Episode 3: When you go to a Yiddish theatre

Pack your picnic, practise your heckles and come with us to the Yiddish theatre. This episode looks at Yiddish theatre and music hall from its early days in the late nineteenth century, from the popular theatre with its cheap songs and audience misbehaviour to highbrow performances of Shakespeare and opera in Yiddish. Nadia and Vivi bring you a short story about audience antics, and ‘Gevalt polis!’ (Help Police!), a comic song about East End crime. We are joined by the actor and writer David Schneider whose family had a leading role in London’s Yiddish theatre. David performs his grandfather’s translation of Shylock’s ‘Hath not a Jew’ speech in Yiddish, and historian David Mazower describes the doomed attempt to set up a London Yiddish art theatre.

‘When You Go to a Yiddish Theatre’ (Az me geyt in a idishn teater) (1933)

A. M. Kaizer, translated by Vivi Lachs

Arye Myer Kaizer (1892-1967) was born into a Hasidic orthodox family in Poland, settled in London with his family as a young child, and became an important figure in the London immigrant community. He was the co-founder and secretary of the Federation of Jewish Relief Organisations and a journalist who wrote exclusively in Yiddish for London’s Di tsayt(The Jewish Times). He wrote regularly throughout the 1930s and 1940s, scores of humorous sketches about the foibles of the Jewish community of the East End and upwardly mobile suburbs.

When you go to the Yiddish theatre and are shown your seat, just stay in it. Don’t wander off in search of any other entertainment, or you could suffer my fate. Even if the seat isn’t that comfortable, stay in your place. After all, how long do you have to sit there?… [read more]

Listen to the story in Yiddish below

‘Help, Police!’ (Gevalt polis!) (1905)

Anon, translated by Vivi Lachs

This song was recorded by the popular Yiddish singer Yetta Rubinstein in London in 1905. She recorded more than a dozen Yiddish songs in London for Zonophone and Sterling.

Vaytshepls sheyne zangn
in Bro’d street, zey oyf eyn;
goldene ringen oyf di finger
un a golden voysh un tsheyn…

Here’s the best of Whitechapel
In Broad Street, check this one out;
Golden rings on his fingers
And a golden watch and chain… [read more]

The Cockney Yiddish Podcast is written and presented by Nadia Valman and Vivi Lachs

Produced by Natalie Steed at Rhubarb Rhubarb for Queen Mary University of London

Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council

Guests: David Schneider and David Mazower

Reader in English and Yiddish: David Schneider

Featured story: A. M. Kaizer ‘When You Go to a Yiddish Theatre’, translated by Vivi Lachs. From London Yiddishtown: East End Jewish Life in Yiddish Sketch and Story, 1930-1950 (Wayne State University Press, 2021)

Featured song: Katsha’nes, ‘Gevalt Police’ (Lyrics and music: Anon). From the CD Don’t Ask Silly Questions (Katshanes, 2017)

Theme music: Klezmer Klub, ‘Vaytshepl mayn vaytshepl’ (trad) and ‘Yiddisher Honga’ (trad). From the CD Whitechapel mayn Vaytshepl (Klub Records, 2009)

Website images:

Maud, ‘Vi idn zitsn in a idishn teater’ (Der bloffer, November 1912)
Maurice Sochachewsky, ‘A. M. Kaizer’ (courtesy of Dave Skye)