Photographers
Rappoport Studio
New York, New York

Sitter
Joseph Rumshinsky, January 15, 19881 - February 6, 1956

Date
unknown

Type
Portrait

Medium
Photograph

Credit Line
Yiddish Theatrical Alliance

Testimony
" ... As a theatre composer, Joseph Rumshinsky embodied everything that was good, and everything that was bad in this commercial Yiddish theatre. He had a long and successful theatre career, if one would measure the success in his career from such operettas as "The Rabbi's Melody," "The Golden Bride," "The Broken Violin," or "Tsipke," "Mamele," and "Molly Dolly." ... His career must have been a success, if one would measure it by his theatrical songs, which were composed for the Jewish masses and ingrained in the Jewish way of life: "I Pray For Home," "Yosl, Yosl," "Sheyn vi di levone (As Beautiful As the Moon)," and others. But as a musician, he knew ... that he was not a leader, and not a builder of the Yiddish theatre, but only a facilitator and companion ... that suited the needs of the entrepreneurs.

For a certain time, in the late twenties, Joseph Rumshinsky found a certain measure of satisfaction in the fresh talent of Molly Picon ... He also was revived musically in the couple of years that he was associated with the Yiddish Art Theatre, for which he created music for "Hershele Ostropoler," "Three Gifts," and "Roaming Stars."

But in the years that the Yiddish operetta took a hurried step downhill -- like the Yiddish theatre in general -- Joseph Rumshinsky followed. Although he was in love with Yiddish melodies and contributed greatly to the integration of Yiddish folk songs in the operetta, he nevertheless helped to transfer the Yiddish operetta onto new rails from the Broadway 'musical comedy.'

... It was with love and life that he dedicated himself to the theatre profession and wanted to save the Yiddish theatre from its downhill descent. Much of Rumshinsky's work has been motivated by the urge to save the Yiddish stage and regain the former Yiddish audience. ... In general, it was good for Rumshinsky to enjoy himself ... because as a 'kibitzer,' he was excellent. His soapy theatre anecdotes -- true and imagined -- were irreplaceable. He alone was the embodiment of Yiddish theatre 'business,' and he never laughed at himself with a bitter laugh at the practices of Yiddish theatre" ...

Source of Testimony
N. Buchwald -- Joseph Rumshinsky -- Musician and Theatre Mentsh, "Morgn frayheyt," New York, 14 February 1956.