Bina Abramowitz (; October 30, 1865 – 1953) was a

Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...

actress.

Biography

Early life

Bina Fuchs was born on October 30, 1865, in

Saratov Saratov (, ; rus, Сара́тов, a=Ru-Saratov.ogg, p=sɐˈratəf) is the largest city and administrative center of Saratov Oblast, Russia, and a major port on the Volga River upstream (north) of Volgograd. Saratov had a population of 901,36 ...

, Russia. Her father was a cartoonist, soldier and tailor.

Career

At fourteen, Fuchs joined the chorus of

Sigmund Mogulesko Sigmund Mogulesko (16 December 1858 – 4 February 1914) — Yiddish: זעליק מאָגולעסקאָ ''Zelik Mogulesko'', first name also sometimes spelled as Zigmund, Siegmund, Zelig, or Selig, last name sometimes spelled Mogulescu &m ...

’s company in Odessa after auditioning—she went unpaid for four months. She later acted with Naphtali Goldfaden’s troupe, where she had a salary and was typecast as mother characters. After her marriage to fellow actor Max Abramowitz, who she met while travelling with the troupe, the pair toured Russia. In 1886, she went to the United States with Mogulesko and played with many Yiddish companies, gaining roles in many films produced in America. Her roles included ''

Broken Hearts ''Broken Hearts'' is a blank verse play by W. S. Gilbert in three acts styled "An entirely original fairy play". It opened at the Royal Court Theatre in London on 9 December 1875, running for three months, and toured the provinces in 1876. It wa ...

'' (1926), a

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

directed by Maurice Schwartz, and the Yiddish-language films '' The Unfortunate Bride'' (1932) and Yiskor (1933), as well as roles in

Jacob Gordin Jacob Michailovitch Gordin (Yiddish: יעקב מיכאַילאָװיטש גאָרדין; May 1, 1853 – June 11, 1909) was a Russian-born American playwright active in the early years of Yiddish theater. He is known for introducing realism and ...

's plays. In 1927, aged sixty-two, Abramowitz signed a contract to play a leading role at the

Yiddish Art Theatre The Yiddish Art Theatre was a New York Yiddish theatre company of the 20th century. History The organization was founded in 1918 by actor and impresario Maurice Schwartz, to present serious Yiddish drama and works from world literature in Yiddis ...

. '' The Evening Standard'' described Abramowitz as a "mother of six and grandmother of nine." Abramowitz died in 1953.

References

External links

* Yiddish theatre performers 1865 births 1953 deaths Actors from Saratov Jewish American actresses 20th-century American actresses American film actresses 19th-century actresses from the Russian Empire Jewish Russian actors Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States {{US-theat-actor-1860s-stub