Shimon Dzigan

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Shimon Dzigan ( - 1980) was a Yiddish comedian.

He was one of the first young actors in the “Klein Kunst Theater” established by the poet Moishe Broderzon. Later he joined the “Ararat” Yiddish Theatre, and after it was closed teamed up with Israel Shumacher, to form the most famous Yiddish comic duo “Dzigan and Shumacher”. They made many films and stage shows in Poland and later in Israel. After Shumacher died , Dzigan went on performing until his own death in 1980.

The two outstanding comedians fled the Nazis to the Soviet Union. Both were incarcerated in a Stalinist work camp and managed to escape and rebuild in Israel the brilliant artistic path they had forged in Europe and the USA. They performed thirty years on stage and countless performances across the globe. Their works were made into an historic Yiddish-language television program, broadcast in Israel in the 1970s.