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may, 2020 bina abramovitch birthday/
anniversary
This fragment of The Vim Program on wevd from the fall of 1940 honors the 75th birthday and 60th theater anniversary of actress Bina Abramovitch "the Mother of the Yiddish Theater. " Abramovitch, the wife of pioneering Yiddish recording artist Kalmen Juvelier, was dubbed "the Mother of the Yiddish Theater " for not only being present at the inception of the Yiddish theater, but that in her long career arc, she went on to appear as everyone's mother, aunt or grandmother.
The high production value show with a live studio audience and full orchestra and chorus, gently veers between being an actual celebration, a Yiddish theater infomercial and a scene from a Yiddish play itself with Abramovitch's touching and sincere thanks to both her theatrical family and her unseen audience whom she implores to come out to support the Yiddish theater.
Vim, a chain of electronic stores, had been sponsoring Yiddish theater broadcasts since 1929 starting on WABC, the New York flagship station of the recently launched CBS network. By the time of this broadcast, it aired Saturday mornings on WEVD and was produced in collaboration with the iron-fisted Hebrew Actor's Union, who benefitted from the increased outreach radio gave the faltering theater.
Photo Courtesy of Steven Lasky
Photo: David Weider
[The first two speakers are unknown, the third is poet/actor Zvee Scooler (1899-1985) from whose collection this came via his nephew, the late Isaiah Sheffer.]
Ukn: Bina Abramovitch we can talk to you and about you but its better to speak to you in the name of the entire Yiddish theater family we wish you on your 75th birthday our dear mother, Bina Abramovitch. The entire Yiddish theater family and all Yiddish theatergoers wish you long live our mother, Bina Abramovitch.
Unk: We shed enough tears, mother ours, when you invited myself and my wife up to your hotel......so now we beseech you, say a few words to your little children:
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BA: I thank you, my dear children, of the Yiddish stage. Thank God, I have no complaints about my children. Last Friday, Simchas Torah, was my birthday. And my children and my grandchildren and friends celebrated with me.
Then came my children of the Yiddish stage, and invited me to the (Yiddish) Art theater. And they repaid me with honor for having played their mothers, their grandmothers, and aunts. And now being before the entire theater family...entire who repay me for the long way I have traveled: sixty years on the stage. My little ones: I thank all of you.
And you, dear public: I can't see you but you can hear me. I beg you: go to the Yiddish theater, help support the home which I helped build. I thank you all and draw you to my heart.
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ZS: Mame may your years be long and may your years be fine
Enlightening and uplifting in your radiant shine
Joy and happiness for those you adore
What we wish for you and then even more
For deep in our hearts, we have all always known
You, Mame, you are the dearest thing we, your children, own
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HEPPY BOITDAY!!!
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WB: You should be here in the studio to see our mother and all the flowers, all the guests all celebrating a holiday and heppy boitday to you Bina Abramovitch.
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Nu, so I suppose you'd like to know what's playing at the Yiddish theater: In the Maurice Schwartz Yiddish Art theater today and tomorrow and Saturday and Sunday nights with popular Sabbath matinee prices Aron Zeitlin's classic stage work Esterke, music by Sholom Secunda and sets by Alex Chertoff. The second offering is the Sholom Aleichem folk comedy Sender Blank dramatized and directed by Yankov Rotboim.
At Herman Yablakoff's Second Avenue theater this week with Sunday and sabbath matinee the $25,000 produkshn of Goldele, the Baker's Daughter,
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And now a treat.....invited a troupe from another theater to get 15 minutes I am honored to introduce of this artistic delegation, from Joseph Rumshinsky and Yankel Veksler's People's Theater which is featuring this week and next the fine and true Yiddish operetta When The Sun Goes Down, Joseph Rumshinky's romantic score, libretto by Avrom Bloom, directed by Ludwig Satz. The People's Theater sent us an artistic delegation of three stars Ola Lillith, Edmund Zyenda and Esther Field and all under the personal direction of the Dean of the Yiddish theater who is both the rabbi of the traditional Yiddish operetta and also the innovator of the modern musical comedy: Joseph Rumshinsky.
The first piece will feature Ola Lillith and chorus singing Rumshinsky's latest hit In Love Lay Our Luck
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MR: you can save 25% and remember Vim saves you money, remember that Vim...remember that Vim is the largest store and gives great soivece, if you need a radio or a phonograph you bring in your old used radio, they'll pay you for it and so can buy a new one and bring joy into your home ... so join us again next Saturday morning from11:00-12:00
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