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Apartment for rent • Wanted one who loves people and company who does not look at the color of the skin but at the heart inside. One who does not shy away from newcomers who have different customs and thinks that everyone deserves a family. One who is not afraid of his Arab neighbor and who thinks that we are all different and that's the special thing • If you know someone like that, call us and we'll rent you the apartment • End of the year presentation at Ein Hayam school Haifa

Educator Nitza Shaf took the well-known story "An Apartment for Rent" by author Leah Goldberg, made some changes and made the play topical and thought-provoking.

Nitza Shaev: I chose to do this show out of the belief that everyone can live their life as they want and choose, as long as they don't hurt and disturb others.

Educator Nitza Shaaf

This week, the play "Apartment for Rent" came on at Ein Hayam Elementary School, thanks to a slight change in the characters of the neighbors, the play became topical. This has already become a tradition at Ein Haim Elementary School. The year ends with a play performed by a group of students and directed by the educator Nitza Shaf, a theater actress herself.

The play "Apartment for Rent", the end of the year show at Ein Hayam Haifa School (Photo: Nitza Shaf
The play "Apartment for Rent", the end of the year show at Ein Hayam Haifa School (Photo: Nitza Shaf

The principal of the school, Baruch Yacovi, points out that every year the teacher chooses a well-known story and writes an adaptation of it. This year she chose to adapt Leah Goldberg's story "An Apartment to Rent". She replaced the familiar figures of the animals with figures that symbolize the other in Israeli society. In the building they live together and in good neighborhood, a single mother, an Arab, two fathers with children, a Russian immigrant, one who likes to eat, and another with dark skin. This group expects a tenant to rent the apartment and is amazed every time by the reaction of the candidates who come to see the apartment. The high-tech man refuses to live with a Russian immigrant, whose language is obscene to his taste. A couple of parents, who call themselves parents from the books, are not ready to live with an 'abnormal' family that has two fathers and the "super model" who refuses to live next door to the same one who prepares fine food, but does not meet the weight criteria.

The play "Apartment for Rent", the end of the year show at Ein Hayam Haifa School (Photo: Nitza Shaf
The play "Apartment for Rent", the end of the year show at Ein Hayam Haifa School (Photo: Nitza Shaf

The show is presented several times, starting from kindergarten at the school up to sixth grade. Each time a different age group gathered in the shelter, which became a theater with scenery and props.

All the children were exposed through the show to burning and topical issues that concern Israeli society. For example, what is a normative family? What is being normal and who decides? How are Arabs or immigrants treated in our society? What is racism? In the conversations that took place with the students before and after the play, the team of teachers at the school dealt with the social, political, and value message of the play. The actors in the play are 5th-6th grade students at the school. The residents of the building are played by the students: Emily Biletzkia, Ariel Cohen, Bar Gal Venezia, Ohad Rouch, Kesem Elhana, Tom Kameo, Ily Chen-Hanukah. The tenants in the show are played by: David Zabonic, Naama Sde, Aili Lavi, Gila Denisionk and Ayelet Har-Shob.

The words of the educator Nitza Shaf:

One of the things I love and do is theater. I believe that through theater it is possible to convey messages in an experiential way especially for children, and especially that apart from an experience there will also be a statement. The adaptation to "apartment for rent" is suitable for the period in which we live. Different tenants live in the building I built: a couple of fathers raising children, an Arab girl, a single mother, a new immigrant from Russia, a chubby girl and there is also a brunette. What do they all have in common? that they are all human beings who want to live their lives. They have good neighborly relations. Their way of life, or who they are - none of this bothers anyone. But, the people who come to see the apartment have a criticism of each and every one.
I chose to do this show believing that everyone can live their life as they want and choose as long as they don't hurt and disturb others.

It is important to educate the children this way from a young age so that we can live in a better world. We worked on the show for a long time. The goal is not only to have a good show, but through the show the children will be exposed to different characters who are and live with us. During rehearsals we talked a lot about the characters, what they feel. We talked a lot, for example, about who is worthy of raising children - are a couple of fathers worthy and capable of raising them? Is it possible to live in a single parent family and be happy? Is there such a thing as a normative family? Should one hesitate and disqualify a neighbor, just because she is Arab without knowing her? Can someone who doesn't look like me or has different customs be a good neighbor?

Many times I told the children, someone else's life and love should not interfere with us. If this happens, we will open hatred. Hate and evil are very disruptive. The conversations in the rehearsals produced a show that had a lot of meaning. Both children and adults were moved by her. Unlike with Leah Goldberg - the apartment was rented to Yona who did not like the apartment but loved the tenants. In the processing I did, the apartment remained empty until someone came who…..loves people and company. One who does not look at the color of the skin but at the heart inside. One who does not shy away from new immigrants who have different customs, one who thinks that everyone deserves a family, one who is not afraid of an Arab neighbor. One who thinks that we are all different and that is special and if you want, you can live with anyone. So if you know someone like that, call us and we'll rent the apartment to you.
The play "Apartment for Rent", the end of the year show at Ein Hayam Haifa School (Photo: Nitza Shaf
The play "Apartment for Rent", the end of the year show at Ein Hayam Haifa School (Photo: Nitza Shaf

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Michal Grover
Michal Grover
Michal Grover Education reporter • Real estate • Company Contact: 054-4423911 Mail to the container: [email protected]

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4 תגובות

  1. I feel pain for the damage and identity confusion that will be done to the innocent children

    • Encountering other worlds and identities only sharpens self-identity, it's like trying a thousand flavors of ice cream to know what you like.

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