Sanitar

Lore & Background

Adler's service as a sanitar was a direct result of the Russo-Turkish War, which brought on universal conscription of young men. To avoid being drafted, his family urged him to bribe his way into the Red Cross Medical Corps. He was selected by Prince Vladimir Petrovich Meshersky, apparently based on little more than his appearance, to work at a German hospital in Bender, Moldova. There, he dealt mainly with typhus patients over a period of four months. His work earned him a Gold Medal for Outstanding Achievement, and he became a favorite among the established Jewish families in Bender. Returning to Odessa after his service, he took a job distributing newspapers, which required getting up at 6 a.m.—a difficult schedule for a carouser like him. This newspaper connection soon led him to hear about the effects of the war on Yiddish theater in Bucharest, which ultimately drew him back toward the theatrical world.

In Their Own Story

The stench of typhus filled the German hospital in Bender, a miasma of sweat and decay. Jacob Adler, barely more than a boy, moved between the cots, his sanitar's uniform already stained. He had bribed his way into this role, escaping the Tsar's conscription, but now he faced a different kind of war—a war against fever and death. Prince Vladimir Petrovich Meshersky had chosen him, for his looks, perhaps, or for some fleeting favor. For four months, Adler worked among the dying, earning a Gold Medal for Outstanding Achievement and the gratitude of Bender's Jewish families. When he finally returned to Odessa, the city felt different. He took a job distributing newspapers, rising at dawn, but his nights were still restless. It was through this work that he heard the news: the war had brought Jewish merchants to Bucharest, and with them, a boom for Abraham Goldfaden's Yiddish theater. The stage was calling, and Adler, the decorated sanitar, was ready to answer.

Reader's Guide

Adler's time as a sanitar was brief but pivotal, lasting only four months during the Russo-Turkish War. He worked at a German hospital in Bender, Moldova, primarily treating typhus patients. His selection for this role came through Prince Vladimir Petrovich Meshersky, who chose him based largely on his appearance. The position was a deliberate evasion of universal conscription, arranged through bribery at his family's urging. Despite the grim work, Adler earned a Gold Medal for Outstanding Achievement and built goodwill with local Jewish families. After his service, he returned to Odessa and took a job distributing newspapers—a respectable but demanding job that required a 6 a.m. start. This job connected him to news of the war's broader effects, including the flourishing of Yiddish theater in Bucharest, which would eventually draw him back into the orbit of theater troupes like those of Israel Rosenberg and Jacob Spivakofsky.

Did You Know?

• Adler earned a Gold Medal for Outstanding Achievement for his four months of service as a sanitar during the Russo-Turkish War.
• He was selected for the sanitar role by Prince Vladimir Petrovich Meshersky, apparently based on little more than his appearance.
• Adler's work as a sanitar primarily involved dealing with typhus patients at a German hospital in Bender, Moldova.
• After his sanitar service, Adler took a job distributing newspapers, which required him to get up at 6 a.m.
• His newspaper job led him to hear about the boom in Yiddish theater in Bucharest, a direct result of the Russo-Turkish War.