The Raanana Testimony Theater Project, which includes intergenerational encounters between Raanana’s Holocaust survivors and students, will reach its conclusion this month, with a play based on the survivors’ testimonies.

The project organized by the “Testimony Theater - Telling Your Story in Order to Live”, was launched about a year ago, and included 9 Holocaust survivors and 21 ninth graders from the Yonatan Middle School, participating in weekly meetings at the HaMishkan Center for Music and Art.  The encounters were held together with the project’s initiators, actors Irit and Ezra Dagan, who served as the hosts, writers and directors of the play.

Throughout the past year, joint fascinating and moving activities were held, during which the students were exposed to the survivors’ testimonies and became part of their story of survival. Through dramatic exercises and a process of artistic expression, a play was created in which the students act out the personal stories of the survivors.  The play offers both the younger and adult population an emotional experience which is of utmost educational and cultural importance.

The project was produced and organized by the following divisions:  Culture Youth and Leisure, Social Services, Education and with the cooperation of ESHEL, the Raanana’s Association of the Elderly and the Education Ministry, in order to create an intergenerational encounter, designed to introduce the students to the Holocaust through a personal dimension and to provide encouragement, support, reinforcement and hope to the generation of survivors.

The closing play will be held at the HaMishkan Center for Music and Arts:
28.10.08 – There will be a dress rehearsal open to the public at 17:00.
30.10.08 – The official performance will be attended by the mayor, his deputy in charge of the culture, youth and leisure division as well as the city councilwoman in charge of welfare services, families of the survivors and the students, representatives of the Association for the Elderly, ESHEL, and other guests.

Three additional plays will be held for students of the city’s schools.