Mikhail Epelbaum

Mikhail Epelbaum ( Mikhail Iosifovich Epel'baum, Mikhl Epelboym, 1894-1957) was a well-known Yiddish baritone singer from Russia and the Soviet Union during the first half of the twentieth century. In 1937 he was appointed a Merited Artist of the Russian Federation.

Biography Early life Epelbaum's birthplace is disputed; according to Soviet sources he was born in 1894 in Odessa, whereas the Leksikon fun yidishn teater states instead that he was born in Brest-Litovsk and moved to Odessa at age 11. Most biographies agree that he was born into a family of tailors, but the same Leksikon reports that in Odessa his parents opened a tailoring equipment shop. After studying in a Cheder, Epelbaum studied in a private Gymnasium in Odessa.

Music and theatre career In 1910, at age sixteen, Epelbaum started performing in numerous Yiddish theatre wandering troupes, predominantly Operetta: Meyer Mishurat's, Ilya Korik's and A. Weinstein's in 1910 and 1912, Moisey Genfer's in 1911, Lazar Rappel's in 1913 and 1915–16, A. Fishzon's in 1914–15, N. Lipovsky's in 1916–17 and many others. During the Second World War, Epelbaum was evacuated to Siberia, but continued to give concerts, mostly in Russian, in various Soviet cities as well as in frontline hospitals.

After the war ended, he returned to Leningrad and also resumed his Yiddish concert performances all over the USSR.

Arrest and deportation In 1949, in the midst of a crackdown on Jewish culture in the Soviet Union, Epelbaum was arrested and sentenced to 10 years in labour camps.

Release and final years A year after Stalin's death, in 1954, Epelbaum was released from labour camps and returned to Leningrad. Officially, this was done "for medical reasons." He was rehabilitated in late 1956 only. But already since March 1955 he resumed his concert schedule on a permanent basis and until the end of his days toured widely throughout the USSR with concerts of Yiddish songs, returning joy and hope to the intimidated Jewish population of the country. Epelbaum died of Cancer in Leningrad on 15 April 1957.