Last week Ben-Zion Witler and Shifra
Lerer returned from London, where they played for almost
five months in the local Yiddish Palais (sp) Theatre.
The week Witler visited the editorial
office of the "Forward" and spoke about London's Yiddish
theatre and the London Yiddish theatre attendee. His main
enthusiasm is with the local Jewish youth, which has a
good taste for Yiddish Theatre. In general, the relationship
of the Jewish audience to the theatre and the actor is warm
and heartfelt. It has been said of us, "Do not forget to
mention this, Whitler." And because of the youth who come to
the theatre, there are people who are estranged from the
Yiddish word.
Hence, however, Witler spoke with
bitterness about the London Yiddish newspaper whose
relationship to the Yiddish theatres is "criminally
indifferent." London possesses only one newspaper in
Yiddish, and it was expected to devote space and attention
to a cultural institution such as the theatre. But apart
from the paid advertisements, one can not find a single word
about the Yiddish theatre in the newspaper. Such a
relationship with a newspaper that its founder, Morris
Meyer, gave to the theatre in many places at the time, is
difficult to explain. The current publisher doesn't write
good or bad about the Yiddish theatre -- he ignores it.
There exists two Yiddish theatres in
London: the New Yiddish, led by N. Bitler, and the Palais
(sp), in which a cooperative troupe plays. Witler loves the
actors of both troupes. Incidentally, Friday evening and
Saturday afternoon, the theatres closed in honor of the
Sabbath.
One would think that the Jews observing
Shabbat would provide the children with a Jewish upbringing.
However, there are no Jewish schools in London. There is
even a lack of Talmud Torahs. There grows a generation that
does not know. Nothing in London, not even a Yiddish radio
hour. The impression is that London is dominated by a severe
indifference to Jewish practice.
And yet the Jewish youth are thirsty
for a Yiddish word. It comes in large halls in a Yiddish
theatre.
On Passover Shifra Lerer and Ben-Zion
Whitler are engaged in the Douglas Park Theatre in Chicago.
They travel there at the end of the month. |