SHLOYME LINDERFELD

SHLOYME LINDERFELD (b. October 30, 1878)

            He was born in Warsaw, Poland.  He studied in religious primary school and in a Russian business school.  He chanted as a prayer leader, and he later joined a Yiddish theater troupe and became an actor.  He acted in various countries, before returning to Poland and becoming an entertainer at celebrations.  He published in his own name and with his initials “Sh. L.” numerous poems and couplets to popular melodies.  The publisher “Melodye” (Melody) in Warsaw brought out the following poems by Linderfeld, originals and those translated and adapted by him: “Di lustike minut” (The cheerful minute), “Dos shpayze tsetl” (The food list) (1910), “Ikh hob a kale” (I’ve got a bride), “Ikh borgn nisht keynem” (I lend to nobody) (1912), “Di havdole” (The end of the Sabbath and start of ordinary week), “Di lodkelekh” (The little boats), “Ven ikh tref dikh aleyn baynakht” (When I meet you alone at night), “Meshiekh af dem oytomobil” (The messiah in a car) (1916), “Dovidl iz popular” (David is popular), “Dos yingl mit a pas” (The boy with a pass) (1918), “Gvald, vu nemt men a dire?” (Help, where do I get an apartment?), “Tsum dashek” (To the peak), “Vos zogt ir af mayn mazl?” (What do you say about my luck?), “Donki, monki biznes” (Donkey, monkey business), “Yontef in der vokhn” (Holiday on weekdays), “Nerven, nerven” (Nerves, nerves), “Di velt hot zikh ibergekert” (The world turned over) (1926), and “Gvald, vu nemt men koyln?” (Help, where do I get coal?), published in “35 letste teater-lider” (Thirty-five final theater poems) (Warsaw, 1930).  He also published: 4 naye lieder (Four new songs) (Warsaw, 1927); and Dos naye lied (The new song) (Warsaw, 1928).  He also wrote the one-act plays: Der geferlikher lokator, fars in eyn akt (The perilous tenant, a farce in one act) (Warsaw: L. Goldfarb, 1927), 16 pp., freely translated from a Polish farce; Der feter fun provints, fars in eyn akt (The uncle from the provinces, a farce in one act) (Warsaw: L. Goldfarb, 1927), 16 pp., translation of G. Timor’s play; A kale af probe, a komedye in eyn akt (A bride on trial, a comedy in one act), adapted and published in Dray naye eynakters (Three new one-act plays) (Warsaw, 1927); Khantshe-gnendil baym doktor (Khantshe-Gnendil at the doctor), a humorous piece (adapted by Lindenfeld); and Der shver als eydem, a komishe fars-komedye in eyn akt (The father-in-law as son-in-law, a comedic farcical comedy in one act), translated and adapted by Lindenfeld (Warsaw: L. Goldfarb, 1928), 16 pp.

Source: Zalmen Zilbertsvayg, Leksikon fun yidishn teater (Handbook of the Yiddish theater), vol. 2 (New York, 1934).

Yankev Kahan