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Zypora Spaisman

Zypora Spaisman
Born
Zypora Tannenbaum

(1916-01-02)January 2, 1916
Lublin, Poland
DiedMay 18, 2002(2002-05-18) (aged 86)
New York City, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actress, Yiddish theatre empresaria

Zypora Spaisman (January 2, 1916 in Lublin, Poland – May 18, 2002 in New York City) was an actress and Yiddish theatre empresaria.

Life in Poland

Spaisman was born Zypora Tannenbaum. She began acting at the age of 10, but for much of her life she worked in her native Poland as a midwife. In 1938, she married Joseph Spaisman. In 1939, when Nazis invaded Poland, she witnessed her sister being shot. After this, the family moved to the Soviet-controlled region of Poland, and then were taken to a labor camp in the Ural Mountains. There, she continued to work as a midwife and to put together Yiddish plays. Upon returning to Poland after World War II, she continued her Yiddish theatre work. However, her entire family had been killed, as had most Jews in Poland. The Spaismans thus emigrated to the United States in 1955.[1]

Career in the United States

Spaisman, during her career as an actress, was long associated with the Folksbiene Yiddish Theatre in New York City. For several years, Spaisman was executive producer for the theatre while continuing to act.[1]

In 1998, Spaisman's position with the company was replaced by Zalmen Mlotek and Eleanor Reissa, who were named co-artistic directors. They invited Spaisman to stay on as a consultant. However, Spaisman's vision for the Folksbiene differed from the new directors' vision: while the new directors wished to modernize, Spaisman wanted the theatre to preserve Yiddish art and culture. As such, Spaisman left the Folksbiene and formed the Yiddish Public Theater.[2]

In the summers, Spaisman worked as a camp nurse at Camp Boiberik, in Rhinebeck, NY (an offshoot of the Sholem Aleichem Folk Institute).[3]

Spaisman also had some film roles. She played the role of Sheva Haddas in Paul Mazursky's film Enemies, a Love Story (1989), an adaptation of Isaac Bashevis Singer's novel of the same name.[4] She also acted alongside Michael J. Fox in The Hard Way.[5]

A documentary by Dan Katzir about Spaisman and the Yiddish Public Theater, Yiddish Theater: A Love Story, was released in 2006.[6]

Death

She was married to Joseph Spaisman until his death; the couple had one son, who survived her following her death from a brain hemorrhage on May 18, 2002, aged 86.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b New York Times obituary
  2. ^ Woodman, Sue (2002-06-25). "Zypora Spaisman". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-12-23.
  3. ^ Studio, Familiar (2023-12-23). "A Yiddish Musical That Never Was". Digital Yiddish Theatre Project. Retrieved 2023-12-23.
  4. ^ Mazursky, Paul (1989-12-13), Enemies: A Love Story (Comedy, Drama, Romance), Ron Silver, Anjelica Huston, Lena Olin, Morgan Creek Entertainment, retrieved 2023-12-23
  5. ^ a b Jones, Kenneth (23 May 2002). "Actress Zypora Spaisman, Passionate Yiddish Theatre Advocate, Dead". Playbill.
  6. ^ "Yiddish Theater: A Love Story". jfi.org. Retrieved 2023-12-23.
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