Theater J is excited to announce Creative Connections – the expansion of its supplemental artistic programming into a more robust, independent series, aiming to more closely connect audiences with artists, the artistic process, the broader DC community, and themselves. These conversations are free and open to the public.
Dive into the artistic process with an actor from Hester Street alongside an artistic team member. Get an exclusive look at what goes on behind the curtain after the performance
Hester Street tells the story of 19th century Jewish immigrants arriving in New York through the famed Ellis Island. Washington, D.C. is the fifth most Jewish city in the country today, with almost 300,000 Jews living in the DMV – but without a widely heard Ellis Island-type narrative. This panel, presented with the Capital Jewish Museum and HIAS, illuminates the history of DC’s Jewish immigrants and how they arrived in the DMV, before discussing the issues DC-area immigrants are facing today.
Panel featuring:
Jonathan Edelman, Collections Curator at the Capital Jewish Museum
Naomi Steinberg, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at HIAS
Hester Street is a story of adaptation – it’s a play adapted from a book and film with characters adapting to new countries, cultures, and customs. Yiddish, spoken throughout the play, is a language of adaptation – combining German, Hebrew, and more, to create a sound all of its own – a sound you may not hear too often anymore outside of certain Jewish spaces. Come joinYiddish experts as they respond to the play and dive into questions surrounding adaptation, how Yiddish is used within Hester Street, and what role Yiddish has yet to play in the world around us.
Panel includes Dr. Miriam Isaacs and Dr. Lauren B. Strauss.
Sponsored by Bob and Helene Schlossberg.
