At The Toronto Centre for the Arts (former Ford Centre) Studio Theatre. 5040 Yonge Street, Toronto

 A Glimpse of the Light

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In recognition of Israel’s 60th anniversary, Teatron Toronto Jewish Theatre is currently presenting a play that pays tribute to its rebirth and the Holocaust survivors who fought for it.

A Glimpse of the Light, a musical romance written by Ben Finn and directed and produced by Ari Weisberg, will run at the Leah Posluns Theatre until Nov. 23.

It unfolds on a nearly bare stage, relating the story of a group of nine Holocaust survivors who make their way to Palestine in the face of a British naval blockade and begin their lives anew on a kibbutz besieged by Arabs.

As the title suggests, A Glimpse of the Light is upbeat in tone, even as darkness descends or threatens to do so.

The survivors, their suitcases in tow, board a ship captained by Jack Levine (Barrett Morrison), an open-hearted American Jew.

“Forget your lost world,” says a member of the crew in a reference to their former homes in eastern European shtetls. “You’ll love Palestine.”

The passengers do not need much encouragement. “We’re heading to where we want to be,” they sing in unison. Judging by this line, the survivors have few doubts. There is no going back to Europe, and Palestine beckons.

As the ship heads toward the Middle East, the characters reveal themselves in a flurry of words and in bursts of uplifting songs.

Shmuelik (Clinton Somerton), a cocky sabra and crew member, dismisses the Diaspora with a wave of the hand, relegating it to the annals of “ancient history.” Once in Palestine, he argues that only Jews have a right to Judea and Samaria and that Arabs should move to Trans-Jordan.

Yudel (Jack Ossof), a grizzled survivor fond of reciting pearls of Jewish wisdom as handed down to him by his sage father, disagrees, saying that the land should be shared in a spirit of coexistence.

The theme of romantic love manifests itself early on, when, in a flashback in Nazi occupied Poland, Ruchel (Nala Burdyna) and Moishe (Marc Richler), pledge themselves to each other. But once Ruchel has boarded the ship without her beloved Moishe, Jack takes a shine to her.

In Part 2, the survivors adapt themselves to new routines on Kibbutz Yad Mordechai and learn that armed conflict with their Arab neighbours is inevitable and imminent.

Avram (Martin Edmonds), a kibbutz leader, assures them that they will prevail.

“We’ll make it through,” he says without a tremor of doubt in his voice.

This sort of untrammelled optimism suffuses A Glimpse of the Light from beginning to end.

Ably directed by Weisberg, and distinguished by fine performances, the play honours the resilience of the survivors in their new, embattled homeland.

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THE CHOSEN  |THE SISTERS ROSENSWEIG | THE GOD OF ISAAC | CHAIM’S LOVE SONG |A GLIMPSE OF THE LIGHT | THE DYBBUK

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