The Prime Minister's Office tender committee approved a request this week from the Jewish National Identity Authority, an office established by former deputy minister Avi Maoz, to partner with the nonprofit Teatron HaBira (The Capital Theater) to fund the cultural project.
The total cost of the production is NIS 2 million ($600,000), with NIS 1 million ($300,000) coming from the government and the rest from the nonprofit.
Beresheet (Genesis), directed and produced by Ayelet Rips, will feature live music, lighting effects and multimedia technology. The play, scheduled to premiere during the upcoming Hanukkah holiday, will portray the historical timeline of the Jewish people in the Land of Israel. Explanatory pamphlets will be provided for the audience.
According to organizers, the play is designed to advance the goals of the authority, which was created by government resolution to promote Jewish national identity, social cohesion, mutual responsibility and connection to Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people.
All ticket revenues are slated to be reinvested into the project to make it accessible to a broader audience. The authority plans to release showtimes, locations and additional information through the Israel Government Advertising Agency ahead of the event.
The Hanukkah stage production has also received support from the Culture and Sports Ministry, which contributed NIS 1 million. According to the Jewish National Identity Authority, internal reviews confirmed that no other government body is funding a similar initiative, ensuring the project’s uniqueness.
The performance's content will be developed jointly by the authority and the nonprofit, under the guidance of a shared steering committee. All resulting materials will remain the exclusive property of the state.
The project marks a significant step in the authority’s stated mission to reconnect the Israeli public with its cultural and historical heritage using innovative and engaging formats. Last month, the government approved a NIS 30.8 billion increase to the state budget for defense spending, citing the prolonged war in Gaza and the consequences of the June war with Iran. Of that amount, NIS 1.6 billion was allocated for humanitarian aid in Gaza.
The expanded defense funding package included sweeping cuts across numerous ministries, with the most substantial reductions targeting coalition agreements and ministerial budgets.
The Jewish National Identity Authority saw an NIS 11 million cut. The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism also faced a NIS 15 million reduction to its budget for Jewish identity and Israel engagement programs, dropping from NIS 40 million to NIS 25 million. The sharpest cut affected funding for pay raises for teachers in the non-formal education system, slashed from NIS 570 million to NIS 89 million, a reduction of about 84%