A Return to Something Sweet... These days, it seems there is a lot one could choose be bitter about. I don't need to list the reasons here, because you know what's going on. You pay attention.
Yet just around the corner is Rosh Hashanah, when we dream of a sweet new year. And I don't think it's a coincidence that at the same time as we wish for a sweet year, we also speak of "returning." I can think of lots of "sweet returns": to a loving home, to a comfy bed, to a favorite city, to the arms of a long-absent friend... At Theatre Ariel, right now, we're thinking about sweet returns, as well. Returning to fully in-person performances, returning to a new season, |
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returning to our special programming... And, of course, returning to being in the presence of all of you -- our Theatre Ariel community. To welcome you and start our season off on a sweet note, our Salon series begins with Lila Rose Kaplan's We All Fall Down. And while it might seem strange to do a Passover-centered play just after the High Holidays... you'll see why it fits in with the theme of sweet returns when you come to the show. (In fact, why not come to every show this season and get cool perks, as well? Become a member to do just that!) So here's to a sweet return -- and many more to follow.
- Jesse Bernstein Theatre Ariel Artistic Director |
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The locations for our first Salon -- We All Fall Down by Lila Rose Kaplan -- have been announced. We are delighted to be working with partners old and new! For our first weekend, we're once again thrilled to be presenting performances at Har Zion Temple -- and we are grateful to Board Member Judy Guzman, Har Zion's Rabbi Seth Haaz and the entire HZ community for hosting us. Our second weekend will be at the Kaiserman JCC. We're very excited to be partnering with them and are grateful to Executive Director Alan Scher and his team for welcoming us. To learn more about our first salon locations, click here. |
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"Everyone look at your lists and do your jobs. G-d is watching us tonight and we need to get a good grade." - from Lila Rose Kaplan's We All Fall Down |
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In August, Artistic Director Jesse Bernstein led post-screening conversations for the 9th Annual Chester County Summer Shorts Film Festival, hosted by the Kehillah of Chester County and the Colonial Theatre. It was an excellently curated month of short films.
Did you catch the article on Theatre Ariel in the Jewish Exponent? If not, click here to read!
Casting is underway for our first Salon. We're putting together a great cast of Philly Theatre heavy hitters and brand new talent! Stay tuned for cast announcements soon!
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September 17 - The Kehillahs of Chester and Delaware Counties will present Theatre Ariel's virtual reading of Oh My G-d, by Anat Gov. Register for free here. October (Exact Date/Time TBA) - Season Kick-Off Virtual Gathering. Members at the Supporter Level and above will be invited to this online gathering! Bring a drink and let's celebrate the coming season. October 22 - Our Season officially begins with the first performance of We All Fall Down by Lila Rose Kaplan. Click here for more information. |
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September 17: Selichot
September 25-27: Rosh Hashanah
October 4-5: Yom Kippur
October 9-16: Sukkot |
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Did you know that the Greek city of Thessaloniki was once the second-most important city in the Byzantine Empire, as well as one of the largest Jewish populations outside of Jerusalem? In fact, Jews have lived there for over 2100 years, at one point comprising 68% of the population. It has been called "The Mother of Israel" because of how many Thessaloniki Jews helped with the Zionist movement. Today, its community of 1,500 Jews keeps the memory of that community alive. |
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Welcome to the Member Exclusive section of The Lion’s Den! We have a special guest contributing to this month's “Member of the Community”: Rabbi Seth Haaz, Senior Rabbi at Har Zion Temple, speaking on our season's theme of "Legacy". You'll also find recommendations on what to watch, read and listen to. Don't forget -- starting with next month's issue, this section of our newsletter will only be available for Members at the Supporter Level and above! Be sure you continue to receive all of this great content! Learn more about memberships here. Rabbi Haaz is the Senior Rabbi at Har Zion Temple, where Theatre Ariel's first weekend of We All Fall Down will perform. At Har Zion, Rabbi Haaz reimagined High Holy Day services, redesigned the delivery of religious school education, and rewrote the B’nei Mitzvah experience. Rabbi Haaz is an emerging leader in Black-Jewish Clergy Bible Study on both local and national levels. He is a fellow in The Clergy Leadership Incubator and excited about budding partnerships with Jewish Grandparents Network and Bridlewild Trails Association. He has also been a huge supporter of Theatre Ariel -- and for that we are most grateful. |
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"Our Legacy – Past, Present, and Future"
By Rabbi Seth Haaz, Har Zion Temple
Our community is incredibly blessed to boast a resource so unique and precious as Theatre Ariel. This year, Theatre Ariel has chosen to focus on the theme of legacy.
To embrace legacy is not to live in the past but to bring forward the lessons from our past to create a beautiful future. What are the core values and experiences that have sustained and inspired our people for thousands of years, and how do we allow those values and experiences to shape our path forward in this rapidly evolving world? How can our Judaism both anchor and evolve with us, so that we always remain in deep conversation with the divine?
These are the questions that Theatre Ariel will address, and it will do so though exquisite scripts and acting that will challenge and stimulate us—heart, mind, and soul. |
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"Hora to an Exiled Girl" - a poem by War Heroine Hannah Szenes. Courtesy of the Jewish Women's Archive. Read it here. Rehearsals on Hulu. An Israeli show about a writing partners who also happen to be a couple. Of course, their relationship comes crashing to an end just as their careers are about to soar... "The Jews Are Tired" from Jewfolk, Inc. Lev Gringauz hosts this insightful and thoughtful podcast talking about all the things making the Jews tired this week. Listen here. |
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