The Ester Rachel and Ida Kaminska Jewish Theater ( pl, Teatr Żydowski im. Estery Racheli i Idy Kamińskich) is a state theatrical institution in Warsaw, the capital city of Poland. It was named after the

Polish-Jewish The history of the Jews in Poland dates back at least 1,000 years. For centuries, Poland was home to the largest and most significant Ashkenazi Jewish community in the world. Poland was a principal center of Jewish culture, because of the lon ...

actress

Ester Rachel Kamińska Ester Rachel Kamińska ( yi, ); née Ester-Rokhl Halpern ( Porozów, 10 March 1870 – Warsaw, 25 December 1925) was a Polish Jewish actress, known as the mother of Yiddish theatre. She won fame as the star of a series of Yiddish theater companies ...

, who was called the "mother of Yiddish theater," and her daughter, the Academy Award-nominated actress Ida Kaminska. Ida Kamińska directed the theater and acted in its productions from the time of its founding until 1968.Leyko, Małgorzata (2010, October 11).
Polish State Yiddish Theater
" Translated by Michael C. Steinlauf. ''YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe''. Retrieved 2015-06-20. The State Jewish Theater was formed in 1950 from two theater troupes which performed in Wrocław and Łódź in 1945–50. The theatre worked in both cities over the next few years and gave guest performances across Poland. In 1955 it moved to Warsaw permanently. Since 1970 it has performed in its own building on

Grzybowski Square Grzybowski Square ( pl, Plac Grzybowski) is a triangular square in the Śródmieście (downtown) district of Warsaw, Poland, between Twarda, Bagno, Grzybowska and Królewska streets. History 17th to 20th centuries The square's history goes ...

. Since its inception, the theater has sought to continue the rich traditions of prewar Jewish theatrical stages in Poland. Plays at the theater are shown in

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken *Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin screenwr ...

and Yiddish (headphones with Polish translation are available). The theater cultivates the creativity of great Jewish drama. Its repertoire features the best works by Abraham Goldfaden,

Mendele-Moykher Sforim Mendele Mocher Sforim ( yi, , he, מנדלי מוכר ספרים, also known as Moykher, Sfarim; lit. "Mendele the book peddler"; January 2, 1836, Kapyl – December 8, 1917 .S. Odessa), born Sholem Yankev Abramovich ( yi, , russian: Сол ...

, Sholom Aleichem, Isaac Leib Peretz and

Jacob Gordin Jacob Michailovitch Gordin (Yiddish: יעקב מיכאַילאָװיטש גאָרדין; May 1, 1853 – June 11, 1909) was a Russian-born American playwright active in the early years of Yiddish theater. He is known for introducing realism and ...

. The president of the theatre was, in the years 1970 to 2014, an actor

Szymon Szurmiej Szymon Symcha Szurmiej (18 June 1923 − 16 July 2014) was a Polish actor, director, and general manager of the Ester Rachel Kamińska and Ida Kamińska State Jewish Theater in Warsaw. He was a director of the Yiddish Theater of Warsaw. Since Jul ...

References

External links

Official website of the Jewish State Theatre in Warsaw (in Polish)

Jewish Theatre in Poland: Fragments of an Illustrious History
Jews and Judaism in Warsaw Theatres in Warsaw Yiddish culture in Poland Yiddish theatre Theatres completed in 1950 1950 establishments in Poland {{Europe-theat-struct-stub