Weekly Reader: Zishe Breitbart
Published on November 10, 2024.
There are few more captivating characters in the annals of modern Yiddish culture than Zishe Breitbart. Forget all the writers, artists, and intellectuals (though we love them)—this guy was a celebrity in the true sense of the word. Known as the “strongest man in the world” and the “Ironking,” Breitbart was a circus strongman, vaudeville performer, and all-around folk hero. Born in Strykow, Poland, in 1893 to a family of blacksmiths, Breitbart achieved international fame by doing things such as bending iron bars and tearing sheets of steel, holding a car in the air with passengers inside, and hoisting baby elephants aloft. To his Jewish fans he was not just a talented and freakishly strong performer but a repudiation of the stereotypes that cast Jews as weak and sickly. In honor of Breitbart, who died October 12, 1925, let’s take a look at his remarkable life and influence.
—Ezra Glinter, Senior Staff Writer and Editor
Family Legacy
Breitbart died relatively young, after accidentally stabbing himself with a spike during a performance, and as far as I can tell, he never had any children. (If you know differently, let me know!) He did, however, have other descendants, one of whom is a great-nephew, Gary Bart, who made a film about his great-uncle called Invincible. In this interview with our Wexler Oral History Project, Bart discusses some of Breitbart’s performances, including knocking a bull out with a punch to the head.
Star Power
Given Breitbart’s fame and notoriety, it’s no surprise that he shows up in contemporaneous media—not just in newspapers but also in individual memoirs. Ber Kutsher was a brilliant reporter and sketch writer for Warsaw’s main Yiddish daily, Haynt, who also turned his hand to pulp fiction, serious novels, satirical revues, and comic opera. Geven amol varshe (Vanished Warsaw), his memoir of 1920s Jewish Warsaw, is a cinematic feast of vivid anecdotes and personalities, including a trip to one of Breitbart’s shows.
Role Model for the Youth
Breitbart was both famous and popular, but he wasn’t universally beloved. You can just imagine: to the curmudgeons out there, Breitbart’s antics were regarded like comic books would be a generation or two later (according to one rumor, Breitbart was the inspiration for Superman) or video-games today. But the kids loved him, and no wonder. If you read enough memoirs from the period you’ll realize that the children who were supposed to be studying in kheyder were just as likely to be outside playing games. Some things never change.
Watch an interview with Alan Kasal about playing street sports in Brooklyn
Healthy Living
Breitbart’s influence had a more serious side. He may have died of blood poisoning after impaling himself in the leg, but his physical robustness and vigor were a veritable advertisement for the benefits of healthy living. He published a book titled Muscular Power and offered a mail-order course for those who wanted to bulk up. And in general, the Yiddish publishing market was full of books offering advice on healthy living, whether or not the goal was to bend steel and lift large mammals in the air.
Read Der alef-beys fun gezunt (The ABCs of Health), published by the Natural Health Institute