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I FRONT PAGE I JEWISH SOCIETY & STYLE SECTION 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I JEWISH ARTS, CULTURE, STARS & ENTERTAINMENT SECTION 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I WORLD JEWISH THEATER: NEWS & REVIEWS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I JEWISH & ISRAEL POLITIC HEADLINES 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I NEWS & GOSSIPS FROM AROUND THE WORLD 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I FANCY LIVING MAGAZINE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 I LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 I CONTACT US I ARCHIVES 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 I TO ADVERTISE...SEE RATES I TO DONATE I
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JEWISH THEATER NEWS AND REVIEWS SECTION. SEPTEMBER 2005 By Maximillien de Lafayette, Editor-in-Chief of the World Jewish News Agency, Senior Art Critic of the International Herald Daily news http://www.internationalheralddailynews.org and World Art Celebrities Journal http://www.worldartcelebritiesjournal.com
REACHING 2,250.000 READERS AROUND THE GLOBE
MAJOR ISRAELI AND JEWISH EVENT IN NEW YORK CITYHEARING AND SEEING IS BELIEVING:ISRAELI DEAF-BLIND THEATER GROUP PERFORMS AT LINCOLN CENTERBy David Prince
MAJOR ISRAELI AND JEWISH EVENT IN NEW YORK CITYHEARING AND SEEING IS BELIEVING:ISRAELI DEAF-BLIND THEATER GROUP PERFORMS AT LINCOLN CENTER...Read the full article In Internet format
Nalaga'at (Do Touch), the only professional deaf-blind theater group in the world, which is based in Israel, will join The 2005 New York Jewish Music & Heritage Festival this month. The group is scheduled to perform its signature production Light is heard in Zig-Zag on Thursday, September 15, 2005 at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall, 33 West 60th Street and Broadway, at 8:00 PM. Most of the twelve actors in Nalaga'at suffer from Usher Syndrome, a condition that starts with congenital deafness and degenerates into visual impairment or total blindness. These unique performers have lightened the darkness and silence of their lives, by creating a show based on their memories, dreams and fantasies.
Adina Tal, a director and actress, established Nalaga'at as a non-profit organziation in 2002. The production, hailed by Israeli press as "the most surprising hit of Israeli theatre" developed through a long process involving work on motion skills, sign language and improvisation. The play examines the dreams and hopes of the deaf-blind, which to Tal's surprise, are the dreams and hopes of ordinary people, including falling in love, earning a living and celebrating birthdays. The audience experiences these dreams through short, clip-like passages; some are funny and others sad, but all are moving. Tal, and her co-director, businessman Eran Gur, share a vision that has not only changed the course of their lives, but which has also sparked a kind of social revolution concerning the deaf-blind. "The actors teach audiences about the weakness of the human condition, but also about its strength and determination. Witnessing their hard-earned achievements forces us to question whether we have accomplished all that we can as able-bodied people. They are an inspiring example of triumph over adversity," Tal said
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Innovative
Theater Troupe to Appear in NYC for Jewish Music and Heritage
Festival.
On September 15th at 8:00 PM, an incredible troupe of 12 deaf-blind actors will take the stage at Lincoln Center/Rose Hall. Their performance showcases talent, imagination, and courage. Audiences will not only lose themselves in the riveting experience, but they will also be moved to tears by the overall vision this group brings to the stage and beyond. For these performers, their world is one of total silence and darkness -- and yet, they've come together under the guidance of a remarkable woman named Adina Tal to create a one-hour show titled Light is Heard in Zig Zag. The actors suffer from Usher Syndrome, which begins with congenital deafness and tunnel vision and develops over the years, progressively restricting the visual field until total blindness occurs. Without sight or hearing, these men and women rely solely on their sense of touch to communicate with one another: hence the name of their non-profit troupe, Nalaga'at, which means "Do Touch" in Hebrew. Adina Tal will be available for interviews beginning September 5th, and the rest of the group arrives on September 10th. Attached, you will find a press release about the performance and a PDF of the event flyer. Photography and DVDs are also available upon request. More information about the troupe can also be found at http://www.nalagaat.org.il/. Contact: Elizabeth Baxter or Liz Lane 212.845.4212 or 212.845.4236 elizabeth.baxter@eurorscg.com or liz.lane@eurorscg.com . To contact the group: info@nalagaat.org.il
Photo: Adina Tal's production.
First and Only Deaf-Blind Theater Troupe from Israel Makes Rare U.S. Appearance
A Theater Performance That Transcends Sight and Sound Will Inspire All To Believe In Their Dreams
How do you communicate with others when you live in a world of complete silence and darkness? You touch. On September 15, 2005, a Lincoln Center audience will experience the extraordinary world of 12 deaf-blind actors who comprise the Nalaga’at (Hebrew for “Do Touch”) Theater Troupe. Their richly emotional production of “Light is Heard in Zig Zag” has enchanted audiences since the first ground-breaking performance in 2003. Fresh off 10 sold-out shows in Switzerland, Nalaga’at is staging a rare U.S. appearance as part of the second annual New York Jewish Music and Heritage Festival. “Light is Heard in Zig Zag” has won acclaim as “the most surprising hit of Israeli theater” and “the most unique social breakthrough in the world.” Each actor is accompanied onstage by an interpreter, who helps with timing and costume changes and taps the actors’ knees to communicate applause. Audiences around the world have been moved to tears. The group met in a drama class, and founder and director Adina Tal “recognized the potential of the group and fell in love with the people.” The production was created through a long process involving work on motion skills and improvisation, allowing the actors to transcend their own limitations. In Israel today, there are more than 1,000 deaf-blind people who live in silence, darkness, and solitude. Most deaf-blind people suffer from Usher Syndrome, which begins with congenital deafness and tunnel vision that develops over the years, progressively restricting the visual field until total blindness takes over. The non-profit organization Nalaga’at, established in December 2002, has raised the curtain for 12 deaf-blind people, allowing them to enjoy the most basic of rights: to give. The 2005 New York Jewish Music and Heritage Festival offers Nalaga’at the unique opportunity to reach a broad audience – young, old, religious, unaffiliated – and will facilitate a shared connection through the universal language of music. The 2005 festival will run for 10 days and includes over 60 concerts in prestigious concert halls, venues, and synagogues.
Nalaga’at Organization Directors: Adina Tal: Born in Switzerland, Adina came to Israel at the age of 20 and for many years has been active in the world of theater as a director and actress. Adina sought a new path to break through human boundaries. Within just a few years she built, together with a group of deaf-blind people, the performance “Light is Heard in Zig Zag.” Since then, her life has changed. Eran Gur: An Israeli-born businessman with some 20 years experience in the security field in Israel and abroad, Eran was invited by Adina to one of the first performances and since then has not been idle. Eran decided to change the course of his life, sold his business, joined Adina, and together, they wove a shared vision.
The Vision of the Organization: To establish an experimental and entertainment Center in Israel, the first of its kind in the world, in which deaf-blind people will be employed in a theater and a restaurant. The Center will offer unique theater productions as well as fine dining in complete darkness. The Center will serve as a model that enables disabled people to function in society while at the same time operate as an entertainment center for the general public, as well as an educational center and experimental meeting place for youngsters together with creative deaf-blind, able to contribute to and become part of society.
About the Downtown Arts Development: Downtown Arts Development, Inc. (D.A.D.), a non-profit organization as recognized by the IRS 501c3, was created in the Fall of 2004 to produce the inaugural New York Jewish Music & Heritage Festival, as part of the 350th anniversary celebration of the first Jews in America. The festival was a huge success reaching over one million people through strong media impressions and had 25,000 attendees during the 10-day event. This laid the groundwork for creating the organization’s purpose: to create, develop, and produce unique and compelling Jewish artistic programming that appeals to wide demographic audience. By leveraging the universal power of music, the organization is able to reach a large secular Jewish audience who might not otherwise recognize the artistic connection to Jewish culture. D.A.D.’s current strategy is to produce the New York Jewish Music & Heritage Festival and the Downtown Seder as annual events, along with a few ongoing music and art programs.
Details: New York Jewish Music Festival: “Light is Heard in Zig Zag”. Date: September 15, 2005 at 8:00 PM. Location: Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall. Tickets: Phone: Call 212.608.0555 for tickets. Running time: 75 minutes. Stage production and directions: Adina Tal. Group Manager: Eran Gur. Producer: Michael Dorf. ose Theater: The Rose Theater is located on the 5th floor of the Time Warner Center at Broadway and 60th Street. Information: The box office is located in The Shops at Columbus Circle inside the Broadway at 60th Street entrance. Directions: By subway: Take the A, B, C, D, #1 or #9 trains to 59th Street/Columbus Circle. By bus: The M5, M7, M10, M11 and M104 bus lines all stop within one block of Jazz at Lincoln Center.
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Upcoming shows at the Bendheim
Performing Arts Center,
JCC of Mid-Westchester for September/October 2005 PICON PIE – THE MOLLY PICON
MUSICAL. Off Broadway comes to Westchester! Direct from New York, the
Bendheim presents a musical biography of Molly Picon, the First Lady of
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Hollywood where she was nominated for an Academy Award. Starring as Molly
Picon is Tony Award Nominee June Gable who was last seen as Estelle,
Joey’s chain-smoking agent on “Friends.” Schedule: Wednesday, September 21
@ 1pm. *Saturday, September 24 @ 8pm. Sunday,. September 25 @ 1pm & 5pm.
Tickets: $40/$35 Seniors and JCC Members ; Saturday's performance $50*.
*Saturday’s performance will include a Wine & Cheese Q&A with the writer
Rose Leiman Goldemberg, author of the drama Letters Home and the film The
Burning Bed, and actress June Gable. Pecan pie to be served! . Bendheim
Box Office: 472-3300 x403. For more information see [
http://www.thebendheim.org
] www.thebendheim.org. An
Evening with Livingston Taylor. Saturday, October 22, 2005, 8:00pm.
Tickets: $38.00. A devoted fan base has celebrated singer-songwriter
Livingston Taylor's career for over thirty years. His prolific writing and
performing has produced twelve albums and about 100 songs, as well as
propelled him into perpetual tours, solo and with the best of rock n’ roll
legends including Linda Ronstadt, Jimmy Buffett, Fleetwood Mac, Jethro
Tull and his brother James. Rabin
musical premieres in Tel Aviv
An inspirational
way to remember and cherish the memory of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin
came in a most refreshing way: "HE WHO DREAMED", a MUSICAL to be performed
in November 2005 in Tel Aviv. The play rotates around the last 10
memorable years of the Israeli leader and world peace lover who was
assassinated in 1995. Gila Almagor, one of the best Israeli artists will play
Leah Rabin, while Oded Teomi will portray the late Rabin. It is an all stars
production which includes the highly celebrated Israeli singer Shuly Natan.
The musical is written and directed by
Gadi Inbar, a Los Angeles bases
playwright. Gila Almagor, one of
Israel`s leading actresses, was born in Eretz Israel in 1939, four months after
the death of her father, and grew up in various children`s institutions. She has
been a professional actress since the age of 17. At age 25, Almagor went to
study in New York. On her return two years later, she started performing in
Israel`s top theaters.
She has also appeared
in leading roles in some 40 movies as well as in numerous television programs,
and has hosted her own radio show for eight years. Gila Almagor has published
four books for children. Her first book, Aviya`s Summer, has been
translated into nine languages. The film based on the book received the Berlin
Silver Bear Award (1989), the Golden Spike Award at the Spanish Valladolid
Festival (1989), and was named Best Foreign Film at the 1989 San Remo Festival.
In 2004, Almagor received the Israel Prize for Cinema. She is actively involved
in voluntary work with children suffering from cancer.
Photos
from L to R: #1 Shuly Natan. # 2 Shuly with first Lady Hilary Clinton.
Since she first
electrified Israel with her heartfelt rendition of the then unknown
song, Jerusalem of Gold, Shuly Nathan has sung of the hope and the pain of the
nation. Ever since that historic performance in 1967, Shuly Nathan has performed
for countless audiences, in Israel and worldwide. Her unique voice holds the
listeners in its spell, and every performance turns into a spontaneous
sing-along. A storyteller, she accompanies her songs with stories in Hebrew,
English, French and Spanish. Shuly Nathan accompanies herself on the guitar, as
she sings Israeli songs, folk songs from around the world, Hassidic and Yiddish
songs and songs of the Oriental Jewish community. Her concerts last one and
one-half hours. Her singing can also be incorporated into performances on a
larger scale, for both personal and public events with a touch of gold. Shuly
Nathan has lived in Israel since she was two years old, when she arrived here
with her parents from her native London. Her childhood was an active pursuit of
two passions - athletics and music. At age 16 she made the choice to concentrate
on music, singing and playing the guitar. In the military, she was a
soldier-teacher, bringing literacy skills to new immigrants. As she taught them
to read and write in Hebrew, they taught her to sing in their native languages.
During that period she also appeared on amateur radio programs. Songwriter and
composer Naomi Shemer heard her singing, and asked Shuly Nathan to sing a song
she had written "as a vignette," an addition to the Independence Day Song
Contest in Jerusalem. The year was 1967, the song was Jerusalem of Gold. It is a
song that has stood, stands, and will stand above all competition. At the time
Shuly Nathan was still a soldier, and as she traveled along the war zone
entertaining the troops with her singing, the song took on a life of its own,
turning into a hymn, a prayer for peace. It was sung by worried civilians and by
weary soldiers. It was the heartbeat of the nation. The population of Israel was
then 2,500,000 - and 300,000 records were sold, a number unheard of in those
days. Since then, Jerusalem of Gold has been translated into some forty
languages. More songs followed. Part of the prevailing mood of the sixties was
the reawakening interest in folksongs, and Shuly Nathan embraced this grassroots
form. She collected folksongs as she traveled, and traveled as she sang her
songs. She sang songs of Israel and of Jews from around the world, American and
Irish folksongs, Hassidic and Ladino songs. Many of these songs are available on
CDs. For a decade or so her singing voice was silenced by the clamor of her five
children, but as they grew up, she returned to performing and recording. She has
toured the United States and Canada, sung in many European cities, and in
Australia Japan and South America.
THEATER: STAR OF THE YEAR INTERVIEW WITH CINDY BENSON, STAR OF "LES MISERABLES"
GET PUBLISHED! BECOME A CELEBRITY S HORT STORY INTERNATIONAL CONTESTWould you like to be a published author? Here is your chance! The World Jewish News Agency is sponsoring its first contest for short story writing!!!!!! We are not only news, commentary, and politics! You come to us because we are also culture, books, and style. And now we are taking it one step further. We want to encourage and sponsor good, interesting, and exciting writers, and we know that such writers exist among our readers in large numbers! We want YOUR short story! An independent committee, consisting of some of our finest writers, columnists, and contributors, will carefully read and evaluate each and every story. Of the many stories submitted, the committee will choose the twenty-five winners. A reputable and successful Print-On-Demand publisher will publish the twenty-five winning stories. It will be a beautiful book anyone would be proud to own, exceedingly suitable for gift giving, and it will be readily available from various sources, such as Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and the publisher. Who knows? Such an anthology may carry you into fame and fortune! FULL DETAILS ON HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR STORY AND ENTRY RULES.
OUTSIDE THE JEWISH WORLD A SPECIAL NEW SECTION ON WHAT'S HAPPENING ELSEWHERE...OUTSIDE OUR JEWISH WORLD AND POLITICS.People, countries, extravaganza, events, news, ideas, arts, entertainment, music, stars, celebrities, books, oddities, interviews, in-depth articles, gossips, culture. TABLE OF CONTENTS OF "OUTSIDE THE JEWISH WORLD. SEPTEMBER 2005"
HAVE YOU READ LATELY" FANCY LIVING MAGAZINE"? PUBLISHED BY THE WORLD JEWISH NEWS AGENCY. TÊTE-À-TÊTE WITH DR. ILIL ARBEL, AUTHOR OF "THE LEMON TREE" AMERICA'S 100 GREATEST & MOST FAMOUS JEWISH WOMEN THE WORLD'S 25 BEST HOTELS
IDIOT'S ULTIMATE GUIDE TO ETIQUETTE & GENTLEMAN SHIP. THE DOS AND DON'TS IN DINING WITH A JEWISH PRINCESS. BY MAXIMILLIEN de LAFAYETTE
"All
About Jewish Theatre" is the World's Best Jewish Theater, Art And Culture
Website.
RATING: 5 STARS OUT OF FIVE. TWO THUMBS UP!
Imagine the world of Jewish theater and arts without Modi Sandak's All About Jewish Theatre website! Such a world would not be complete, nor meaningful. In December 2001, thirty Jewish theatre Directors and academics from around the world met in Tel Aviv at a conference "Towards a Vibrant and Coherent Theatre of the Jewish People," hosted by the Jewish Agency's People to People center. Photo: Modi Sandak, the genius, the patron of the arts and founder and driving force of "All About Jewish Theater". They concluded with the decision to establish a Jewish Theatre Network on the Web. Pursuant to the conference, the Jewish Agency asked Modi Sandak to plan and design the Jewish World Theatre Website, to be based on his own initiative and ten years of research in Jewish theatre, rare collection of plays and professional articles, connections with leading libraries and databases around the world, and three years of accumulated research in Internet information technology together with European R&D institutions. Sandak's website is especially designed to provide a unifying environment that brings together all available information about the international world of Jewish Theatre and performing arts expertly linked, displayed and easily accessible to anyone. All About Jewish Theatre provides comprehensive and targeted coverage of the international community of Jewish Theatre and is the leading source of industry news in the world. Tens of thousands of professionals, educators, students and enthusiasts stay in touch with All About Jewish Theatre to get the facts, figures & dates of what, when, where and how coverage that they haven't been able to get till now anywhere else. Through All About Jewish Theatre, people worldwide, now have a single source for a vast array of information pertaining to all facets of the Jewish Theater manufacturers to consumers. Modi Sandak told the World Jewish News Agency: " We put the production & research capabilities of The World Jewish Theatre at your fingertips. And our objectives are to provide an easy to use platform for intercultural dialogue between Jewish Communities worldwide and the State of Israel through artistic exploration via the Internet. As well as an interactive network for professionals in The Performing Arts." "All About Jewish Theatre" Is An International Treasure. A Monumental Accomplishment! "ALL ABOUT JEWISH THEATER" is an international gem, and a rare treasure. It is abundant with needed information, news, in-depth articles, essays, photos, events calendar, historical biographies, and an international chronicle of Jewish theater and performing arts around the globe. In addition, it covers one million rainbows, aspects and subjects of Jewish culture, heritage, theater development, various Jewish theater genres, including Purimshpil, fists and celebrations-The Meaning of Jewish Holidays within the Cycle of Times, Yiddish Theatre, Holocaust Theatre: Theatre in Camps and Ghettos and ongoing post- Holocaust productions and research projects, Biblical Plays & Opera, Jewish Rituals and Sacred Theatre, Jewish Theatre in Arab Countries, Glodfaden and The American Musicals and Revues, The Renaissance of Hebrew Theatre in The State of Israel. In addition to 45 columns, more than 3000 professional articles and 1000 items in their Resource Center gathering zillions of books, magazines, films, plays, in-depth articles, weblinks and online solo performance catalogue. In short, "ALL ABOUT JEWISH THEATER" is an Internet Encyclopedia of the cosmos of Jewish theater! The website was carefully and magnificently designed to meet the needs of the theater community, including f Theatre Directors, Playwrights, Actors, Composers, Stage Designers and Architects, Events and Festivals Producers, Professionals from Museums, Libraries & Archives, Historians and Researchers, Cultural heritage Experts , Jewish communities Worldwide, Suppliers and the Media. AMAZING FEATURES AND PUBLIC SERVICES TO WORLD ART COMMUNITIES
CLICK HERE TO REVIEW THE MONTHLY MAGAZINES PUBLISHED BY THE WORLD JEWISH NEWS AGENCIES AND AVAILABLE ONLINE, ON THIS SITE FREE OF CHARGE.
Judaism Equals Theater… By Tuvia Tenenbom
By Judaism’s own definition, Judaism is not a race but a culture. A closer look at this culture will reveal a Theatrical Concept--i.e. a system of ideas, stories and imageries cleverly intertwined to create magical reality…To many people the assertion that “Judaism is a Theatrical Concept” would sound blasphemous or, in the least, pretty bizarre. But the truth is that Judaism shares, conceptually, more with Theater than with anything else. To illustrate this point, let’s first compare Judaism with its two monotheistic sisters/daughters, Christianity and Islam. While the New Testament and the Koran contain chapters-long glorifications of their founders, the Jewish Bible and Talmud tell innumerable stories of the wrongdoing of those in authority. Jealous leaders, oversexed kings, corrupt priests--and just plain old murderers and rapists. It almost seems that in Jewish culture leaders are made for the sole purpose of recording their misdeeds. That includes, interestingly enough, God himself. Jewish theology is filled to the brim with mutual recriminations between God and his ‘Chosen People.’ Just check your Bible… You may ask: If leaders are ridiculed, how will the flock hold together? Well, here comes the concept of Judaism Equals Theater… Judaism, a culture that delights in contradictions, is a theology that preaches its members to think for themselves. What the Jewish ‘Written Word’ does is merely provide a compass by which one can “finagle” his way in that mysterious maze called Life. To make sure nobody fucks this up and crowns himself a leader one shiny morning, the flame keepers of Jewish thought, those famed Talmudic rabbis, instituted the axiom that every opinion has an equally valid opposite opinion. And just like theater, where characters won’t stay long enough to answer the audience questions, Jews don’t have leaders who will satisfactorily answer their questioning. After all, how can you accept a leader’s verdict when his chief opponent is equally right? But, you might keep asking, if nobody leads the way, how will the flock move? To keep those of us who lack basic sense of directions from ever getting lost, Judaism came up with a perfect leader. His name is Messiah, a.k.a. ‘The Messiah that Never Arrives.’ That Messiah is somewhere out there, but he’ll evaporate in front of your eyes the moment he steps in front of you (try to imagine for a moment Messiah’s arrival in Israel; there won’t be two Jews alive who will accept his authority…). And if you ever wonder, What will I do with a Messiah that never arrives?, think of theater. In theater we have a similar personality; his name is Mr. Character. He’s on the stage, your Character, but he’ll die the second he crosses the Fourth Wall. He can effectively engage you from afar, but let him get near and you’ll lose any interest in him. Just like our Mr. Messiah. Messiah or not, Judaism and Theater share one creature in common, call him the Metaphor. Theatrical Characters and Jewish Law have nothing to do with reality, but the Metaphor created by both reigns supreme; hence their infinite power. If Judaism equals Theater, what is Jewish Theater ? For Jewish Theater to exist as such, it must take its cues from ancient Jewish texts. And that includes the notions that no idea should be foreign to such a theater, no question be silenced in it, and no answer ever supplied by it. The life of the theatrical, much like the life of the Jew, is best lived when it’s shrouded by the glory of the unknown and lit by the excitement of the ever-lasting Question Mark. This approach, so clearly alluded to in countless Jewish texts, has never materialized in the world of the so-called “Jewish theater” in America--with the noted exception of this theater. All too often American-Jewish theater presents a nonsensical glorification of the past, coupled with a suffocating absence of self-criticism. In Fiddler on the Roof, a musical that’s shaped the style of the American-Jewish theater for generations, a man suffering devastating poverty and brutally expelled from his country responds to his plight by blessing, singing and dancing. This portrait of Judaism, perpetual schlimazels who answer disaster with song and dance, has so influenced American Jews that to many of them Fiddler IS Judaism. Ask them for anything Jewish, and they will open in a song from Fiddler…For the Jewish Theater of New York, a company of artists who believe in challenges, making Jewish theater means presenting theatrical works that dare to ask, to challenge, to explore and, just like the great thinkers of Biblical times, wash our dirty laundry on the public stage when such laundry exists. Quite simply, we make it a point not to abide by any Stop sign. When we present a character on the stage, be it a Rightist or a Leftist, we’ll present him or her from their point-of-view--without judging. When, at times, we think it necessary to present nudity on the stage, we’ll do it fully and aplenty. When the Arab-Israeli conflict reaches new highs, we’ll get to the bottom of it. When we discover authentic journals of Jewish leaders from the Nazi period that have been kept secret by the powers that be for over sixty years, we make them public at once. When we come upon the story of the assassination of a gay rabbi by fellow Jews, we put the story on our stage with no hesitation. When passionate love letters to Adolf Hitler, written by countless European women, come our way--we put them on our stage despite alarming threats to our theater. When we notice black nannies pushing baby-carriages with white Jewish babies inside on the streets of New York, we make a musical of it. When we wake up in the morning and see Ms. Madonna teaching Judaism to the masses, and realize how religion is being marketed in our day and time, we make a play about it…a Mystical Comedy on the Nature of Religion…Very proudly, no subject or issue is foreign to us: be it the stereotyped JAP or the secretive Suicide Bomber, the common European or the reclusive American, Jewish racists and Jewish self-haters, virgins and pimps, lovers and foes, the righteous and the obnoxious---and anyone in between who’s got a good story to tell. If you ever wondered about the “Jewish” in The Jewish Theater of New York, now you know.
THEATER OF THE MONTH The Jewish Theater of New York: A major presence and a vibrant jewel of Jewish arts, heritage and performing arts. A world-class establishment and monumental accomplishment at many levels.
Now celebrating its twelfth year, and continuously presenting original work in New York, The Jewish Theater of New York (JTNY) is the only English-speaking Jewish theater company in the tri-state area. The JTNY’s productions have been translated into German, French, Hungarian, Italian and Polish, and successfully presented in the Artheater in Köln, Hamburger Kammerspiele in Germany, the Jewish Theater in Hamburg, and Theatre de Poche in Brussels, Belgium. The Mission of the JTN is to offer thought-provoking, different Jewish voice by presenting high-quality shows, plays and musicals about Jewish culture, identity and history; expose, confront and fight anti-Semitism in the US and abroad and to explore the question whether Judaism is a race, religion, or merely a system of thought. JTNY enjoys international recognition. Le Monde, the venerated French newspaper, declared The Jewish Theater of New York, “A new form of Jewish theater.” Die Zeit, the prestigious German paper, characterized one of our productions as “The best show in America.” Corriere della Sera, Italy’s most important daily paper: “Triumph of theater-making.” And the Swiss newspaper, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, asserted that our theater “does the impossible.” The American critics happily joined their overseas colleagues in writing excellent reviews of our productions. The New York Times: “Irresistibly fascinating, emotionally explosive, seductive and engaging.” The Village Voice: “A company of integrity, inquiry, and chutzpah,” The Jewish Week: “A brilliant theater, proudly, non-neurotically Jewish.” NPR: “A very courageous theater, breaking all taboos.” And the critic for Amsterdam News wrote: “The Most unique theatrical experience I’ve had.”
The Multiple Facets of the JTNY Although the JTNY is truly a Jewish theater company, informal audience research clearly indicates that its reach is far beyond a Jewish audience. The Jewish Theater of New York does not shy away from hard and controversial topics, indeed it welcomes them. In fact, in the twelve years of their existence they have created, produced and performed 12 original plays. And some of the issues tackled by this theater are for instance: The Middle East peace process from the point of view of mainstream Jews and Muslims, and also from its two extremes of society: Arab suicide bombers and Jewish settlers; German women’s admiration of Hitler during the Third Reich (based on love letters mailed to Hitler from 1938-1945, all found in the Reich Chancellery in 1945 and acquired by the JTNY in 1996); The relations between blacks & Jews in present-day NYC; The true and hereto untold story of the assassination of a gay ultra-Orthodox rabbi, Jacob Israel De Haan, who opposed the establishment of the State of Israel; An in-depth self-portrait examination of American Jews in our time; Islamic, Jewish and Christian theologies as they are examined in the psychologically changed atmospheres of the Post 9/11 USA; The new generation of “Kabbalists” in the USA and Israel; Racist attitudes in the Middle East, both in Palestinian & Israeli societies; The perception of the “Jew” in Modern Day Europe and the resurgent anti-Semitic attitudes in some European countries. Their most recent productions are: Kabbalah and The Last Jew In Europe. Literally ripped out of the headlines, Kabbalah deals with the involvement of major entertainers and pop stars, such as Madonna, Demi Moore and Donna Karen, in the mystical element of Judaism, known as “Kabbalah.” The Last Jew of Europe deals with a young Polish Jew who won’t divulge his Jewish identity to his Catholic bride on their wedding night, for fear that she would change her mind at the last minute…
The Jewish Theater of New York’s 2005/6 Season
The Jewish Theater of New York announces the World Premiere of Kabbalah, a Mystical Comedy on the Nature of Faith, as part of the 2005/6 Season, to open on November 15, 2005 at the Triad Theatre, 158 W. 72 St., NYC. In a time when so many turn into ardent followers of Kabbalah (half a million “actively engaged” in Israel alone, according to Israeli TV), The Jewish Theater of New York is proud to announce the World Premiere of Kabbalah, a Mystical Comedy on the Nature of Faith. Written by Tuvia Tenenbom -- from the family of the famed Polish Kabbalist, der Radziner Rebbe -- Kabbalah examines the claim made by present-day Kabbalists that Kabbalah is a ‘cure-all’ system of belief/behavior.
Set in the Mt. of Olives Cemetery in Jerusalem where, according to tradition, Messiah ben David will resurrect the dead at End of Days, Kabbalah features ‘real-life’ characters of contemporary Kabbalah. They include: The leader of Yeshivat H’Shalom, Israeli Kabbalist David Batsri; American Pop Star, Madonna; the leader of Kabbalah Centre, American Kabbalist P.S. Berg; and the ‘Wandering Soul’ of Hamas founder, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, as envisioned by Kabbalists. During the one-hour, forty-minute of Kabbalah’s performance, these characters -- working hard to undo each other -- find the exact formula to reinstate Immortality to humans and “Mend the Original Sin.” In spite of the fact that Kabbalah is a ‘farce’ in theatrical terms, Kabbalah intentionally uses authentic Kabbalistic rituals as practiced by believers for the past 2,000 years. Kabbalah, the last in Tenenbom’s trilogy of the “Mt. of Olives” Plays (following the immensely popular One Hundred Gates and the internationally-acclaimed Father of the Angels), is recommended for adults of any religion and/or persuasion, but is not suited for theatergoers under 17.
The Jewish Theater of New York is located at 5 Penn Plaza, #B-53, NYC 10001. Mail: P.O.B. 845, Times Square Station; NY, NY 10108.
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