æz ɐ tˈiːneɪdʒɚ hiː tˈʊk pˈɑːɹt ɪn ɐ jˈɪdɪʃ θiːˈætɹɪkəl ɡɹˈuːp, ʌntˈɪl hiː ˈɛntɚd ðə wˈɔːɹsɔː kənsˈɜːvətˌoːɹi æɾ ˈeɪdʒ nˈaɪntiːn.
As a teenager he took part in a Yiddish theatrical group, until he entered the Warsaw Conservatory at age 19.