bˈɔːɹn ɪn vˈɪlnə, ɪnðə ɹˈʌʃən ˈɛmpaɪɚ tədˈeɪ vˈɪlnɪəs, lˌɪθjuːˈeɪniə, ɐsɹˈoʊ ɐtˈɛndᵻd ɐ tɹɐdˈɪʃənəl dʒˈuːɪʃ ˌɛlɪmˈɛntɚɹi skˈuːl tʃˈɛdɚ, ænd ˈɜːli ˌɔn ɡˈeɪv sˈɜːkəs pɚfˈoːɹmənsᵻz fɔːɹ ˈʌðɚ tʃˈɪldɹən təɡˌɛðɚ wɪð hɪz fɹˈɛnd dʒˈeɪkəb luːbˈɑːtski, ðə bɹˈʌðɚɹ ʌv sˈɑːnjə ɐlˈɑːmɪs bˈɔːɹn luːbˈɑːtski, ɐsɹˈoʊz fjˈuːtʃɚ wˈaɪf.
Born in Vilna, in the Russian Empire (today Vilnius, Lithuania), Asro attended a traditional Jewish elementary school (cheder), and early on gave 'circus' performances for other children together with his friend Jacob Lubotsky, the brother of Sonia Alomis (born Lubotsky), Asro's future wife.