Finding the Jewish Shakespeare: The Life and Legacy of Jacob Gordin

by Beth Kaplan

Born of an Anglican mother and a Jewish father who disdained religion, Kaplan knew little of her Judaic roots and less about her famed great-grandfather until beginning her research, more than twenty years ago. Shedding new light on Gordin and his world, Kaplan describes the commune he founded and led in Russia, his meteoric rise among Jewish New York’s literati, the birth of such masterworks as Mirele Efros and The Jewish King Lear, and his seething feud with Abraham Cahan, powerful editor of the Daily Forward. Writing in a graceful and engaging style, she recaptures the Golden Age and colorful actors of Yiddish Theater from 1891-1910. Most significantly she discovers the emotional truth about the man himself, a tireless reformer who left a vital legacy to the theater and Jewish life worldwide.

Genres: Biography

288 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2007

About the author

I grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia and worked as a professional actress for a decade before leaving the stage to earn an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia.

My new book, Midlife Solo: writing through chaos to find my place in the world, is a compilation of powerful, humorous, thoughtful essays about my difficult midlife years as a single mother and struggling writer.

My first four books are: "Finding the Jewish Shakespeare," a biography of my once-famous great-grandfather; "All My Loving," a memoir of the sixties, Beatlemania, and the year my family lived in Paris; "True to Life," a succinct guide to personal narrative that's the textbook for my courses; and "Loose Woman," the story of the dramatic year my life changed forever.

Since 1994, I've taught memoir and personal essay writing; in 2012, the University of Toronto gave me its Excellence in Teaching award. My essays have appeared in many newspapers and magazines and on CBC radio.

I started writing stories and letters at the age of six and a diary at nine and have never stopped. The blog on my website is now my diary.

Reviews

[Jay Resnick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully written story of Jacob Gordon’s life in Russia and the USA. The author expertly provides the cultural and historic context for Gordon’s career.

[Shiraz · Rating 2 out of 5]

While really fascinating to read about the life of the Yiddish playwright Jacob Gordin, this biography was not as scholarly as I would have liked. It is written by his great grandaughter and there were several points where I felt more unsavoury things were glossed over. Clearly Kaplan did a lot of research into Gordin's life this book however doesn't do justice to what must have been painstaking research instead opting for narrative without detailing the backup for some of those anecdotes.