By 20:30 that night it was really hot! The Anniversary celebrations began with a video which documented Nephesh Theatre's first work in Canada from 1978 until 1983, when the theatre moved its base to Israel. Their first work was "Children of Night" which premiered in Toronto in 1978 and was later presented in Winnipeg and Edmonton and finally in 1980 in New York at the First International Jewish Theatre Festival starring Broadway actors Len Cariou and Lou Jacobi. Other highlights in the movie included the Nephesh adaptation of Rebbe Nachman's "Legend of Seven Beggars" featuring Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach as well as Alan Ginsburg's visit to the Nephesh production of his poem-play "Kaddish"

On the stage we saw a scene from Yitzchak Meshel's long running play "The Third Third." Following the presentation the cast gave special tribute to 83 year old veteran actress Ruth Geller whose dedication to this play for the last sixteen years was an example to everyone who worked with her and to the over 300,000 in the audiences that have seen her.

Then on the screen we saw previous productions from 1988 till 1995 culminating with a song sung by Chanee Furstenberg. She was acknowledged as part of a long list of actors that began their professional career with Nephesh Theatre and have gone on to have illustrious careers on the stage and in films and television. Special tribute was then given to the renowned Israeli actor Albert Cohen who has acted in over 1500 presentations of Beatrice Hal's phenomenal "Miracles and Tragedies" in Israel as well as 4 North American tours with the production. In his speech Mr. Cohen wished that Nephesh Theatre "could be more like Israeli leaders Prime Minister Ehud Olmert or Past President Moshe Katzav, -that the theatre could be just a little corrupt or steal just a little bit so then he would know that it is really an Israeli theatre."

A clip from CBC and from the local Oklahoma TV station chronicled the pre-Broadway rehearsals and Broadway run of "One of a Kind." Then Ofra Ben Ya'akov, the head of the Israel Foreign Ministry's KASHTUM spoke of her unsuccessful attempts to arrange an Israeli production at Broadway's famed New Victory Theatre during her appointment as the Israel's Cultural attaché in New York. She expressed her admiration for Nephesh Theatre's achievement and to this production which received rave reviews –pointing out that the New York Times praised it as "Inspirational". The presentation of a musical sequence from "One of a Kind" on the stage by the ensemble of 7 Ethiopian actors brought the house down.

Hagit Rechavi the National Head of ASSITEJ praised Nephesh Theatre's achievements in the field of childrens' theatre. Following a video clip chronicling the history of Gabriel Emanuel's "EINSTEIN" which began in Toronto in 1985 then in Hebrew as a co-production with the Habimah National Theatre running for 5 years beginning in 1987 to its recent remounting 2 years ago in Hebrew and in English where it played off-Broadway at La Mama Theatre. Gabriel Emanuel then came on stage and reflected on the early years as well as introduced a scene from his current "The Golem of Prague" where the audience saw a scene depicting the creation of the Golem.

The final speaker was Nephesh Dramaturge Beatrice Hal who wryly revealed that along with the work she did with the theatre for the past 15 years she also was the wife of Artistic Director Howard Rypp and "that not everyone would do what she did to get the job" In closing she introduced a scene from "Gimpel the Fool"-Howard Rypp's one man play based upon the classic I B Siuger story.

Following this presentation Mr. Rypp thanked everyone for coming and expressed his hope that everyone would all return in another 20 years to celebrate Nephesh Theatre's 50th anniversary together. The entire audience was then invited to partake in cake and the champagne that overflowed.

	Nephesh Theatre celebrated its 30th anniversary By Tzlil Yachin
		Artistic Director Howard Rypp in Gimpel The Fool The Golem of Prague One of a Kind