Meet our Kadimah Yugnt Trupe / Youth Troupe Leader – Josh Reuben. He sat down with Fay Burstin to answer a few questions for Vos Hert Zikh?…
Vos Hert Zikh: You have quite a long relationship with Yiddish and Yiddishkeyt, how did it all begin?
Josh Reuben: My maternal grandfather spoke Yiddish, but I started learning it at Sholem Aleichem College, where I truly fell in love with the language, especially through the rich canon of songs and plays we learned and performed at assemblies at Sholem or sometimes at the Mitvokh Klub at the Kadimah! I am so grateful to my Yiddish teachers who shared their passion with such dedication.
VHZ: You have been working with the Kadimah, in various roles, for quite some time. Can you tell us about everything you do and have done so far?
JR: My first role with the Kadimah as an adult was as a performer in Sholem Aleichem: Not Dead Yet in 2016. Since then, I have been involved in many productions both as an actor (The Ghetto Cabaret (2017, 2019), Play Me a Poem (2019), Yiddish Divas: Into the Red Tent (2023) and as surtitle creator and operator forDurkh a Modne Gloz (2021), both productions of Yentl (2022, 2024).
I so enjoy working with the Kadimah; those involved put all their energies into creating beautiful Yiddish programming with the all-important Melburnian flair, contributing to the continuously unfurling goldene keyt – the golden chain of global Yiddish culture.
VHZ: What else are you currently working on?
JR: I work as a Yiddish teacher at Sholem Aleichem College, this year teaching pre-kinder, Prep Yiddish and some of the high school Yiddish classes through SACCEC.
I was honoured with this year’s Chana Mrocki Memorial Mentorship with the New York-based Yiddish actor Shane Baker through the Jewish Labour Bund. Through that I am developing a piece that will be performed later this year!
VHZ: What is your favourite part of teaching the children’s theatre workshop?
JR: Seeing the children feeling empowered to explore their creativity through theatre is such a joy. Seeing their excitement for an idea, then helping to bring it to life through exploration of character or movement, growing in confidence as the term progresses, is a fantastic journey to be a part of.
VHZ: What do you hope the future holds for Yiddish and Yiddish Theatre in Australia?
JR: There are amazingly creative projects happening in Yiddish around the world. With everyone forced online back in 2020, the walls between Yiddish-speaking communities were at their thinnest. Live events are of course back in full swing, but I wouldn’t want that to silo us off as ek velt! I would love to see even more joint projects between international Yiddish groups, to strengthen the continued success of the arts in the language.
There are so many incredible artists of all modalities in Melbourne who create in Yiddish. May Yiddish creativity continue to thrive, as it has done in Melbourne since Yiddish-speaking Jews first arrived – and may the fabric of our community and beyond continue to support Yiddish art and learning!
VHZ: Anything special you would like to share about yourself?
JR: The first non-Yiddish related fact I always tell people is that I go bouldering (a style of rock climbing). Though it’s gotten quite popular recently, I assure you my friends and I started before the craze!
