NOKHUM BAZILINSKI

NOKHUM BAZILINSKI (1836-1901)

Born in Zhitomir (Zhytomyr) into a wealthy family.  For a time he studied together with Avrom Goldfaden in Zhitomir in a rabbinical school.  He later pursued his studies in Odessa.  He published the play Der bilbl (The frame-up), which Goldfaden adapted with the title Doktor Almasada (Dr. Almasada).  His play, Di meshugene oys libe (Crazy in love) was performed in 1880s in Russia with considerable success, as well as in other European countries and in the United States.  In 1880 he wrote Di shtile khasene, oder di farfolgte libe (The quiet wedding, or persecuted love), censorship dated: Kiev, June 24, 1905; and it was published by his brother, A. Bazilinski, 56 pp.  In 1881 he translated Ludwig Philippson’s Esther, a tragedy in five acts (Odessa, 84 pp.).  He did the same for Philippson’s Gedalia under the title Gedalyes toyt (Gedalia’s death), published by A. Bazilinski, 72 pp.  In Zalmen Reyzen’s Leksikon, vol. 1, his name is misspelled as Bazelinski.

Sources: Y. Sh., “Umbakante yidishe dramaturgn” (Unknown Yiddish playwrights), Pinkes (YIVO, New York, 1928); Z. Zilbertsvayg, Teater-leksikon, vol. 1 (New York, 1931), and his Teater-mozaik (Theater mosaic) (New York, 1941); Zalmen Reyzen, Leksikon, vol. 1, p. 899.