Fraydele Oysher

Fraydele Oysher (October 3, 1913 – January 5, 2004) was an American Yiddish theater actress and musical performer. She was one of the first female singers to publicly perform cantorial music.[1][2] She was the mother of American actress and comedian Marilyn Michaels and Michael Sternberg, the sister of American actor and cantor Moishe Oysher, and the wife of Harold Sternberg, a Broadway and Metropolitan Opera performer.[1] Throughout her career, she performed in the United States, Canada, South America, and Cuba.[3]

Fraydele Oysher
Background information
Born(1913-10-03)October 3, 1913
Lipkon, Bessarabia, Imperial Russia
DiedJanuary 5, 2004(2004-01-05) (aged 90)
GenresHazzan
Occupation(s)Actress, singer

Life and work

Early life

Oysher was born in Lipkon, Bessarabia, Imperial Russia, which is now part of Moldova.[1] She was the daughter of a cantor.[1] As a child, Fraydele and her brother Moishe were taught synagogue chants[2] by their father, Selig Oysher,[3] and were immersed in religious music.[2] The Oysher family immigrated to the United States when Fraydele and Moishe were children.[4]

Performance career

Oysher worked as a child actress, performing in musicals written specifically for her at Yiddish theaters in New York City, among them The Little Queen, The Golden Girl, and Fraydele's Wedding.[1] Frequently, she played the role of the Yeshiva boy who is later revealed to be a girl.[1][2]

After moving to New York, Oysher performed in Louis Kramer's acting troupe at the Amphion Theatre, on radio, and in concerts.[5]

Personal life

She and Harold Sternberg married in 1935.[5] Sternberg performed at the Metropolitan Opera as a basso profundo opera singer.[5] Oysher had two children, daughter Marilyn Michaels and son Michael Sternberg.[1]

References
  1. Lavietes, Stuart (2004-01-10). "Fraydele Oysher, 90, Actress Who Starred in Yiddish Theater". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
  2. "- Judaica Sound Archives". faujsa.fau.edu. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
  3. "oysher/fraydele/v8". www.museumoffamilyhistory.com. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
  4. "Fraydele Oysher". www.marilynmichaels.com. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
  5. "Fraydele Oysher". yivoarchives.org. Retrieved 2016-06-07.
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