From November 20-24, 2024 UJA’s Kultura Collective, in collaboration with the Toronto Holocaust Museum and the Prosserman JCC, welcomed the LA-based theatre dybbuk to Toronto for a week-long residency of Jewish community building, professional workshops and performances, culminating in the Jewish Futures Arts and Culture Salon on November 24. We are also grateful to CANVAS, the Azrieli Foundation, the Jewish Foundation of Greater Toronto, and the Covenant Foundation for their generous support of this programming.
Theatre dybbuk creates explores the rich world of Jewish history, building lyrical performances that illuminate universal human experience for contemporary audiences. Artistic Director Aaron Henne builds each piece with a cast of dedicated professional actors, designers, musicians, and scholars. Theatre dybbuk’s residencies bring arts and educational engagement to communities throughout North America. We are thrilled that theatre dybbuk joined us Toronto, following a residency at the Museum of Jewish Montreal, marking their first time in Canada.
Here’s a look at the programming over the week:
Wednesday, November 20, 7 pm at the Toronto Holocaust Museum – in-process reading of selections from Dracula (Annotated)
A sneak peek at theatre dybbuk’s next project, in which they investigate Bram Stoker’s Dracula, weaving together a blend of historical investigation and heightened theatricality to create a new work from the core of the novel. The project, set to premiere in Los Angeles in September 2025, explores such questions as: How do long-held prejudicial beliefs show up in a popular novel from England written at the turn of the 20th century, and in what ways do those beliefs still operate today?
Thursday, November 21, 7pm at the Prosserman JCC – Heritage, History, and Humanity Master Class for Storytellers
In this workshop, the artists of theatre dybbuk took participants through a process in which they gain tools to investigate their own personal and/or communal narratives, texts, and turning points as vessels to create new work that explores the complexities of our world.
Theatre dybbuk also completed professional development workshops for Jewish professional staff members and volunteers at UJA, the Prosserman JCC, Kultura Collective and the Toronto Holocaust Museum.
Saturday, November 23, 2 pm and 7:30 pm at Prosserman JCC – The Merchant of Venice (Annotated), or In Sooth I Know Not Why I Am So Sad
What can a play from sixteenth century England tell us about how antisemitism and other prejudicial beliefs operate in our world today? Theatre dybbuk’s latest theatrical production brought together elements of William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice with Elizabethan history and news from the 21st century to expose the underbelly of the classic play.
Jewish Futures Arts and Culture Salon on Sunday, November 24 from 1pm – 7:30pm
This conference is designed for Toronto’s Jewish artists, cultural workers, patrons and arts enthusiasts to explore the future of Jewish cultural and artistic life. The program emphasized networking, communal learning, and the exploration of Jewish and artistic identity and practices, providing the foundation for building resilience for Toronto’s Jewish cultural community.
We were thrilled that 100 creatives joined us for a beautiful afternoon of meaningful programming, including the following workshops and conversations:
Welcome Workshop with Aaron Henne and Julie A. Lockhart
theatre dybbuk lead a welcoming workshop with gentle movement for participants to come together and start the day.
Hafoch Bah: Turn It and Turn It, What Else Could This Be? with Sharoni Sibony
In this session, we used the Jewish Studio Process — a combination of textual inquiry and hands-on creative process — to uncover how our life, our work, our identity, our relationships, our art might change as we continuously ask the question embedded in the phrase, “Hafoch bah” — What else could this be?
The Pitch Workshop with Zev Moses, Orly Zebak, Michael Fraiman, Avery Saltzman, Rachel Libman
Participants presented project ideas to receive feedback from cultural producers. Note – our “dragons” are friendly!
Guided Meditation and Art Workshop with Alysa-Beth Engel
Our programme began with grounding through gentle movement and guided meditation followed by playful art making activities.
Kvelling or Kvetching: Making Yiddish Art with Miriam Borden, Jaclyn Grossman, Jonah Strub, Naomi Harris
A dynamic conversation with creatives exploring how they use Yiddish language, culture, and themes to inspire their work.
Jewish Infusions with Edith Barabash, Erez Zobary, Jordi Mand, Josh Saltzman, Sam Mogelonsky
Jewish creatives share insight on how they infuse Jewish ideas and identity into their personal and professional practices.
Local Storytelling with Jess Waks, Faye Blum, Sidura Ludwig, Na’ama Freeman
A conversation about how to capture narratives in our backyards and tell local Jewish stories today.
Fireside Chat: Past, Present, Future with Aaron Henne, Jennifer Podemski and Dara Solomon
A conversation with thought leaders examining how often-difficult events of the past can inform our present and inspire a better future.
Aaron Henne is the founding artistic director of theatre dybbuk. In addition, Henne’s plays have been produced with a variety of companies, and his work includes King Cat Calico Finally Flies Free! (published by Original Works Publishing) and Sliding Into Hades (LA Weekly Awards for Playwriting and Production of the Year). He teaches storytelling throughout the country and has presented professional development and character creation workshops at Lucasfilm, Pixar, and Dreamworks. Aaron has also served as a professional mentor at Otis College of Art and Design and as faculty for the Wexner Heritage and Graduate Programs, as well as for Georgetown University. He has worked as an educator and facilitator for a wide variety of organizations including The Hive at Leichtag Commons, Jewish Federation of North America’s Young Leadership Cabinet, and The Bronfman Fellowship. Aaron is a Pilot Wexner Field Fellow and a member of the ROI community.
Jennifer Podemski is a director, writer, producer, and actor. Hailing from Toronto but calling Barrie, Ontario, her home, Jennifer’s artistic journey has been shaped by her rich Anishinaabe (First Nation) and Ashkenazi (Jewish) heritage. A registered member of Muscowpetung Saulteux Nation in Saskatchewan, Jennifer has dedicated her career to amplifying authentic Indigenous stories and perspectives through her work as a storyteller. Among her proudest achievements is her leading role in Empire of Dirt, which earned her a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress and recognition for Best Screenplay, breaking barriers for Indigenous women in the industry. Beyond her artistic endeavors, Jennifer’s passion for empowering Indigenous voices led her to establish The Shine Network Institute in 2020, a Canadian not for profit dedicated to advancing the careers of Indigenous women within the screen, media, and creative arts sectors. Jennifer continues to build capacity and strive for equity and inclusion of Indigenous people within Canada’s screen sector.
Dara Solomon is the Executive Director of the Toronto Holocaust Museum and the Ontario Jewish Archives. With a successful history of working in art museums and heritage institutions in Canada and the US, Dara is a storyteller, strategic administrator, fundraiser, and team builder. She led the team that developed the new Toronto Holocaust Museum. She holds a M.A. in Arts Administration from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a B.A. in Religion and Art History from University of Toronto.
Thank you to our partners, supporters, speakers, and collaborators for an amazing week of Jewish arts programming and communtity!
