The Past and the Future of Yiddish Theater

Born Mordkhe Rivesman in Vilna, Mark Rivesman had a traditional heder education until age twelve, after which he attended a Russian gymnasium. After teaching at Yiddish schools in Vilna for several years, Rivesman moved to St. Petersburg and began working with the Society for the Promotion of Culture Among the Jews of Russia (OPE) in 1896. He contributed regularly to Yiddish papers, notably Der fraynd, as well as Russian-language Jewish publications. In addition to his literary activity, Rivesman was involved with the Society for Jewish Folk Music, becoming a board member in 1912, as well as with several Jewish theater organizations, including the avant-garde director Alexis Granowsky’s studio. During his career, Rivesman wrote and translated several plays into Yiddish and Russian. he also wrote the Hanukkah song “Khanuke, Oy Khanuke!,” well known in the United States and elsewhere.