Intermountain Jewish news., 1926-09-30

hpbul lii'ii uuiS bT'uu, Hl"i' Nhhh th'
anxiety for the future of the Jewish
state: thrir anyiousnee9 10 find JOY
to be able to laugh.
Dance and Forget
The more simple Jews Scphar1i M
girls from Poland. youths from Eng
land and America, have found away
oui they dance. Foytroiting in the
Bristol Garden. beneath the walls oi
the sacred Jerusalem -splcndldly pro
grcSsivc. ehy Shimmy at the Hash
aron" In Tel Aylv. nice and educa-
tive, l. 1t notf liut 10 the leaders of
the people 10 our spiritual elite, which
gathers In Palestine, that Is moi enough
to make life tolcrablc-lilc without
joy, without inward mirth-in n word
without Art
Food. Not Diversion
Do not confuse that with diversion.
II is not that with which we are con
ccrned when We establish theatres, &c
10 the opera. watch the ballet II Is
much more than that. n great deal
more: II means 10 us to retain spirit
ual contact with Europe. TO feel that
we have not degencratcd into country
clods, that we-thc artists-are still
able to create, that we--the middle
class. the workers-still have the en-
pacity 10 absorb Art. that we are still
alivc-and not merely vegetaiing. moi
sufrocnting amid workday cares and
the daily grind
That IL what the Theatre. the Opera
the Dance. the color of the staging
Much IN M
And what of this demand: How
much OF this demand do the theatres
of Palestine fulfill?
Let us say it right out-vcry little
We have started much. hut achieved
little-wc have many theatres, bu
they are all still seekers, groupers
who have not yet found the way tt
the public of the country. nor the wa,
to Europe. And that Is why their tasl
here Is so difficult. so immensely diff
ficult; unlike in other countries. th
Theatre has not been introduced II
Palestine ttaking the Theatre in it
widest sense of Drama, Music ant
Dancc) here il has to introduce l.
self first. The Theatre here has no
merely to defend its public against th
Film or against Wireless-its primar
task is TO create It's public: for tn
fact is that two thirds of the in
habtan,s of Palestine have never bee
| inside n theatre or seen a theatrica
performance In their life. Unlike II
Europe. The theatre in Palestine doe
not have To safeguard or break dow
traditions, il has no traditions yet
everything has still To be creaicd-ii
ventrd--guessed at the actor or SINCE
must first of all learn the Hebrew laf
guagc himself, and then impart 1t T.
the public which does not understand
rot wholly understand IT. The play
produced must be adapted to the ta.'t,
of the Russians, of the High Commits
sioner and of the Iemente Jew wh'
sells gnZoZ. and of the wOrkingmaI
who feels that new world is dawning
and demands new unburgeois Art.
Do you grasp the significance o
theatrical life I'm Palestine:
Theatre and Life
Out OF an aggregate of individual
who have become people only through
common suffering, common hope an
common endcavoi, aud lave convergee
In Palestine from all the forty'ei2h
countries in which tho Jewish Naiiona.
Fund lias collecting stations 10 Great,
real peoplt.-a real people, with q
real. common language, which Is 10 b;
not merely means If communication
IL, business life, hut u means of IS
preston IN the life of the spirit--witl
IL real common culture, with Il common
music, with delight in beauty. delishi
in the body, in movement, color, light
That is what Theatrical Life
means to us Palestinians--to pay fol
it we are, maybe, not rich enough, bui
to he without IT, we are far. far toe
poor: for it is our only wealth.
But the poverty of the country
presses upOn-almost presses the life
out of Art. The painters sell NJ
lpictures-the country has no money fol
such things. The poets write books
but the publisher does not pay fol
them, and the public does not bu.
them.-thcy have not the money. Ano
the singers and the actors are starv
ing-literuliy starving. CThc month";.
salary of singer at the opera during
recent months has been-but hat
better not write the figure down: 1T
one would believe that an artiste's fam
lily could possibly live on such n pit
lance. J
And yet one goes on creating ant
working and shaping plans and making
artistic revolutions without sc
much as having house, a theatre
luilding in which to play.
What Is II Theatre?
Dear Jews-yOu who visit theatre:
and crliicise and amuSe yourselves
have You the faintest notion what tn,
word Theatre signifies in Palestine
The theatre in Palestine has up Il
the present meant nm inferior suburban
picture palace, for there is not ever
good, stylish cinema in Palestine vet
The theatre means such narrow, un
comfortable wooden seats that cor
pulent visitor can watch the perform
ance with only half of his body, be
cause he has had to leave the Other
half in the cloakroom. The theatre
means four crampled holes as dress
ingrooms for the artists. Heaven II
my witness that the Leading Star never
receives II visitor in her dressing room
for. it could not possibly hold sec
ond chair The theatre means: d