"Wandering Stars": A Unique and Moving Performance at the Jerusalem Khan Theatre

As someone who is quite proficient in the Yiddish language, I can testify that jokes sound funnier to me when told in Yiddish, and songs are more moving and touch my heart when sung in this language. Furthermore, it is encouraging to hear that many young people are participating in Yiddish language courses. From this stems the importance of the play "Wandering Stars" at the Jerusalem Khan Theatre, beyond its theatrical quality—and it is indeed high-quality and superb.

Wandering Stars (Yiddish: בלאָנזשענדע שטערן) is one of the most famous novels by Sholem Aleichem, the greatest Yiddish writer of all time, and it has been translated into several languages. The novel is a work about love, ambitions, theater, and wandering. Sholem Aleichem paints a vivid portrait of wandering artists, torn between tradition and modernity, and asks: how can one find love in a volatile world full of contradictions?

"Wandering Stars" at the Khan Theatre is a very moving play, creatively directed—featuring a narrator who advances the plot and organizes the timelines and messages—and a wonderful cast, each of whom performs their role (or roles) in a credible and empathetic manner. While everyone is truly excellent, I cannot help but mention Erez Shafrir (playing Hotzmakh), who performs marvelously and captures the heart. Additionally, the combination of story and acting, music and movement, lighting and set design, costumes and video imagery is, in my opinion, wonderful.

It is a delicate, musical, and touching story about the clash between generations, between community and individual, and about the small light that still burns in those who wander with a dream.

Plot Summary:

The plot follows two young people in the Jewish town of Holenesht in Bessarabia: Reizl, the daughter of the poor cantor, and Leibel, the son of the wealthy benefactor—and their encounter with the world of theater. One day, a wandering Yiddish theater troupe arrives in the small town. Reizl and Leibel, who are in love with each other, become enthralled and fall in love with the world of theater.

The two decide to run away with the troupe of actors, never to part, and to dedicate their lives to art. On the day of the escape, a chain of accidents separates the girl and the boy—and they split into two different directions of escape. For twenty years, the two wander and stray across the world; he becomes a famous actor and she an opera singer, but their paths do not cross. Only when they are older and well-known stars do the two encounter each other in New York.

Their meeting is a mythical encounter between two passions, and through this charged moment, Sholem Aleichem seeks to ask: what is the price of fame? What happens when the ideals of youth meet reality? And what must Jewish artists give up to touch the sky? What began as a romantic youth adventure becomes a journey across countries and continents, between languages and eras—and above all, between the communal identity they came from and the freedom they desire. The play moves between Eastern Europe and America, between dream and reality, raising questions about belonging, creation, tradition, and the search for independent existence.

Evolution of the Play:

This adaptation was written by Richard Nelson at the request of director Yotam Gottle. Nelson is a very well-known American playwright, a Tony Award winner, and a former playwright-in-residence at the Royal Shakespeare Company. This is the world premiere of his adaptation of "Wandering Stars"—an event of unusual magnitude in Israeli theater. The first time a play based on the novel was staged in Hebrew in Israel was in 1950 at the Cameri Theatre, and an adaptation of the novel has also been staged at Yiddishpiel.

Today, the adaptation is part of a contemporary and youthful trend of re-examining Yiddish culture. This culture was excluded for years from Israeli discourse, but today we see many young people studying the Yiddish language, literature, music, and culinary arts. The year 2026 also marks the 90th anniversary of Sholem Aleichem's death, an occasion that serves as an opportunity for a renewed study of his writings.

Creators and Actors:

By - Richard Nelson / Translation and Music - Dori Parnes / Director - Yotam Gottle / Movement - Polina Dryden / Video - Vitaly Friedland / Lighting - Roni Cohen / Set and Costumes - Dina Konson.

Cast: Itai Shor – Leibel / Erez Shafrir – Hotzmakh / Anna Pugatch – Reizl / Shahar Netz – Sasson veSimcha/Nissel/Young man at start (Emanuel) / Ben Drori – Itzik / Nitzan Levartovsky – Henrietta / Aviv Ventura – Actress/Zlatke / Nir Ron – Narrator/Getzel / Gal Zak – Moravcik/Prompter / Irit Pashtan – Braindele.

*The production is dedicated to the memory of the late Sasha Lisyansky, who began working on the project and passed away before rehearsals began.

Upcoming Dates:

Tuesday 29.9.26 at 17:30 – Khan Theatre
Wednesday 30.9.26 at 20:00 – Khan Theatre
Thursday 1.10.26 at 20:00 – Khan Theatre

For more details, visit the website:

https://www.khan.co.il/

https://www.khan.co.il/shows/618/wandering-stars

You are invited to watch the video: