Avi Hoffman
Ibi Kaufman
Eleanor Reissa
Allen Lewis Rickman
Ethel Sheffer
Hy Wolfe
Stuart Zagnit
Robert Abelson
Sandra M. Bloom
Roberta Paula Books
Joanne Borts
Mike Burstyn
Jake Ehrenreich
Gerri-Ann Frank
How You Can Make a Difference
Your donation to the Hebrew Actors’ Foundation will help ensure our continuity and guarantee that a Yiddish word will continue to be heard on the Lower East Side, the birthplace of Yiddish theater in New York.
Here's How
Support Levels:
Naming Opportunities:
HAF Brilyant (Jewel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
HAF Gold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
HAF Zilber (Silver) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
HAF Mitglid (Member) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
HAF Groyser Shtitser (Big Supporter) . . . . . . . .
HAF Shtitser (Supporter) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
HAF Pushke (Coin Box) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
$2,500
$1,000
$360
$180
$108
$72
$36
The Building
The Main Stage
The Cafe Royale
... And More!
These are among the many naming opportunities to honor or memorialize a loved one, or to demonstrate personal or corporate philanthropy.
All gifts are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. The Hebrew Actors' Foundation is a 501(c)3 charitable organization
Send Donations to:
Hebrew Actors’ Foundation
31 East 7th Street
New York, NY 10003
OR via PayPal:
The Way We Were
Founded in 1897, the Hebrew Actors’ Union was the first performing arts union in America. Broadway and the Yiddish theaters of Second Avenue turned New York City into the theater capital of the world. Our Union Hall, at 31 East 7th Street, was its nucleus. Here, Yiddish artists and impresarios, including Molly Picon, Stella Adler, Paul Muni, Peysakhke Burshteyn, Maurice Schwartz, Menasha Skulnik, Boris Thomashefsky, Fyvush Finkel, and Mike Burstyn networked, shaped future productions and honed their craft while enjoying card games, social club meetings, gossip and shared meals.
Clockwise: Molly Picon, Fyvush Finkel, Stella Adler, Paul Muni
The strike spread rapidly. The actors won their demands, and many years before the formation of Actors’ Equity, the Hebrew Actors’ Union formed its Local No. 1.
The Way We Can Be
The Hebrew Actors’ Foundation will renovate our building, creating a performance and educational space where visitors of every age can learn, listen, and engage. Plays, concerts, workshops, seat back translation screens, interactive touch screen stations, and a book center that will chronicle the written history of our literature and music are all part of our plan. We will undertake a feasibility study to provide us with feedback as to which programs and services our community wants and will support.
We need to save this space now, before it is too late!
Bernard Sauer (L) and David Carrey (R) Toast to the Future
in the comedy Di Rebitzin fun Yisroel
Unless we know where we come from, we cannot hope to know who we are in the present, or where we may yet go from here.
Our Mission
Our vision is to preserve the legacy of the thousands of Yiddish actors and theater professionals who struggled to make it in America. These actors of humble origins who entertained our parents and grandparents changed the face of American theater, cinema and culture. By showcasing new and traditional Yiddish performance groups, with twenty-first century voices, the Hebrew Actors’ Foundation will create a living memorial to these professionals and to all who cherished their work: we will elevate their memories by performing in the space they so deeply loved.
Our Vision
Help Us Preserve Yiddish Theatre
Th e Café Royale
Located on the lower level, patrons will relax with a drink and enjoy cabaret performances in the historic Café Royale’s casual ambiance. Imagine open mic nights, storytelling opportunities and klezmer concerts. The perfect place to unwind after a long day.
Our Spaces
Main Stage Theater
A 99-seat raked, black box theater, located on the upper level. A home for edgy new productions as well as traditional performance groups, the space will play host to festivals, traveling shows, film festivals and other celebrations of the Yiddish performing arts. The hottest ticket in town.
Educational Programming
Programming will be geared toward a wide-ranging audience: children, young adults rediscovering their roots, tourists and patrons who simply enjoy Yiddish theater. Kiosks for music, films and artifacts will entertain and inform.
Questions?
Would you like to volunteer?
We'd love to hear from you!
Contact
PRESERVE OUR LEGACY
ON THE LOWER EAST SIDE
Robert Abelson
Sandra M. Bloom
Roberta Paula Books
Joanne Borts
Mike Burstyn
Jake Ehrenreich
Gerri-Ann Frank
Avi Hoffman
Ibi Kaufman
Eleanor Reissa
Allen Lewis Rickman
Ethel Sheffer
Hy Wolfe
Stuart Zagnit
Our Building
31 East 7th Street
New York, NY
Upon request, a copy of the latest annual report can be obtained from the organization or from the Office of the Attorney General by writing to the Charities Bureau, 120 Broadway, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10271.
Our People