VOLF (WŁADYSŁAW) VAYNTROYB

VOLF (WŁADYSŁAW) VAYNTROYB (February 18, 1891-Summer 1942)

            He was born in Loyvitsh (Lovich), Warsaw district, Poland.  He studied in religious elementary school, in a Polish high school, and later graduated from the art academies of Warsaw and Paris.  During WWI he fought on the French front against the Germans.  He returned to Poland in 1918 and lived in Warsaw until WWII.  He was secretary of the Jewish art society and cofounder of the theatrical variety show Azazel.  A well-known expressionist painter, he also painted the scenery for Perets’s Baynakht afn altn mark (Nighttime at the old market), Leivick’s Der golem (The golem), Gutskov’s Uriel akosta (Uriel Acosta), Broderzon’s Dovid un basheve (David and Bathsheba), and Opatoshu’s Heys blut (Warm blood), which were staged by the Vilna Troupe.  He published articles on theatrical topics and painting in Literarishe bleter (Literary leaves) and in the Polish Jewish Nasz przegląd (Our review)—both in Warsaw.  He was also a member of the editorial board (for issues that concerned art) of the journals Albatros (Albatross) and Khalyastre (Gang)—both in Warsaw.  He was confined in the Warsaw Ghetto and set out to improve the conditions of Jewish painters and as such was on the management committee of Jüdische Unterstützungsstelle (Jewish Aid Office, or JUS).  He was murdered by the Germans during the summer action of 1942, when he was deported to Treblinka from Umschlagplatz (the collection point in Warsaw for deportation).

Sources: Biblyografishe yorbikher fun yivo (Bibliographic yearbooks from YIVO), vol. 1 (Warsaw, 1928), see index; Z. Zilbertsvayg, Leksikon fun yidishn teater (Handbook of the Yiddish theater), vol. 1, p. 685; Yonas Turkov, Farloshene shtern (Extinguished stars) (Buenos Aires, 1953), vol. 2, pp. 100-8; Y. Sandel, Umgekumene yidishe kinstler (Murdered Jewish artists) (Warsaw, 1957), pp. 134-37.