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The Folksbiene troupe
members involved in this production were (in order of
their appearance):
Burton Pinchuk, Anton Goldberg, Morris Adler, Joshua
Zeldis, Ben Feivelowitz, Zypora Spaisman, Sarah Stabin,
Louis Fishberg, Michal Karlan, Ely Arnou, Anna Faust,
Jacob Belagorsky, Mina Kern, Harry Friefeld, Jacob
Silberberg and Michael Neiditch.
Here is the synopsis, as taken from the program for said
show:
SCENE I:
IT IS SATURDAY EVENING. The teller of the story
presents his home, the "Beth-Din" chamber, (a local
Jewish courthouse) on Krochmalna Street in Warsaw. He
introduces his father (Leo Pshepurka), the "Moreh Horoeh"
(a designated neighborhood authority on Jewish law); his
mother (Bronia Newman), the frequent visitors to the
home (Morris Adler, Joshua Zeldis, Ben Feivelowitz), and
himself, still a child at the time. Mirele (Zypora
Spaisman) comes to inform the neighborhood's opposition
to the divorce that the old man Zishele (Louis Fishberg),
and his wife Rivka (Sarah Stabin), had applied for.
Father sends for the couple. Mother joins Father in
talking them out of the divorce. They leave
disappointed.
SCENE II:
THE OLDER BROTHER (Michael Karlan) is a reader of
worldly literature and has a sophisticated view of life.
It is obvious that the father and the older son have
entirely divergent views of life, which often results in
conflict between them.
Mendele (Ely Arnou), a bridegroom, comes in to apply for
a release from his engagement with Raitche (Anna Faust).
The Moreh Horoeh proposes a peace settlement between the
bride and the groom.
SCENE III:
MOSHE THE TINSMITH (Morris Adler) is leaving for the
Holy Land. The neighbors gather to wish him a proper
farewell. Moshe departs for the land "where up-to-date
young people build colonies while they speak
loshn-kodesh (the holy tongue)," even on weekdays.
SCENE IV:
A SATURDAY EVENING on the Krochmalna Street is disrupted
by tragedy-- a shoemaker's apprentice poisons himself.
The unfortunate mother (Mina Kern) comes to the Moreh
Horoeh to beg him not to allow the kehilla (the Jewish
community body) to bury her son in disgrace.
Later that night our young storyteller is deeply
disturbed by the cries of the bereaved mother ringing in
his ears. He wants to know what God will do to the
suicide in the other world. "Wouldn't He forgive him
even for such a sin as taking his own life?"
SCENE V:
AN UNHAPPY LETTER arrives from the sister who lives with
her husband in Belgium. Her husband is not working, and
she can hardly feed her child. Father comes in with
latest street gossip--a new group is being organized;
anarchists, who want to abolish money and forthwith make
people happy. Mother breaks into tears over the distress
of her daughter and shows the letter to father, who
seems only to be occupied with foolish dreams and the
world beyond.
SCENE VI:
THREE PURVEYORS (Harry Friefield, Louis Fishberg and
Joseph Silberberg) of some illegal goods have come in to
ask father to pass judgment on something among them.
Father doesn't even know what they are talking about.
From the street there is heard noise and excitement. It
seems that a Crown Prince has been assassinated
somewhere, and war is about the break out. Mother and
Father lift their heads in prayer to God to spare the
world from bloodletting and destruction.
SCENE VII:
THE OLDER SON is away at war, and Mother prays for him
nightly. Father pleads with her to take food and try to
sleep. At night she is haunted by a vision of her son
running through fire and devastation and returning to
her. Shortly after, her vision becomes a reality.
SCENE VIII:
IT IS FRIDAY EVENING. Mother is getting ready for a
visit to her father in Bilgorray [Bilgoraj]. But she
fears that he may no longer be alive. Mirele, the
baker's daughter, has brought a challah, so that the
Moreh Horoeh will have something over which to say the
Sabbath prayer. Mates [The Chasid] (Michael Neiditch)
cannot go home because he has no challah over which to
say the prayer. Mother gives him the challah. Raitche
hurries in with some wine for the kiddush. Father makes
kiddush and the Holy Sabbath enters into the home court.
It enters in a spirit of hope and faith, in justice and
peace.
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