The Modern Yiddish Theater is Established in Russia and Romania in 1876

Title

Description

The modern Yiddish Theater dates back to 1876 when the Russian-Jewish intellectual and impresario Avrom Goldfaden (1840-1908) produced the first Yiddish-language operettas first in Romania and then in Russia. For a short while, Yiddish theater became a boom business. In 1883, the Czar banned the Yiddish theater, causing the emigration of many the theater's actors from the Russian Empire and shifting the center of Yiddish theatrical activity from Eastern Europe to the United States. By the late 1890s, New York emerged as the capital of the Yiddish theater. Goldfaden eventually reached New York City in 1888, but when he arrived he was frozen out of New York's Yiddish theater life by disgruntled ex-actors. He spent most of the rest of his life in Europe, but returned to New York City before his death in 1908.

He was buried in Brooklyn's Washington Cemetery. Above is a photograph taken at the unveiling of his gravestone.

Rights

YIVO owns the compilation of content that is posted on this website, which consists of text, images, and/or audio, and video. However, YIVO does not necessarily own each component of the compilation. Some content is in the public domain and some content is protected by third party rights. It is the user's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other use restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in YIVO websites.

The materials on this web site may be used for personal, research and educational purposes only. Publication (including posting on the Internet and online exhibitions) or any other use without prior authorization is prohibited. Please visit https://www.yivo.org/Rights-Reproductions for more information about use of materials from this website.

YIVO has employed due diligence in seeking to identify copyright holders of the materials in this compilation. We invite any copyright owners who are not properly identified to contact us at yivomail@yivo.cjh.org.

Citation

“The Modern Yiddish Theater is Established in Russia and Romania in 1876,” YIVO Online Exhibitions, accessed May 31, 2025, https://ataleoftwomuseums.yivo.org/items/show/3008.

Submit a transcription, translation or additional information on the song or the performer