The World Zionist Organization’s English language U.S. tour of Heschel’s Passover Eve will present the one-person play at 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 9 at Beth Abraham Synagogue in Oakwood.

The play is set in April 1968, a few days before the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is to join the rabbi at his Seder.
Eric Berger performs as Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel in the 45-minute production.

Heschel’s Passover Eve had its premiere in Israel in January 2023. Originally in Hebrew, the WZO had commissioned Eran Shavit to write it in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Heschel’s death. WZO Vice Chairman Yizhar Hess conceived of the idea for the play.

“Heschel was a leader in the world of Zionism, as an influential rabbi, as a philosopher and a poet, who also touched many Jews in the Diaspora, mainly in North America,” Hess told The Jerusalem Post in an interview.

“He himself was a model of commitment to the Zionist idea, the human spirit, and human rights.”

The performance at Beth Abraham is sponsored by Jim Nathanson in memory of his wife, Carol. It’s co-sponsored by Pastor Ken Moss and the Potters House.

The pastor and Beth Abraham’s Rabbi Aubrey Glazer will lead a discussion following the play.
Beth Abraham is located at 305 Sugar Camp Circle, Oakwood. Admission to Heschel’s Passover Eve is free. Reservations are required here.

To read the complete April 2024 Dayton Jewish Observer, click here.