Samaria Theater Breaks New Ground on Broadway

For the first time ever, a production from Judea and Samaria was staged in Manhattan, where it received standing ovations in the presence of senior Israeli officials and hundreds of audience members.

A historic cultural moment took place last night (Tuesday) in New York, with the Manhattan premiere of the Shomron (Samaria) Theater. For the first time, a production by a theater operating in Judea and Samaria was performed outside Israel -an achievement widely viewed as a significant breakthrough in the cultural and international arena.

Jabotinsky’s Dream

The play, entitled “Jabotinsky’s Dream,” centers on the figure of Ze’ev Jabotinsky, one of the early nationalist Zionist leading thinkers, founder of the Revisionist movement and Betar, author, poet, publicist and translator. The drama presents an imagined encounter between Jabotinsky and a contemporary Israeli playwright, offering a modern perspective on the Zionist leader’s legacy, 85 years after his death. Written by Tzvia Huberman in collaboration with Shai Golden and directed by Sarel Peterman, the production was met with enthusiastic applause from the audience.

Bringing the play to New York was a joint initiative of Israel’s Consul General in New York, Ofir Akunis; Israeli Minister of Culture and Sport Miki Zohar; and Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan. The production was mounted by the Israeli Consulate in New York with the support of the Israel Ministry of Culture and Sports. The premiere evening was opened by Yossi Dagan and Ofir Akunis, attended by Republican candidate for New York governor Bruce Blakeman and hundreds of guests.

Breaking the Cultural Boycott

Minister Zohar said that the New York premiere, especially at this time, holds particular importance in presenting Israel’s story to the world. Consul General Akunis emphasized that the event represents a fulfillment of Jabotinsky’s vision, and a clear statement in the face of rising antisemitism: Israel is a strong state that will not allow history to repeat itself.

Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, said at the premiere that this marked “the glass ceiling breaking” and the end of the “cultural boycott against Judea and Samaria.” He added that staging the play in Manhattan constitutes the building of “a cultural bridge between Samaria and the United States of America – a bridge of life.”

The Samaria Theater was founded close to three years ago as an initiative of the Samaria Regional Council. It is managed by Hatuna Kipnis and led by the council’s Department of Culture. Its mission is to connect high-quality theater with Jewish and Israeli identity, and the Manhattan premiere marks a new and significant milestone in its journey.

Judea and Samaria are landscapes the names and stories of which are echoed throughout the Bible, yet in the modern world, their connection to the Jewish people is often questioned or denied. Against that backdrop, this cultural moment served as far more than a theatrical achievement. By bringing an authentic Israeli voice from the heart of the land to one of the world’s great cultural capitals, the production strengthened the moral and normative bond between the Jewish people and their ancestral homeland, reminding audiences that history, faith, and living culture are inseparable threads in the story of Israel.