The Jewish Theatre in Warsaw: 75 Years of Yiddish on Stage

The stage that calls itself the custodian of Yiddish culture in Poland has led a wandering life. The Ester Rachel and Ida Kaminska Jewish Theatre was created in 1950 by merging two post-war companies - the Lower Silesia Jewish Theatre in Wroclaw and the Jewish Theatre in Lodz - and moved to Warsaw in 1955 at the initiative of Ida Kaminska. The theatre says it is the only Jewish theatre in Poland and one of just two permanent theatres in Europe staging shows in Yiddish.

The Kaminska dynasty

The theatre is named for two women. Ester Rachel Kaminska (1870-1925) - known as the mother of Yiddish theatre - was buried in the Jewish Cemetery on Okopowa Street. Her daughter Ida Kaminska (1899-1980), estimated to have played 150 roles, directed the company until 1968, when the antisemitic March campaign forced her - and a large group of actors - to leave Poland. Szymon Szurmiej then led the theatre for 45 years, from 1969 until his death in 2014; Golda Tencer has been its director since 2015.

A theatre without a home

From 1970 the company occupied a purpose-built home at 12/16 Grzybowski Square. At the end of 2016 it lost that building and moved its offices to 35 Senatorska Street; performances are staged mainly at the Warsaw Garrison Command Club at 141a Niepodleglosci Avenue and as guest productions at theatres such as Nowy Teatr, Teatr Polski and ATM. Since July 2012 the theatre has also run the Yiddish Culture Center.

Box offices: 35 Senatorska St and the Garrison Command Club (both Mon-Fri 11:00-17:00, Sat-Sun 11:00-19:00; the box office closes in July). For more, see our Warsaw theatres guide.