Avrom Goldfaden

Goldfaden, Avrom (1840–1908), producer and playwright. Often called the “Father of Yiddish Theatre,” he is generally acknowledged to have been the first to put it on a professional basis and to have written its earliest plays, which remained part of the repertory as long as Yiddish theatre flourished. Goldfaden was born in Russia and spent most of his life in Europe. Coming to America in 1887, he made several attempts to produce Yiddish drama in New York and other American cities. When he failed he returned home. His last play, Ben‐Ami (Son of My People), was produced in New York shortly before his death. Among his plays long popular with Yiddish‐speaking audiences in America were Koldunye (The Witch), Bar Kochba (The Last Days of Jerusalem), and his masterpiece, Shulamis.