"Negotiating Indentity: Yiddish Theatre in Interwar Europe."

Session Submission Type: Panel Session

Session Sponsor: Université libre de Bruxelles

Abstract

This panel explores the pivotal role of Yiddish theatre in shaping Jewish identity in interwar Europe, specifically through its representations in Paris, Kafka’s reflections on assimilation, and Shternberg's endeavours in Bucharest. The overarching question the panel addresses is: “How did Yiddish theatre contribute to the negotiation and construction of Jewish identity amid cultural and national shifts?” By examining distinct theatrical efforts in diverse European settings, the panel argues that Yiddish theatre served not only as a mirror reflecting Jewish communal transformations but also as an active participant in the cultural redefinition of Jewishness amidst the challenges of modernity and assimilation.

The first paper explores how Yiddish theatre in Paris articulated Jewishness (Yidishkeyt) in a Western metropolitan context, highlighting its function as a diasporic, transnational platform that facilitated Jewish self-expression and cultural persistence. The second presentation investigates Kafka’s analysis of Joseph Lateiner’s drama “Der Meshumad”, using the liminal figure of the convert to discuss modern Jewish dynamics of assimilation and double identity within popular Yiddish dramatic performance. The third contribution examines Yankev Shternberg’s theatrical initiatives in Bucharest, focusing on how his productions advocated for a permanent place for Yiddish theatre in Romania, integrating Yiddish cultural expressions within the national cultural framework.

Methodologically, the panel employs an interdisciplinary approach, utilising primary sources such as playbills, scripts, and critiques, alongside theoretical writings and diary entries, framed by textual and performance analysis. This method allows for a nuanced understanding of the interplay between theatre and identity, revealing the complexities of cultural negotiation within Yiddish theatrical performances.

This panel, offering fresh insights into the resilience and adaptability of Yiddish theatre during the interwar period, will interest scholars of Yiddish (and Jewish) studies, theatre and performance studies, diaspora studies, and those intrigued by the intersections of culture, identity, and assimilation.

Sub Unit

• Yiddish Studies

Chair

• Nick Underwood, The College of Idaho

Individual Presentations

• "Yiddish Theatre in Interwar Paris: The Staging of Jewishness" - Michèle Fornhoff-Levitt, Université libre de Bruxelles" and "Sorbonne Université

• "Kafka at the Theatre: On Joseph Lateiner’s ‘Der Meshumad’." - Ruthie Abeliovich, Tel Aviv University

Zoom Host

• Zoom Host 12