Shmuel Rodensky (1902-1989) was a stage and screen actor. A bona fide giant of the stage, and a true trailblazing Hebrew theatre-maker and performer in Israel/Palestine. Rodensky was born in Belarus but managed to flee it during World War I. In 1924, after a long arduous journey, he finally made it to Palestine. His parents, who had stayed behind in Europe, were later murdered by the Nazis in the Ponary Massacre.
Rodensky soon became a fixture on local theatre stages like the Koom-Koom [‘kettle’] and Matate [‘broom’] theatres, until eventually landing a spot in Habima National Theatre’s company in 1948 – a place that would remain his artistic home for many years to come. Owing to his large imposing stature, thundering voice, heavy and instantly recognisable accent, and an infinite abundance of charm, he quickly became one of the most beloved stage and screen actors of the time amongst theatre and filmgoers.
In 1965, Rodensky headed to Giora Gudik’s theatre on loan from Habima where he was double-cast [role-sharing] with Bomba Tzur in the role of Tevye the milkman in the musical Fiddler on the Roof. The musical was a smash hit, on the heels of which Rodensky stayed in the role when the production headed to Europe, touring Germany and Switzerland amongst other destinations.
Highlights of his Habima stage credits include: I Like Mike (1956), The Wild Duck (1954), The Teahouse of the August Moon (1955), The Diary of Anne Frank (1957), Sparrow on Mayumba Beach (1957), The Visit (1959), The Emperor’s Clothes (1961), Twelve Angry Men (1959), and Emil and the Detectives (1962).
Rodensky was one third of the comedy ensemble The Three Shmuliks, along with Shmuel Segal and Shmuel Atzmon. The trio staged and performed numerous Hebrew and Yiddish-speaking productions and are fondly remembered for The Spinning Wheel (An Evening of Shalom Aleichem Stories), and the sketch ‘The Histadrut [trade union] Building’, written by Ephraim Kishon for Rodensky and Segal.
In the sixties, Rodensky starred in the popular radio play series The Simhon Family, where he played the family patriarch, Noah.
In film, Rodensky is remembered for his timeless performance in Boaz Davidson’s 1986 cult classic Alex is Lovesick [‘Alex Holeh Ahavah’] playing the torah teacher whose job it was to prepare Alex for his Bar Mitzvah service. Highlights of his other film credits include This is the Land [‘Zot Hi Ha’aretz’] (Baruch Agadati, 1935), Tel Aviv Taxi (Larry Frisch, 1956), A Pound a Piece (Yoram Gross, 1963), Sallah Shabati (Ephraim Kishon, 1964), Two Kuni Lemel (Israel Becker, 1966), Tevye and his 7 Daughters [‘Tuvia Vesheva Benotav’] (Menahem Golan, 1968), Heintje – Meiner Bester Freund (Werner Jacobs, 1970), Katz and Carrasso (Menahem Golan, 1971), Scorpio (Michael Winner, 1973), The Odessa File (Ronald Neame, 1974), Operation Thunderbolt (Menahem Golan, 1977), and Aunt Clara (Avraham Heffner, 1977).
Rodensky was the 1984 recipient of the Israel Prize in the Theatre category. He was married to actor Nura (‘Nyura’) Shein (1902-1992).
