Contribution to the Community
In addition to its day-to-day activities, the Yiddishpiel Theater has
regular performances in old age homes and geriatric institutions all
over Israel. For this purpose, a troupe of actors travels to this
public, which is no longer able to come to the auditoriums. This is our
theater’s modest contribution to lift up the spirits of this sector of
the population that is not one of the nation’s top priorities.
In
the twilight of their lives, our theater grants them an hour of
pleasure and a re-connection to the world of their memories in their
beloved language
This unique project would not exist
were it not for the support of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims
Against Germany, Inc. Collaboration between the Claims Conference and
the Yiddishpiel Theater.began over 12 years ago with the encouragement
and support of Akiva Levinski, Rabbi Dr. Azriel Miller, Yitzchak Artzi,
and Moshe Zanbar. At its outset, the expectations from this project were
very modest, but its success surpassed all our dreams – from 62
performances in 1998 to 142 performances in 2008, and we are willing to
extend ourselves even more to grant our utmost to this public who
reciprocates so wholeheartedly.
Yaakov Neeman, the
former Treasury Minister, who happened to attend one of our performances
at an Old Age Home for Holocaust Survivors, was deeply impressed,
saying, “I discovered a theater of benevolence. Thanks to the
Yiddishpiel Theater, for the first time in many years, I saw my Aunt
laugh! She told me afterwards, that for a short time during the
performance, she forgot all her aches and pains, and was simply
delighted”.
In recent years, the A. Safra Fund joined this effort, and enabled us to expand our activities.
In July 2007, with the outbreak of the Second Lebanese War, the
Yiddishpiel actors cut short their vacation and travelled up North in a
tour organized by “Umanut Laam”. Residents of the North, who had been
spending days and nights in bomb shelters, enjoyed some respite and
relaxation which our actors extended to them through their songs and
text in Hebrew, Yiddish and Russian.
In January 2009, with the
outbreak of the “Cast Lead” campaign, the Yiddishpiel actors travelled
to Southern Israel, to the areas surrounding Gaza where they appeared
before the older population.
