Norway - Part 3 - Mary and the play “Uriel Akosta”

Mary and the play “Uriel Akosta”

Mary (1935)

Mary had two photo albums, which she brought with her from Norway together with a small pile of loose photographs and three larger more formal ones. Two of these larger ones were of the cast of some theatrical play. The relevance of these two photos to Mary was that she was in the cast. What the play was about she had never said. All that she had mentioned was that she had done some amateur theatre in Norway. Clearly that she had kept these two photographs was important to her.

In mid-2019 when I first approached the Jewish Museum in Oslo, I told them briefly about the Lurie family and asked if they were in any way interested in some of these photographs. They were very interested and asked if I would scan and send them on, which I did. Here hangs a tale, which unfolds below.

In response to the two pictures of the cast of the play, I received the following reply from the Jewish Museum.

“Dear Stanley,

Thanks again. Great items! I am especially thrilled to see the photo of the amateur theatre group from 1934, as we have no photos of neither Herman Samersav (1888-1942) or Isidor Dembowsky (1894-1960). The text on the back says that the play was performed in celebration of Jacob Kerner’s 15th anniversary as an actor in Oslo. Jacob Kerner (1886-1942) was the founder of the Jewish Youth Organisation’s theatre group in 1919, and remained its chairman until he was deported and killed in Auschwitz in 1942. As a matter of fact, out of the 6 persons on the photo, only your mother and Isidor Dembowksy (who was married to a non-Jewish woman) survived the Shoa.” 

(l to r) Isidor Dembowsky, Herman Samersav, B. Gordon, K. Levin, Mary Lurie, Jacob Kerner

A few days later, I was delighted to receive the following e-mail.

“Dear Stanley,

Oddly enough, while going through some old back issues of the Jewish monthly magazine “Hatikwho” from 1930 (see enclosed), I found a review of the play depicted on the photo you sent me (it’s from April 1930, not 1934). It’s fairly long and pretty devastating for the actors involved, with one exception, Mary Lurie. I’ll translate a small segment for you: “It soon came about that very few of the actors had even a spark of emotion for the content of the play. The exception being Jacob Kerner – Uriel, and especially Mary Lurje – Jehodis. Jehodis interpretation of the beauty of nature and the grand love for Uriel was brilliantly performed. She was endearing and inspired by her task. Uriel – Kerner did a ok job, but the part was too powerful for him…”

So, turns out your mother had quite a bit of acting talent! So, turns out your mother had quite a bit of acting talent!”

Review of the play in “Hatikwho”

Examining the write-up more closely I found reference to Rakel Katz, who lived with her family in the same building as the Lurie family. Rakel and Mary and Selma were friends.

Rakel Katz (left), Selma (2nd from right), Mary (right) (3 April1932)

And the play – Uriel Akosta. What was that all about?

Uriel da Costa, Uriel Akosta or d'Acosta (born c. 1585, Oporto, Portugal—died April 1640, Amsterdam, Netherlands), freethinking rationalist who became an example among Jews of one martyred by the intolerance of his own religious community. He is sometimes cited as a forerunner of the renowned philosopher Baruch Spinoza. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uriel_da_Costa

The German writer Karl Ferdinand Gutzkow wrote the play. He was notable in the Young Germany movement of the mid-19th century. With his play Uriel Akosta, and other works, Gutzkow stood up for the emancipation of the Jews; this play would later become the first classic play to be translated into Yiddish, and become a longtime standard of Yiddish theater.

Uriel Akosta - full cast