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Yiddish Theatre in London

Yiddish Theatre in London was created by and for the Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe who settled in the East End of London in the late 19th century. They crowded into the narrow streets of Whitechapel and Spitalfields, where they soon developed a rich Yiddish cultural life.

The Yiddish theatre tradition lives on today through the unique collections of the Jewish Museum, including posters, programmes, costume, musical scores and photographs.

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Poster for a benefit performance of 'The Lost Soul', starring Jenny Kaiser as Shmilikel, at The Working Lads' Institute, Whitechapel Road, c.1900. Benefit performances played an important role in the life of the Jewish East End - this one was in aid of recently widowed woman with nine children (click to view larger image) * 1. Yiddish language and culture

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Abraham Goldfaden, father of the Yiddish theatre, photographed in I Perkoff's St Petersburg Studios, Commercial Road, London, c 1896 Courtesy of The Grand Palais Collection, in memory of H I Greenby * 2. The birth of the Yiddish Theatre

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Jacob P Adler, the Yiddish theatre's most famous star, made regular guest appearances in London from 1901 until his death in 1926. In 1918 he dedicated this photograph to Madame Fanny Waxman, with the inscription: 'My heartfelt thanks to the artist who helped me to gain success in London.' * 3. Yiddish Theatre and music hall in London: 1880 - 1905

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The Pavilion theatre stalls and pit seen from the stage (click to view larger image) * 4. The Pavilion Theatre - Drury Lane of the East

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Sureh-Hinde (Clara Meisels) looks on a Chetzkel (Meier Tzelniker) congratulates his prospective daugher-in-law (Anna Tzelniker) on hearing the news that his son Sam has become King of Lampedusa * 5. The war years

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Joseph Sherman as Haman/Hitler (left) and David Segal as Mordecai in Abish Meisels' modernised version of Goldfaden's 'King Ahasuerus' at the Adler Hall, 1946 * 6. Post-war to the present day

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