Julius Adler

Julius Adler (September 23, 1906 – December 28, 1994) was a Jewish-American actor, writer, and director in Yiddish theater.

Career He was born in Biłgoraj, Poland, into an Orthodox Jewish family. When his father died six years later his mother emigrated to America leaving the children with grandparents. In 1920 the family was reunited in the United States and Julius began to work in theater. He originally trained as a hat maker; when his stepfather learned of his desire to become an actor, Adler was put out of the family home. He got as far as the fire escape where he slept and where his mother gave him food. When Adler's stepfather learned about the amount of money his stepson was making in his acting career, he was invited to move back into the family apartment.

Later life and career In 1935, he met Henrietta Jacobson while both were appearing with Herman Yablokoff (Hayim Yablonik) in McKinley Square Theater. She was a divorcee with a young son from a prior marriage. Henrietta had deep roots in the Jewish theater community. Her parents, Joseph and Bessie, were Yiddish theater stars at the beginning of the 20th century, and her brothers, Hymie and Irving, not only performed but owned several prominent Yiddish theaters in New York City. in 1948 they played in London. In 1950 he became director of the National Theater and produced Yiddish vaudeville. The couple also wrote plays. The Adler family played the London Palladium with Sophie Tucker in the 1950s. He had an uncredited role as the High Priest in the 1935 film, She. Adler was cast as Aleksei (the priest) for the film Tevya (1939). The musical Fiddler on the Roof was based on this film, though this early version of the story was non-musical. His last film role was as a comedian in the 1950 Catskill Honeymoon,

Adler and his wife were performing in non-Yiddish theater by the 1960s.

Death The couple is buried in the Yiddish Theatrical Alliance section (Block 67) of Mount Hebron Cemetery. The section is reserved for those who were part of New York's Yiddish theater and is maintained by the Alliance.