Germans play roles of Jews in ghetto
In joint Israeli-German production, young German students play roles of Jewish prisoners in Terezin Ghetto, while Israeli students play roles of Nazi officers
It's an unusual performance: Young Germans standing on the stage in Israel and playing the roles of Jewish prisoners in the Ghetto being sent to concentration camps.
The premier of a joint production by the Ironi Alef High School in Tel Aviv and the Schwerin Conservatory in Germany was held Thursday.
The show, which was written by Eliana Shechter, tells the story of the Terezin Ghetto in Czechoslovakia , where many educated Jews were sent from Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia and fought to maintain their cultural life there.
In spite of the unbearable conditions, the ghetto Jews put up many theatre performances.
About 144,000 Jews were sent to the Terezin Ghetto. Only 19,000 survived.
In the play Shechter used works of literature written in the Ghetto and recovered after the war, and it was first staged about a year ago by the school students.
In the past year, the German Embassy in Israel helped the school get in touch with Volker Ahmels, director of the Schwerin Conservatory, and the Israelis and Germans decided to put up the play together.
Israelis play the roles of Nazi officers
About two weeks ago, 10 of the conservatory students arrived in Israel and began rehearsals alongside 10 of the school students. The show combines the roles, so that some of the German actors play the roles of Jews living in the ghetto and sent to camps, while some of the Israelis play the roles of Nazi officers.
"These exchanges of roles were not at all easy," the director Shechter said. "This is a very emotionally charged issue for both sides."
According to the German conservatory director, certain elements in Germany criticized the project.
"There are still neo-Nazis in Germany," he said, "but Schwerin is active in its connection with Israel and Judaism."
