Lecture

Adam Taub, Gary Abrahams, and Professor Meirav Han
Yentl: Girls will be Boys

Tuesday 23.06.2026

How to watch

This lecture starts on 23 June at 7:00pm (UK).

Summary

Please note: This discussion has been pre-recorded and therefore a live Q&A will not be available.

A new Yiddish production of Yentl by Kadimah Theatre garnered five-star reviews when it played in Melbourne and Sydney and later transferred to London. It is a brilliant evocation of Isaac Bashevis Singer’s dark tale of love and identity. Why has this short story retained its power to shock and move contemporary audiences? We discuss the production, Yiddish and the life of Isaac Bashevis Singer with Gary Abrahams, director and co-writer of the show, and Meirav Hen, Professor of Psychology and the granddaughter of Isaac Bashevis Singer.

Arts and Culture 784 lectures

Jewish History & Culture 766 lectures

Adam Taub

Adam Taub studied natural sciences and law. He practiced in the field of intellectual property before setting up a consultancy that coaches senior executives. He has a MA in education from University College London. He has been a lecturer at the London School of Jewish Studies for 20 years and is the cofounder of a charity called Etgar that aims to inspire a love of Jewish learning in young Jewish students.

Gary Abrahams

Since graduating from The Victorian College of The Arts, Gary Abrahams has established himself as one of Melbourne’s most critically respected and sought after freelance stage directors and theatre makers. He has directed the Australian premieres and national tours of several commercial shows, as well as classic texts, contemporary plays, new Australian scripts, and devised projects. His work encompasses large scale commercial plays and musicals, mainstage works, independent shows and self-produced theatre projects. He also works as a dramaturg, script advisor, outside eye and mentor, as well as a playwright and freelance writer. He is a recipient of prestigious awards for writing and directing and a Green Room Award Winner and multiple nominee for his directing, playwriting and dramaturgy work.

Director highlights include the Australian premiere of 33 Variations starring academy award winning actor Ellen Burstyn at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre, the Australian premieres of Buyer and Cellar for The Melbourne Theatre Company, Hand to God and Bad Jews for The Vass Theatre Group, and Resident Alien for Cameron Lukey Productions. His recent credits for Kadimah Yiddish Theatre include Ghetto Cabaret and Yentl (Co-Writer and Director), winning the 2023 Green Room Award for Best Writing of Yentl and nominated for Best Director.

Professor Meirav Han

Prof. Meirav Hen is a clinical psychologist and the current Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities at Tel Hai University in Israel. As the daughter of Israel Zamir, the only son of 1978 Nobel Prize-winning author Isaac Bashevis Singer, she carries a significant literary and historical legacy.

Raised in Kibbutz Beit Alpha, Meirav and her three brothers (Noam, Ilan, and Yuval Zamir) now manage the IBS Trust. This organization is dedicated to preserving the stories and literary legacy of their grandfather, ensuring his explorations of identity, faith, and the human condition remain a vital part of contemporary global discourse.

Library

Browse all lectures, filter by speaker or topic.

Calendar