Funeral services were held here today for Shmuel Goldstein, who died last Thursday of a heart attack at the age of 70. Goldstein, who used the stage name of Shmulik Goldstein, had a lengthy career as a Yiddish stage star. He had been in the current Folksbiene production here of “The Inheritors,” an adaptation of a Sholem Aleichem story, the latest of a long succession of theater credits. Born in Lodz, Poland, Goldstein began his acting career there, escaping to the Soviet Union during World War II. He returned to Poland after the war and then settled in Paris. There he worked in the Yiddish theater and took assignments as a standup Yiddish comic.
After emigrating to the United States in 1953, his performances included roles in four much praised Yiddish productions–“Yoshe Kolb,” “It’s Hard To Be a Jew,” “The Big Winner,” and “The Fifth Season.” He also appeared in a Broadway production, “Let’s Sing Yiddish,” and in two works with Shimon Dzigan, the Israeli Yiddish humorist, “From Israel With Laughter” and “Hot a Yid a Landele.” Goldstein had toured with Ida Kaminska, the noted Yiddish star and director from Poland.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
