Puppet Play Based on Kaytek the Wizard

Don’t miss the multimedia puppet play based on Kaytek the Wizard by Janusz Korczak at Hudson Hall on July 29! 

Friday, July 29 at 7pm

327 Warren St, Hudson, NY

https://hudsonhall.org/event/kaytek-the-wizard/

KAYTEK THE WIZARD

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Featured – The Queen and the Spymaster

Hadassah Magazine’s Guide to Jewish Literature

The Queen & The Spymaster is a fast-paced tale of palace intrigue that tells the story of the unlikely champions of Ancient Persia, and of a thousand-year vendetta that presages modern historical events in Iran and Afghanistan. It is a thrilling novel, telling the biblical Esther story you never knew.

The Queen & the Spymaster

Midwest Book Review ● General Fiction Shelf

“The Queen & The Spymaster” is a deftly crafted and simply riveting novel by Sandra E. Rapoport that is based on the story of Esther, and adheres to the ancient biblical text while imagining the suspenseful, gripping and ultimately triumphant backstory of the unlikely heroes of Xerxes’ Persia.

Certain to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to community library Historical Fiction collections, it should be noted for personal reading lists that “The Queen & The Spymaster” is also available in a digital format 

Kaytek the Wizard – Recognition Award

Kaytek the Wizard (written by Janusz Korczak in 1933 and translated into English by Antonia-Lloyd Jones) first premiered as a puppet play in 2016 (BriAnimations Living Entertainment).  This production has been performed across the U.S., from Tennessee to Maine to California, at festivals, schools and performing arts centers.

At the August 2018 International Korczak Conference in Seattle, Washington, the production won a recognition award for introducing audiences to this man who is often referred to as “The King of Children”.

 

A short preview of the puppet play can be seen here.

Black Friday/Cyber Monday Deals at Kobo

The following eBooks are on sale at Kobo from Thursday, November 23rd through Tuesday, November 28th:

           

15% off Urim Publications at Mintzer Bookstore in Gush Etzion

 

Urim Publications display table at Mintzer Bookstore

 

Mintzer Bookstore in Gush Etzion is currently running a 15%-off sale on all Urim titles.

Efrat, Te’ena Commercial Center

02-993-3490

Sun-Thurs: 08:30-19:00, Fri: 8:30-13:00

 

 

Interview with Brian Hull of the Kaytek the Wizard Puppet Show

“Kaytek the Wizard” Puppet Show at the Gracie Theatre

By Alexander Downing

Wishing Chair Productions and puppet designer, is bringing his puppet play “Kaytek the Wizard,” based on Janusz Korczak’s book, to the Gracie Theatre for two performances Friday February 10th.

The story revolves around Kaytek, a mischievous schoolboy who wants to become a wizard and is surprised to discover that he’s able to perform magic spells and change reality. He begins to lead a double life: a powerful wizard in the dress of an ordinary boy.

Shows are at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. As a community service, Husson University is offering tickets to the 11 a.m. show for only $2.

The 11 am performance is free to all Husson students, staff, faculty, and members of their families.

Tickets for the 7 p.m. show are currently on sale from $10.00-$15.00. To reserve tickets, call the Gracie Theatre box office at 207.941.7888 or visit www.gracietheatre.com. Group rates are also available for the 7 p.m. evening show.

Check out the interview here.

 

Sneak Peek: Kaytek the Wizard Puppet Show

Check out the cool behind the scenes images of Brian Hull’s production of Janusz Korczak’s magical story!

Script and Direction by Brian Hull

Music by Sarah Hart

For more information, visit www.brianimations.com

Review of The Jewish Dog

by Jeff Fleischer, Foreword Reviews

Kravitz’s canine narrator describes the events around him without understanding their full impact, offering a new perspective on the Holocaust.

With The Jewish Dog, Asher Kravitz succeeds in the difficult task of finding a new approach to a Holocaust story by telling the tale through the first-person perspective of a family pet. Kravitz treats the material with the appropriate respect while using the dog’s changes in ownership as a clever way to flesh out history and provide an additional perspective.

The story opens with the dog, Caleb, introducing himself and explaining his circumstances, as one of several puppies born in the household of a Jewish family in 1935 Germany. Kravitz drops in hints about what’s on the horizon, whether through Hitler’s voice on the radio or another dog owner bragging about his pet’s pure breeding,

Because of the real-life Nazi decree that banned Jews from owning dogs, the family has to give up Caleb, handing him over to a German with a fondness for the animal. Caleb eventually passes through several owners, who range from kind to cruel, including some involved in the worst crimes of the Nazi era. At various points in his journey, the dog is on the run with a pack of strays, being molded into a prison guard by Nazi trainers, or taking part in a prisoner uprising. At times, Caleb, whose name changes throughout his ordeal, even takes part in atrocities, following the orders of new masters. In doing so, he offers a window into the soldiers or citizens who committed similar crimes, without excusing their behavior. He is haunted by an incident when he was a puppy, when he stood by while a fellow dog hunted and killed a harmless kitten, and thinks about that experience whenever he fails to do right.

Kravitz has some fun with the dog’s food-driven motivation, and the humor does not undermine the story’s tragedy. Because Caleb’s circumstances change so often, the story maintains its suspense, as it’s never obvious which parts of history the dog will experience directly.

This review originally appeared on Foreword Reviews.

Review of The Jewish Dog

By Barbara M. Bibel

Caleb, a remarkable dog, was born in Germany in 1935. He lived with his loving Jewish family until the Nazis forbade them to have a dog. A Nazi family adopts him and gives him to the SS, where he is trained to be a guard dog at a concentration camp. Caleb performs his duties admirably while acting as a keen observer of history and human nature. He sees the cruelty of the Nazis and the suffering that it caused, but he also witnesses the courage, loyalty, and friendship of the prisoners and those who aided them. He never forgets his original family.