Call For High School Students
and College Freshmen!
Students in Witness Theater will:
- Create long lasting relationships with Holocaust survivors.
- Portray the life experiences of Holocaust survivors in a theatrical performance.
- Meet new peers.
- Students with no theater experience are encouraged to apply.
- Earn community service hours.
Time and Location:
- Wednesday every week from 5:30 – 7:30 pm from September 25th through mid-May, plus Sunday rehearsals from 10 am -2 pm beginning of February.
- Address: 520 8th Ave, 5th floor, Manhattan, NY, 10018.
- Apply by September 24th.
If you have any questions, please contact us at witnesstheater@selfhelp.net or 929-626-0888.
Student Reflections on Participating in Witness Theater
WE ARE HERE
FOR SORROW, FOR FEAR, FOR ANGER, FOR HOPE
The Memories of 2024 Performances
In this unique and moving stage performance, NYC Holocaust survivors will narrate their wartime experience while local high school students re-enact it for the audience. Holocaust survivors briefly share their reflections on strength, family, and resilience in light of current events.
WE ARE HERE
“We Are Here” is a compelling play that captures the struggle and resilience of a group amidst the war against Israel. Through their weekly meetings, they affirm their collective existence with the mantra, “We are here!” showcasing the strength and perseverance of the Jewish nation. The play celebrates survival, support, and unity, inviting the audience to witness this spirit of endurance.
FOR SORROW, FOR FEAR, FOR ANGER, FOR HOPE
In the face of war’s traumas, our Witness Theatre group finds solace in theatre, a space for communal healing and empathic witnessing. Through depicting survivors’ stories, we invite our audience to share in this empathy, aiming to heal collective grief and foster a culture of peace. This performance serves as a testament to our resilience and shared humanity.
Witness Theater was conceived by Irit and Ezra Dagan and developed by JDC-Eshel in Israel. It was brought to New York in 2012 by Selfhelp Community Services, Inc. This year’s Witness Theater Program is a collaboration of Selfhelp Community Services, UJA-Federation of New York, the Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School, the Museum of Jewish Heritage a Living Memorial to the Holocaust, the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, and the Sheen Center for Thought and Culture. This program is generously being funded by UJA-Federation of New York through the Community Initiative for Holocaust Survivors (CIHS), and also receives generous support from Carol and Carl Hess, the Miriam and Arthur Diamond Charitable Trust, and the Anderman Family.
WITNESS THEATER: THE FILM
Witness Theater: The Film and Study Guide are powerful tools aimed at teaching the lessons of intolerance and bigotry to middle and high school students.
Take a look behind the scenes into Witness Theater’s year-long therapeutic journey. You will see stories of loss, struggle and lives rebuilt and the healing power of inter-generational relationships. This moving documentary, currently shown at film festivals across the country, is about the power of connection, friendship, and love between generations. It is also about healing, to the extent possible, in the context of the most brutal genocide in human history. Learn more about Witness Theater: The Film at www.witnesstheaterthefilm.com.
Witness Theater: The Film is based upon Selfhelp’s Witness Theater program. Filmmaker Oren Rudavsky, distributor Menemsha Films, and a number of individual and organizational supporters including UJA-Federation of NY, have joined in this feature length documentary that serves as a behind the scenes look at a nearly yearlong relationship between students and survivors.
Witness Theater: The Film is distributed by Menemsha Films.
Email Menemsha Films to schedule a screening of the documentary for your community.
HELP EDUCATE FUTURE GENERATIONS
Selfhelp is dedicated to remembering the Holocaust and raising awareness of the survivor population still in need today. Through creative educational initiatives, we’re ensuring that the memory of the Holocaust will not be forgotten by generations to come. Help us educate future generations about the Holocaust.
