Maurice Schwartz Honored by 1,000 at Banquet

Three anniversaries in the life of Maurice Schwartz, Yiddish actor and director were celebrated on Wednesday evening at a midnight banquet arranged by a committee headed by leaders in the theatrical and literary worlds, with Daniel Frohman as chairman.

The dinner, attended by 1,000 people, took place at the Hotel Edison and was in tribute to Mr. Schwartz’s twentieth theatrical season; the fifteenth anniversary of his association with the Yiddish Art Theatre as its director and leading actor; and the 200th performance of “Yoshe Kalb,” his current success.

A message of tribute was received from President Hoover, which dedeclared: “I heartily share in your committee’s appreciation of Mr. Maurice Schwartz’s brilliant achievements in the field of Jewish drama. I will be obliged if you will convey to him my heartiest congratulations upon the twentieth anniversary of his work and every good wish for his continued success in this valuable service of the arts.”

Daniel Frohman presided and addresses were delivered by Mrs. Israel Zangwill, Claude G. Bowers, Harry Hershfield, Rabbi Louis I. Newmann and Mr. Schwartz.

Mr. Schwartz’s rise to fame was described by the various speakers. It was recalled that he came to this country in 1900 from the Ukraine as the son of a rag picker and rose steadily on the Yiddish stage, until he was able to bring about the building of the $1,000,000 playhouse on Second Avenue, which his company now occupies.

In his address Mr. Schwartz declared: “At a time when the Jew is misunderstood in many countries, I feel that the production of ‘Yoshe Kalb’ far transcends the theatrical sphere. The simplicity of the characters in the play and the intensity of their feeling of sin, repenttance and redemption, as well as the Jewish sense of justice brought out at the trial scene, constitute the best answer to anti-Semites of the Hitler type in all countries.”