Re: Joseph Moskowitz

[Sapoznik <Sapoznik...>]

Hi Mika,
There is a nice little biography (in Yiddish) of Jos. Moskowitz in one of the 
editions of "The Lexicon of the Yiddish Theater" written  by Zalmen 
Zylberzweig. I've read it but am pretty sure that it neglects to mention 
Moskowitz's sweet tooth for standing under the khupe.
About the family folklore that the Andrews Sisters rendition of "Joseph, 
Joseph" was about your illustrious relative, I have my doubts. As I point out 
in my book, the Andrews' 1938 version of the song was an English adaption of 
Nellie Caseman and Samuel Steinberg's monster 1923 Yiddish theater hit 
"Yosl". Though Moskowitz was already very popular by the time it was written, 
so was the name "Yosl", the protagonist in the song. 
I also quote in my book a wonderful extended passage about Moskowitz taken 
from the brilliant but unjustly neglected 1930 novel "Jews Without Money" by 
Michael Gold 
Hope this helps.


Henry Sapoznik
Author
"Klezmer! Jewish Music 
>From Old World to Our World" (Schirmer) 

---------------------- jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org ---------------------+