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and-dance kapele' (B.,
his brother Herman, Shayele Rotshteyn and Gustav
Schwartzbard) across Poland, Lita (Lithuania), and
Russia. Then the 'kapele' reorganized, and
international forces were drawn to her, for whom
they toured across several European countries.
In 1908 B. was engaged
to Zandberg in Lodz's "Grand" Theatre, where he
acted for several years, and where he also staged
for the first time in Europe Jacob Gordin's "Elisha
ben Abuyah." In 1913 B. acted with in Warsaw
(direction -- L. Rapel and H. Epelberg) with the
guest-starring Clara Young, where he was especially
popular in the role of "Litvak" in Schorr's "Di
amerikanerin (The American Woman?)," then he
participated in European operetta repertoire with
Nadya Neroslavska.
Jonas Turkow writes:
"During the First
World War, in the year 1915, when the Germans had,
after taking Warsaw, not permitted any Yiddish
theatre, Berman had, together with the comic Shayele
Rotshteyn and Fishelewitz, founded a vaudeville
theatre in a dance hall on Twarda Street Number 7 in
Warsaw, where they played and sang in the Polish
language, which Adolf Berman had well dominated.
When Poland became independent and Yosef Pilsudski
returned from the German Magdeburg fortress and
triumphantly entered Warsaw, Adolf Berman utilized
the appropriate moment, ran to Prilutski and handed
him a written request with the words: 'Save me.' In
the request Adolf Berman invited Prilutski to enable
him to play Yiddish theatre. In around a few days
Adolf Berman received the first concession to play
Yiddish theatre in Poland. This case was then called
a great sight (?).
Adolf Berman had,
together with his brother-in-law, the known singer
Gustav Shvartsbard, organized an 'itinerant troupe.'
... The troupe traveled across the entire Polish
province year-round, and for a long time staying on
the eastern border areas of the Polish kingdom in
the Berman-Shvartsbard troupe, having put their
first steps ahead of young actors who Adolf Berman
had come very close."
Jonas Turkow also
recalls that B. is, just like his older brother
Herman, who was a great jokester and used to love to
play various pranks, especially those that used to
come behind the curtain to close 'friendships' with
actresses. Turkow details in his book, "Extinguished
Stars," some of the pranks and episodes. he also
explains curious episodes about B.'s strong appetite
for eating.
After the First World
War B. for a certain time played with Ester Rokhl
Kaminska, then in a revue theatre "Sambatyon," and
toured with a troupe for which he was the initiator.
Here he also directed under the name "Yiddish
Blood," Lermontov's tragedy, "Di shpanier'
(translation of Nathan Zylbercweig).
B. also participated
in the films "Di farshtoysene tokhter," "Der vilder
foter (The Harsh Father)," by Z. Libin, and "Tkies
khaf (The Vow)" by Yehiel (Henryk) Bojm.
Remaining in Warsaw,
B. became older, later taking on small roles in
various troupes.
Jonas Turkow, in his
book, "Extinguished Stars," characterizes him this
way:
"Adolf Berman
possessed all the virtues that an actor should have:
great stage abilities, a beautiful appearance, tall,
well-built, and a good diction. Thereby he had a
beautiful bass voice. Berman played all the hero
roles. ... He was very beloved by the public. He
specially excelled in the European operettas, thanks
to his imposing figure and intelligent attitude. For
a certain time he even played in Polish theatre.
When Adolf Berman
played in Warsaw, one could always see him walking
across the streets with the role in hand and
speaking the phrase in his voice. He did not cease
to study a well-known role, whether at home or in
the street. He had a rare relationship to his work
in theatre: He was always the first to the
rehearsals, always knowing his role from the
outside, and always created something new. It was a
big surprise to everyone, when Adolf Berman appeared
in the role of 'Litvak' in the operetta 'Di
amerikanerin,' with Clara Young (Warsaw, 1913). With
that role he created a great name [for himself].
True Litvaks who were in the theatre said that he is
a better 'Litvak' than them ... "
But he was not only
good in comic roles. He was, in his period of
splendor, one of the best 'rezionorn" of the Yiddish
stage in Poland. He was a splendid 'father' role
player, and one of the best 'intelligent' role
players, Contrary to the 'private' Adolf Berman --
the good-natured, always smiling, lovely human being
and friend, he always went his own way and never
fought with his fellow actors."
And about his last
years and tragic end, Jonas Turkow writes:
"At the outbreak of
the (Second) World War, Adolf Berman was found in
Warsaw. When almost everyone ran east, they were
asked why he was not leaving. Berman smiled and
answered, 'In my years I will not go far, and,
moreover, what can the German men do to me? I'll
tell them a joke in good German, they'll break up
and leave me' ...
However, he made a
mistake. The Germans very often treated him with a
blow before he appeared to open his mouth. When he
entered the artists' kitchen (in the ghetto), after
'soup,' which the leader of the kitchen, the actress
Leah Levebrovski had presented him, indeed, in a
doubled variety, and he finally got as much as he
wanted (there wasn't more soup by noon), they simply
did not recognize him. 'Whom do you play now, Arele,
What made you think so?' -- The Levebroski asked him
with a smile. This time there wasn't any smile from
his side. The Germans had beaten Berman so
murderously, that he was barely alive in the
artists' kitchen on the second floor, holding on to
the swollen eye, that the Germans had not chopped
his hair off. He leaned down on one leg and looked
at it with laughter: "Well, how did the grim,
what the Krauts did to me ?!" -- he joked. But on
the eve of the fall, Berman did not come into the
kitchen for the soup (His wife, a little earlier,
became paralyzed, and died soon after.) The soup was
sent home to him because he was lying ill in bed.
The love value of the artist kitchen, Levebrovski,
every one had their heads. Berman no longer rose
from bed. Sick for a period of time, our darling,
the lifelong lover Adolf Berman, died in the ghetto,
a 'natural' death."
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