TOWARD A BALANCED HISTORY: “OHEL,” THE “WORKERS THEATRE OF ERETZ YISRAEL” AS A CULTURAL ALTERNATIVE TO HABIMA (1935–1946)

Abstract

Ohel (Hebrew: tent) is the only theatre among the troupes established in Tel Aviv in the 1920s that survived the serious threat posed by the famous Habima when the latter settled in Tel Aviv in 1931. This article offers a history whose aim is to balance between Habima and its central position, and the marginal position of Ohel in traditional history, as well as offering an interpretation of new materials that undermine the accepted myths of the Hebrew theatre. The article examines the discourse obtaining between Ohel and Habima, and focuses on the alternative that Ohel offered the public. It thereby provides the field of Hebrew theatre with a “living historical depth” that is sorely missing in the conventional history.