Ida Kaminska and the Jewish State Theatre of Poland

Ida Kaminska
and the Jewish State Theatre of Poland
Play in New York City, 1967

A Luncheon with the Troupe

... and a Visit to Beverly Hills

This luncheon was attended by Ida Kaminska, the troupe of The Jewish State Theatre of Poland,
and a myriad of well-known Yiddish stage stars from New York.

Seated (front row, left to right): Zalmen Zylbercweig (editor of the "Lexicon of the Yiddish Theatre)," Meir (Marian) Melman (Ida Kaminska's husband), Seymour Rechtzeit, Ida Kaminska, Ruth Taru-Kowalska, unk, Michal Szwejlich, Rosetta Biales, Irving Jacobson and Herman Yablokoff.

First row standing (left to right): Juliusz Berger, Henryk Grynberg, Mordecai Yachson, Seweryn Dalecki, unk, Herman Lercher, Bella Mysell, Dina Fijalkowska, Ruth Kaminska, Miriam Kressyn, unk, Jack Rechtzeit, Karol Latowicz, Lily Liliana, Izaak Dogim, unk, unk, Mae Schoenfeld, unk, unk, unk.

Back row (left to right): unk, Bernard Sauer, unk, Leon Liebgold, Diana Goldberg, unk, unk, Szymon Szurmiej, Mordecai Yardeini, unk, unk, unk, unk.

IDA KAMINSKA COMES TO BEVERLY HILLS
from Connie Fisher Newhan

Connie states: In 1966, Ida Kaminska was nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for [the film] "The Shop on Main Street." At the time I was working for the Hollywood Reporter and was able to arrange a meeting with her and my father Bruce (Boris) Fisher at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where the Academy nominees were staying.

She nearly fainted when we entered the room. She had no idea Dad had survived [Connie's grandparents Liza Barska-Fisher and Herman Fisher, as well as her aunts Anka and Luba all perished in the Warsaw Ghetto. Her father had left Europe and escaped the ghetto and the fate that befell so many Jews there] -- he was the only one of his family to do so. We had a nice visit and took a few photos.

Left to right: Bruce Fisher, Connie Fisher, Leo Fuchs, Ida Kaminska and Roma Kretch.

So there you have it! I actually had my picture taken with two of the Yiddish Theatre greats and a great father.

By the way, while she did not receive the Oscar, the film did win the award for Best Foreign Language Film for 1965."

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