henry Tarlo.

- "Kidesh hashem" in Vilna, 1928. Adapted for the stage and directed by Michael Weichert, based on the novel by Asch.

The beginning of Act I (characters: Sara and Rivkele). Fragment. 1 leaf.

Actor's role book for the role of "Mekubl" (Kabbalist/mystic). Title page has a rights notice in Yiddish and Polish from the firm of Stanislaw Rechtleben, Warsaw. Typescript, with handwritten emendations. 2 leaves.

Adapted for the stage by Michael Weichert, based on the novel by Asch.