Starring: Dzigan and Schumacher, Ida Kaminska, Alexander Martin
Without a Home (On a Heym)
Poland 1939
88 minutes
B&W Yiddish with English subtitles
Director: Alexander Martin, An Adolph Mann Production
Songs by Szajewiez
Cinematography: Jonil Owicz
Adapted from a stage play by Jacob Gordin
Cast: Ida Kaminska, Alexander Martin, Dzigan and Schumacher
The last Yiddish feature made in Poland before WWII, this 1939 film was based on a 1907 play by the prolific playwright Jacob Gordin.
Without a Home is the story of the separation and hardships faced by immigrants in America at the turn of the century. Its touching portrayal of the hardships of immigrant life enthralled Jewish theater audiences and it became part of the standard Yiddish stage repertoire in America and Poland.
The film provides a poignant and dramatic picture of a difficult era, focusing on the bleak prospects for the survival of traditional Jewish family values. When the eldest son of the Rivkin family is drowned, the father leaves his family in Europe to go to America. There he finds only financial hardship and loneliness, struggling to find a way to bring the rest of his family over.

Please note: These classical Yiddish Movies have been electronically enhanced to get the best possible video and sound quality. Due to the age and condition of the original movies, it was not always possible to have perfect results.