Press Release

SEVEN JEWISH CHILDREN - A PLAY FOR GAZA was preformed yesterday in Tel Aviv attended by 200 people

Coalition of Women for Peace will publish and distribute in Israel the Hebrew and Arabic translations of SEVEN JEWISH CHILDREN - free of charge.

Caryl Churchill’s controversial play SEVEN JEWISH CHILDREN- A PLAY FOR GAZA was staged in Israel directed by the Palestinian political prisoner Samieh Jabbarin. The play was preformed without a permit from the Israeli authorities in a busy public space - Rabin square, by Tel Aviv city hall, where thousands of people attended “The Hebrew book week” fair, which was visited the same evening by the president of Israel, Shimon Peres.

Hundreds gathered at 19:30 to watch SEVEN JEWISH CHILDREN. The play was preformed 3 times - twice in Hebrew by accomplished Israeli theatre actresses and once in English by the US women-led peace organization, CODEPINK.

It was staged by the Coalition of Women for Peace and Jabbarin as part of 10 days of action against the siege on Gaza.

The performers received standing ovations- but the biggest cheers were reserved for the absent director, confined to house arrest in the town of Umm el Fahm.

Churchill wrote to Jabbarin and the Coalition saying she is “delighted to hear that Women for Peace are performing Seven Jewish Children as part of their protest about the siege of Gaza” and sending her best wishes and thanks to everyone involved.

Jabbarin, an actor, director and peace activist, was arrested on February 10th, on the day of Israel’s general elections, during a demonstration against the appointment of fanatic settler leader Baruch Marzel as a supervisor of the ballots in Jabbarin’s home town, Umm el Fahm. Following his arrest, Jabbarin was imprisoned awaiting a hearing for three weeks, and then committed to house arrest under extremely restrictive terms for an indefinite period of time. It is clear he was “marked” by the Israeli authorities for organizing and participating in peaceful protests again the attacks on Gaza - like several hundred Palestinian citizens of Israel who were arrested or interrogated during the political persecutions which highly increased during and after the assault on Gaza.

Jabbarin was delighted to undertake the challenge of directing and casting the play long-distance and under great pressure since he feels that “In SEVEN JEWISH CHILDREN Churchill has achieved a beautiful artistic communication of a fundamental yet subversive truth: Profound pain has no home. Pain is pain is pain is pain. Pain is universally human.”

The cast of the production - two renowned Jewish theatre actresses - Sara Von Schwarze and Gabi Eldor and a young mime artist - Layla Batterman, and the famous actor Ramie Hoyberger- expressed their wishes to continue performing SEVEN JEWISH CHILDREN as soon and as often as possible.

Professor Shimon Levy of the theatre faculty at Tel Aviv University and Play writer-director Uri Shani of translated SEVEN JEWISH CHILDREN into Hebrew. The fabulous Arabic Calligraphy artist Anisa Ashkar designed the set, and the performance was accompanied by the talented saxophone player Dirar Kalash. All participants happily donated their talent and labor.

SEVEN JEWISH CHILDREN- a PLAY FOR GAZA, described by the author as “A history of Israel” will be published in Hebrew and Arabic by the Coalition of Women for Peace. It will be distributed in the region free of charge.

The Play will be staged in Israel again in the very near future- as a subversive and thought provoking street theatre performance and in theatre halls.

Photos

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In the Media

Guardian.co.uk Caryl Churchill’s Seven Jewish Children staged in Tel Aviv