Marie Waife

Marie Waife (née Marusi Solomonovna Rabinovich; October 29, 1892 – November 30, 1985) was an American writer best known for writing the 1968 biography, My Father, Sholem Aleichem, about the brilliant Yiddish author and playwright.

Marie Waife
Born
Marusi Solomonovna Rabinovich (also tr. Rabinowitz)

October 29, 1892[1][2]
Odessa, Russian Empire
DiedNovember 30, 1985 (aged 94)
White Plains, New York
Other namesMarie Waife-Goldberg
Known forWriting
Spouse(s)
Benjamin Waife
​
​
(m. 1917; died 1972)​
Parent(s)

Biography

Marie Waife was born in Odessa, Russian Empire (now Ukraine), in 1892 as the fifth child of Sholem Aleichem and his wife Olga (née Loyeva).[3] She lived in various locations throughout Europe including Switzerland, Germany and Italy due to financial insecurity until 1914 when she and her family migrated to the United States, residing in the Lower East Side of New York City.

She married the writer and journalist Benjamin Waife (known by his pen name Ben-Zion Goldberg)[4] in 1917 and had two sons, Sholom and Mitchell. In 1968, Waife published a biography of her father titled My Father, Sholem Aleichem, the first complete biography of the famous writer. She was known for holding meetings at her New York residence on the anniversary of Aleichem's death to read his works. Waife died in 1985 and was survived by her sons.[5]

References
  1. Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014. Social Security Administration.
  2. New York State, Passenger and Crew Lists, 1917-1965
  3. Huttner, Jan Lisa (December 2, 2014). Tevye's Daughters: No Laughing Matter. p. 39.
  4. Levitan, Eilat Gordin. "Ben-Zion Goldberg (nee Benjamin Waife)". www.eilatgordinlevitan.com.
  5. "Marie Waife- obituary". The New York Times. December 3, 1985. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
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