Reizl Bozyk
Encyclopedia
Reizl Bozyk also known as Rose Bozyk, was a Polish-born American actress of the Yiddish theatre
.
Her claim to mainstream fame was her sole film role in which she played the interfering grandmother of Amy Irving
in Joan Micklin Silver
's film Crossing Delancey
(1988). She also appeared in a memorable "Law and Order
" episode
"Night and Fog" which aired in season 3.
She had been an enduring star of the Yiddish stage in New York, and earlier in Poland and Argentina, appearing in hundreds of productions, often as a comedian and later as the familiar mother or mother-in-law character who often stole the show. She began acting in the Yiddish theater in Poland at the age of 5 or 6, performing first with her parents and then with Max Bozyk, whom she later married.
Max and Reizl Bozyk and their daughter fled the Nazis in 1939, traveling first to Argentina, and, in 1941, to New York City. For three decades, they were inseparable on the Yiddish stage, starring in one play or revue after another. Summers were spent performing the borscht belt
!!
In an interview when Crossing Delancey
opened, Bozyk joked that the 37 years spent with her husband had been like 74 because they'd spent their entire days and nights together.
In 1970, after a performance at New York's Town Hall, her husband collapsed and died. Reizl continued performing, touring the country in Yiddish revues. she went on to appear in New York's "Town Hall" with the celebrated Israeli star Mary Soreano and all star revues. In 1989 she essayed her first stage role in English, appearing in the comedy Social Securitydirected by Peter Lowey at the Forum Theater in Metuchen, New Jersey
. The following year she recreated her Crossing Delancey role on stage in Florida, and was due to tour again when she suddenly passed.
Yiddish theatre
Yiddish theatre consists of plays written and performed primarily by Jews in Yiddish, the language of the Central European Ashkenazi Jewish community. The range of Yiddish theatre is broad: operetta, musical comedy, and satiric or nostalgic revues; melodrama; naturalist drama; expressionist and...
.
Her claim to mainstream fame was her sole film role in which she played the interfering grandmother of Amy Irving
Amy Irving
Amy Davis Irving is an American actress, known for her roles in the films Crossing Delancey, The Fury, Carrie, and Yentl as well as acclaimed roles on Broadway and Off-Broadway. She has been nominated for an Academy Award, two Golden Globes, and has won an Obie award...
in Joan Micklin Silver
Joan Micklin Silver
Joan Micklin Silver is an American director.She was born in Omaha, Nebraska and received her B.A. From Sarah Lawrence College....
's film Crossing Delancey
Crossing Delancey
Crossing Delancey is a romantic comedy film starring Amy Irving and Peter Riegert released in 1988. It is directed by Joan Micklin Silver and based on a play by Susan Sandler, who also wrote the screenplay...
(1988). She also appeared in a memorable "Law and Order
Law and Order
Law and Order may refer to:In politics:*Law and order , a term common in political debate and discussion, generally indicating support of a strict criminal justice system*Law and Order Offensive Party, a minor German political party...
" episode
"Night and Fog" which aired in season 3.
She had been an enduring star of the Yiddish stage in New York, and earlier in Poland and Argentina, appearing in hundreds of productions, often as a comedian and later as the familiar mother or mother-in-law character who often stole the show. She began acting in the Yiddish theater in Poland at the age of 5 or 6, performing first with her parents and then with Max Bozyk, whom she later married.
Max and Reizl Bozyk and their daughter fled the Nazis in 1939, traveling first to Argentina, and, in 1941, to New York City. For three decades, they were inseparable on the Yiddish stage, starring in one play or revue after another. Summers were spent performing the borscht belt
Borscht Belt
Borscht Belt, or Jewish Alps, is a colloquial term for the mostly defunct summer resorts of the Catskill Mountains in parts of Sullivan, Orange and Ulster counties in upstate New York that were a popular vacation spot for New York City Jews from the 1920s through the 1960s.-Name:The name comes from...
!!
In an interview when Crossing Delancey
Crossing Delancey
Crossing Delancey is a romantic comedy film starring Amy Irving and Peter Riegert released in 1988. It is directed by Joan Micklin Silver and based on a play by Susan Sandler, who also wrote the screenplay...
opened, Bozyk joked that the 37 years spent with her husband had been like 74 because they'd spent their entire days and nights together.
In 1970, after a performance at New York's Town Hall, her husband collapsed and died. Reizl continued performing, touring the country in Yiddish revues. she went on to appear in New York's "Town Hall" with the celebrated Israeli star Mary Soreano and all star revues. In 1989 she essayed her first stage role in English, appearing in the comedy Social Securitydirected by Peter Lowey at the Forum Theater in Metuchen, New Jersey
Metuchen, New Jersey
Metuchen is a Borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States, which is 8 miles northeast of New Brunswick, 18 miles southwest of Newark, 24 miles southwest of Jersey City, and 29 miles southwest of Manhattan, all part of the New York metropolitan area...
. The following year she recreated her Crossing Delancey role on stage in Florida, and was due to tour again when she suddenly passed.