Join Witness Theater 2026 | Holocaust Education

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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

1. One evening every week from 5:30-7:30 PM from September through mid-May. 2. Sunday rehearsals from 10 am -2 pm, beginning end of January

ADDRESS

520 8th Ave, 5th floor, Manhattan, NY, 10018

What Students Say about Participating in Witness Theater

Witness Theater is family everything impactful powerful unbelievable connection life-changing forever inspiring special amazing .

Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan

Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School

"Playing a survivor is a very unforgettable feeling, and a bond with that person an especially important time to share these stories and understand that hate really does do something and your words do matter."

"I want to thank my parents for pushing me to become more involved with seniors, especially Holocaust survivors. I've developed a newfound comfort on stage."

"I'm very proud of my performance here. I've never been on stage, and I'm very proud of what the students and the survivors accomplished."

"I highly recommend it even if you don't have any previous theater or interviewing experience or any experience. Because you learn a lot."

"Witness theater is my family, and you really create such a strong connection with the people around you, with the people that you're with every week, and especially creating connections with the survivors."

"The connections that you make out of this are really something that you're going to take with you for the rest of your life. When I get home every day from Witness Theater, I have a smile on my face. My energy is lifted."

13th Season of Witness Theater Performances in 2025

Between the Lines at YOF Joel Braverman High School

Hunger at The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture

Hunger at Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan

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, UJA-Federation of New York, Yeshivah of Flatbush Joel Braverman High School, and the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan. The program also receives generous support from Carol and Carl Hess, the Miriam and Arthur Diamond Charitable Trust, and Ken & Harriet Kupferberg Family Foundation.

With Assistance from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany. Supported by the Foundation Remembrance, Responsibility and Future and by the German Federal Ministry of Finance.

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.

LOOKING FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS!