Israeli Newcomers' Artists Display Their Work

Roaming the streets of Israel, one might feel surprised to see people from different cultures who speak many different languages. 

 

Jewish people from all over the world come to live in Isreal.

 

It is difficult for Immigrants to find work in the new country, all the more so for an artist whose livelihood depends on language and speech. 

 

Therefore, an Israeli artists union decided to hold a festival to showcase those new immigrant artists to the public. 

 

The NTD news team went last week to watch the performances of newcomers to Israel. 

 

[Tania Sobol, Actress and Manager of Immigrant Artists]:

"New immigrants who came to Israel from 86 different countries, bring with them parts of their previous cultures. So I came up with the idea to hold a festival, because it amazes me that there are people here from every corner of the world, and at the same time it is the Jewish People performing on one stage.”

 

[Arie Yemini, CEO, Petah-Tikva Center for the Performing Arts]:

“The idea is to actually give immigrating artists an expression along with veteran artists. To give them the opportunity for exposure on stage at an auditorium such as the Petah-Tikva Center for the Performing Arts, this is an outstanding and wonderful stage.”

 

We met Meir Bobek from Argentina, who is a ventriloquist who performs with a puppet.

 

[Meir Bobek, New Immigrant from Argentina]:

“Ventriloquism is something only crazy people can learn to do, you learn it by yourself, and it takes hours… you need to have a bit of a split personality in order to perform like this. Sometimes I don’t really control him, he bursts out whenever he feels like, and that’s that, games. All in all, we try to have fun”.

 

Another artist we met also tells stories using puppets. 

 

The stories were written by Dina, an artist who immigrated from Poland.

 

[Avi Worzel, Puppeteer]: 

“When she (Dina) came to Israel at 56 she knew for certain that she could not become a kindergarten teacher, and certainly not an instructor who trains kindergarten teachers. So she decided to establish a puppets theater here in Israel. She had some experience in a community puppet theatre in Poland, but here she decided it would be her main pursuit. Along working with the puppets she learned to speak Hebrew.”

 

[Arie Yemini, CEO, Petah-Tikva Center for the Performing Arts]:

“Every person comes from a different culture, from a different world, and brings with him various working techniques, different frames of mind. Of course such multi-cultural interactions bring about very special and exciting evenings.”

 

It seems that the ingathering of the exiles in Israel only contributes and enriches Israeli culture.

 

Reporter: Israela     Photographer: David Bershadsky

 

NTD News, Petah Tikva, Israel