by the late 1920s, kalich's eyesight was failing, and she gradually became blind. though she officially retired in 1931, she continued to appear onstage occasionally, especially at evenings mounted in her honor that served to elevate her legacy in the yiddish theatre community. late in her life, she recorded scenes from goldfaden's historical plays for "the forward hour" on radio station wevd, but her poor health meant that she needed to rehearse long, grueling hours even for short parts. her last public appearance came on february 23, 1939, at a benefit for her at the jolson theater, where she recited the final scene of louis untermeyer's poem "heine's death".