The Seattle Jewish Theater Company is performing the historically-based play, Arrivals, a Seattle Love Story, at Temple Beth El on Monday, May 2 at 7:00 p.m.

Written and directed by SJTC artistic director Art Feinglass, and based on historical events, Arrivals is a Romeo and Juliet love story that unfolds against the backdrop of early-1900s Seattle and the arrival of the first Sephardic Jewish immigrants.

The year is 1902 when Marco Cordova, a poor young Jew from Turkey, comes to Seattle, the first Sephardic Jew ever to arrive in the city, determined to make his fortune. He soon meets Bayla Keigelman, a fragile young Jewish woman from Russia, who is haunted by memories of a vicious pogrom. Despite the cultural gulf between them, they fall in love but find they must confront forces that declare their love forbidden.

Feinglass spent several years researching the history behind the play, including extensive research in the archives of the Washington State Jewish Historical Society and interviews with many members of the Sephardic and Ashkenazi Seattle Jewish communities. “The mission of the Seattle Jewish Theater Company is to present plays that explore aspects of the Jewish experience” says Feinglass “and that’s what I wanted to do when I wrote Arrivals. I hope this play fosters a wider appreciation for the Sephardic Jewish experience. In a broader sense, the play is also a vote for diversity within the Jewish community and without. It’s always a shame when good people are separated by foolish prejudice.”

Arrivals runs 90 minutes and is appropriate for all ages. The performance will be followed by an audience conversation with the playwright and cast.

This event is free to the congregation and the local community. Thank you to Lamed Vav for sponsoring this event.

In the Notes section below, please list the names of all those you are registering for (including yourself).