Pauline Edelstein (February 10, 1866 – September 27, 1942) was a

Yiddish theatre Yiddish theatre consists of plays written and performed primarily by Jews in Yiddish, the language of the Ashkenazi Jewish community. The range of Yiddish theatre is broad: operetta, musical comedy, and satire, satiric or nostalgic revues; melodr ...

actress.

Birth

Born Pauline Finkelstein, in

Iași Iași ( , , ; also known by other #Etymology and names, alternative names), also referred to mostly historically as Jassy ( , ), is the Cities in Romania, third largest city in Romania and the seat of Iași County. Located in the historical ...

, Romania on February 10, 1866, and died September 27, 1942, in Manhattan, New York. Her father was a "cutter" by profession.

Marriage

She was married to

Joseph Edelstein Joseph Edelstein (, 1858–1940) was an actor in Yiddish Theatre in America. Early life Joseph (Yozef) Edelstein was born December 10, 1858, in Iasi, Romania, Iaai, Principality of Wallachia (the area would become part of the United Principalitie ...

, a

owner, playwright and director. They had two children, Isidore Edelstein, who for a short time also acted in the Yiddish theatres, and Elias Edelstein, who worked with his father and later ran the Second Avenue Theater.

Early life

She learned in a "

primary school A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...

" with her sister Amalia. Amalia married actor Zigmund Mogulesko. Through her affiliation with her sister she entered the chorus of Mugulesko-Goldfaden's troupes in Romania and Russia. In Russia she acted as Genendl in Shom'r's '' Der Katorzhnik'' and as Tamar in

Joseph Lateiner Joseph Lateiner (December 25, 1853 – February 23, 1935, birth surname: Finkelshteyn) was a playwright in the early years of Yiddish theater, first in Bucharest, Romania and later in New York City, where he was a co-founder in 1903 with Sophia K ...

's '' Di libe fun tzion''.

America

In 1886 she emigrated to America with her husband and continued to act in Yiddish theatre mainly under the direction of her husband, Joseph Edelstein. She acted in character roles and was the first to act in the role of Mishke in Lateiner's operetta '' Mishke and Moshke'', and in

Jacob Gordin Jacob Michailovitch Gordin (Yiddish: יעקב מיכאַילאָװיטש גאָרדין; May 1, 1853 – June 11, 1909) was a Russian-American playwright active in the early years of Yiddish theater. He is known for introducing realism and nat ...

's (18531909) plays: Froy Rozenkrants in ''

Siberia Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...

'' on November 13, 1891, in

Jacob Adler Jacob Pavlovich Adler (Yiddish: יעקבֿ פּאַװלאָװיטש אַדלער; born Yankev P. Adler; February 12, 1855 – April 1, 1926)IMDB biography was a Jewish actor and star of Yiddish theater, first in Odessa, and later in London and ...

Union Theater Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Union ...

; Zelda in '' Der vilder mentsh'' on November 4, 1893, in the

Windsor Theatre The 48th Street Theatre was a Broadway theatre at 157 West 48th Street in Manhattan. It was built by longtime Broadway producer William A. Brady and designed by architect William Albert Swasey. The venue was also called the Equity 48th Stree ...

, as Madam Zhamanuli in '' Devorahle myukhst'' in 1893; and as Freyde Henye in '' Dovidl mshurr'' in 1899. In 1901 she guest-starred together with Boris and

Bessie Thomashefsky Bessie Thomashefsky (1873 – July 6, 1962), born Briche Baumfeld-Kaufman, was a Ukrainian-born Jewish American singer, actress and comedian, a star in Yiddish theater beginning in the 1890s. She was the wife and stage partner of Boris Thom ...

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

in Lateiner's '' Dovids fidele''. After that, due to illness, she withdrew from the stage. Both of her sisters, Amalia Mogulesko and Ernestine (Esther Finkelstein), for a short time acted on the Yiddish stage. Her son, Isidore Edelstein married Annie Thomashefsky, sister of Boris Thomashefsky.

Death

She died on September 27, 1942, in New York.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Edelstein, Pauline 1866 births 1942 deaths Actresses from Iași Romanian Jews Romanian emigrants to the United States Jewish American actresses Romanian vaudeville performers American vaudeville performers Yiddish theatre performers