Dora Wasserman
Dora Wasserman | |
|---|---|
| Born | Dora Goldfarb theater director |
| Known for | Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre |
Dora Wasserman
Early life
Wasserman was born in
Arrival to Canada
The Wassermans arrived in Montreal on January 21, 1950. Intent on finding work, she began to seek a place for herself, approaching Yiddish cultural and community organizations. Her activities were many and varied from recitations in schools, singing for organizations and performing at festivals and conventions. While her connection with visiting and local writers was sustained in weekly literary evenings, she also began to hold children's theater workshops at the Jewish Public Library of Montreal. Wasserman taught Yiddish's lessons and introduced young Montreal Jews to the Yiddish Theater. The group of gifted youngsters whom she gathered around her eventually grew into the backbone of her adult company, to which she attracted performers to form the Yiddish Drama Group in 1956.[1] She was recorded by foklorist Ruth Rubin.
Montreal Yiddish Theatre
In 1958, she founded of what is today called
Between 1974 and 1988 Wasserman worked with Isaac Bashevis Singer, adapting six of his works for her company, among them In My Father's Court (1974), Yentl (1979), Gimpel The Fool (1982) and The Ball (based on The Gentleman from Frampol) (1988). In 1992 the Yiddish version of Les Belles Soeurs by Michel Tremblay, received a dynamic staging, furthering ties with Montreal's French people.[1]
In 1992 Dora Wasserman was awarded the highest honor bestowed on civilians by the Canadian government:
Dora Wasserman died on December 15, 2003, in Montreal.
Although Wasserman did not live to see it, her daughters Ella (who lives in Israel) and Bryna (who lives in Montreal) helped celebrate the 50th anniversary
References
- ^ a b c d e Geltner, Gail (2009-02-27). "Dora Wasserman 1919–2003". Jewish Women's Archive. Retrieved 2019-04-24.
- ^ "Yiddish theater impresario Dora Wasserman receives Order of Canada".
- ^ http://www.yiddishtheatre.org/pdf/fr/Une_grande_dame-La_Presse.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ http://www.gg.ca/honours/search-recherche/honours-desc.asp?lang=e&TypeID=orc&id=3123[permanent dead link] lists her "Appointment" date as Oct. 21, 1992 and her "Investiture" date as April 21, 1993.
- ^ "The Senior Times Monthly - Montreal".
External links
- Gail Geltner, Dora Wasserman, Jewish Women Encyclopedia
- Dora Wasserman, The indefatigable founding director of Canada's only Yiddish theatre died at 84.
- Audio field recordings of Dora Wasserman singing various Yiddish songs for Ruth Rubin
Book
- (in French) Jean-Marc Larrue. "Le théâtre yiddish à Montréal" Éditions Jeu, 1996.
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