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.