This is the funeral of my uncle - the famous Bulgarian theater director, Mois Beniesh on 8th May 1976, who died of sepsis after a long period of agony. The photo was taken in the ritual hall of the Sofia cemetery in Orlandovtsi quarter. The bereaved are in the first row - from right to left are: Eddy Schwarts - a nephew of Mois Beniesh's wife, Rebeka. Next to Eddy Schwarts is his wife - Maria, Mois Beniesh's daughter Maya is sitting next to her. Next comes her mother, Mois Beniesh's wife - Rebeka, dressed entirely in black. Next to her is Elvira - my mother and a sister of the deceased. I have turned my back, having covered in that way part of my mother's face. In accordance with the Jewish ritual the grave was covered but the dead man was dressed which contradicted the tradition.
Mois Beniesh, who in 1939 finished his secondary education in a Trade High School, started work as a bookkeeper in the hosiery factory 'Rufo'. He married Rebeka in 1935 and had a daughter - Maya Beniesh [An editor in the Theater Department of 'Hristo Botev' Program of the Bulgarian National Radio]. My uncle played an active role in the communist movement. In 1946 he left for Moscow as a spokesman for Georgi Dimitrov and there he enrolled at GITIZ (State Theater Institute) - drama directing. He returned to Bulgaria and became a director at 'Ivan Vazov' National Theater. [Mois Isak Beniesh was born on 29th May 1907 in Ruse. He died on 6th May 1976 in Sofia. He initially studied at the Drama School at the National Theater and until 1951 - at the State Theater Institute in Moscow in the class of Y. Zavadski. He worked as a drama director at the National Theater from 1951 until 1976. He was teaching at VITIZ (The Institute for Drama Arts in Bulgaria) from 1952 until 1976. A professor in Drama Directing since 1969. A characteristic feature of his work is the combination between a width of social generalizing and a deep analysis of the spiritual life of the characters. He stages works by Stephan Kostov, Arbuzov, Arthur Miller, A. Hakett, J. Priestley, B. Brecht, Gibson.]
