Yeda Theatre

04/25/2025

"We survived because we helped each other." - Marjia Saravija, kitchen staff at La Benevolencija

With just 5 days left in our fundraising campaign, we're making progress toward our goal of documenting the extraordinary story of Sarajevo's Jewish community during the siege.

Every donation directly supports our May research trip—enabling interviews with survivors like Marjia who kept their neighbors alive through resourcefulness and determination.

In a world that desperately needs models of cooperation across difference, this history offers a powerful reminder of what humans can accomplish when they choose solidarity over division.

Every contribution matters. Support here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/sarajevo-will-be-everything-else-will-pass-research-phase?fbclid=IwY2xjawJpRqRleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHui61vYRK2HSSy7mZhzrlgbEe9my_VU7Gc7SQBNWgi5Zl0xc7XRTWs5N0jCp_aem_46NRiPAe8vLtQL7e-sj6KQ

04/23/2025

Behind every humanitarian effort is someone making the impossible happen. Slobodan Kosanovic, engineer and system manager for La Benevolencija, created the lists and schedules that kept aid flowing during the Sarajevo siege.

In a city without power, phones, or internet, his meticulous planning helped coordinate convoys bringing medicine, food, and supplies—and sometimes arranging evacuations for the most vulnerable.

We're raising funds to interview these unsung heroes during our May research trip. Their stories will form the foundation of our new physical theatre piece.

Support our work: https://www.gofundme.com/f/sarajevo-will-be-everything-else-will-pass-research-phase?fbclid=IwY2xjawJpRqRleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHui61vYRK2HSSy7mZhzrlgbEe9my_VU7Gc7SQBNWgi5Zl0xc7XRTWs5N0jCp_aem_46NRiPAe8vLtQL7e-sj6KQ

04/21/2025

Meet Biljana Sulc, pharmacist at La Benevolencija during the siege of Sarajevo. When medications were nearly impossible to find, the Jewish community's pharmacy became a lifeline—distributing medicine without asking for ethnic ID cards in a city torn apart by ethnic violence.

"We never asked who you were. We only asked what you needed."

Our upcoming production will recreate this pharmacy as an immersive theatrical space where audiences can physically enter this remarkable history.

Help us document these stories before they're lost: https://www.gofundme.com/f/sarajevo-will-be-everything-else-will-pass-research-phase?fbclid=IwY2xjawJpRqRleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHui61vYRK2HSSy7mZhzrlgbEe9my_VU7Gc7SQBNWgi5Zl0xc7XRTWs5N0jCp_aem_46NRiPAe8vLtQL7e-sj6KQ

04/20/2025

"In war, we are all the same." - Dr. Srdjan Gorjakovic, head of La Benevolencija's medical team during the Sarajevo siege.

From a mixed Serbian-Croatian family, Dr. Gorjakovic chose to remain in Sarajevo, working alongside the Jewish community to provide medical care to ANYONE who needed it—regardless of ethnicity.

This powerful story of cross-cultural solidarity feels especially resonant today. Our May research trip will gather firsthand accounts from survivors to bring this history to life through embodied performance.

Support this vital documentation work: https://www.gofundme.com/f/sarajevo-will-be-everything-else-will-pass-research-phase?fbclid=IwY2xjawJpRqRleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHui61vYRK2HSSy7mZhzrlgbEe9my_VU7Gc7SQBNWgi5Zl0xc7XRTWs5N0jCp_aem_46NRiPAe8vLtQL7e-sj6KQ

04/16/2025

During the longest siege in modern history, Sarajevo's Jewish community chose solidarity over self-preservation. Meet Jozef "Tzitzko" Abinun, who transformed his snack bar into a vital soup kitchen. Notice his three stoves: electric (rarely working), gas (dependent on scarce propane), and wood (the most reliable option during war).

This May, we're traveling to Sarajevo to document these remarkable stories for our new physical theatre piece "SARAJEVO WILL BE, EVERYTHING ELSE WILL PASS."

Help us capture this untold story of Jewish humanitarian leadership. Donate here to support our research trip: https://www.gofundme.com/f/sarajevo-will-be-everything-else-will-pass-research-phase?fbclid=IwY2xjawJpRqRleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHui61vYRK2HSSy7mZhzrlgbEe9my_VU7Gc7SQBNWgi5Zl0xc7XRTWs5N0jCp_aem_46NRiPAe8vLtQL7e-sj6KQ

04/15/2025

"When you've survived one genocide, you develop a sixth sense for another." - Jakob Finci

Meet one of the extraordinary leaders behind La Benevolencija's humanitarian efforts during the Siege of Sarajevo.

Jakob Finci saw the warning signs before most. In May 1990, while attending a Jewish memorial ceremony, he noticed people selling Kalashnikovs from car trunks. That observation helped the Jewish community prepare for what would become the longest siege in modern warfare.

As president of the Jewish community of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Finci helped transform the synagogue into a humanitarian center. Under his leadership, La Benevolencija provided aid to all citizens regardless of ethnicity when the city was violently divided along those very lines.

Finci later told journalists: "We weren't trying to be heroes. We were simply doing what needed to be done."

This May, we hope to interview Finci and other key figures from La Benevolencija to document their remarkable story for our physical theatre piece "SARAJEVO WILL BE, EVERYTHING ELSE WILL PASS."

Help us preserve this vital history: https://www.gofundme.com/f/sarajevo-will-be-everything-else-will-pass-research-phase?fbclid=IwY2xjawJpRqRleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHui61vYRK2HSSy7mZhzrlgbEe9my_VU7Gc7SQBNWgi5Zl0xc7XRTWs5N0jCp_aem_46NRiPAe8vLtQL7e-sj6KQ

04/15/2025

History provides context. Context provides understanding.

Before our research trip to document the extraordinary work of La Benevolencija, we want to share this timeline of the Siege of Sarajevo (1992-1995)—the longest siege in modern warfare.

What made the Jewish community's response so remarkable was their ability to see the warning signs early, prepare accordingly, and then choose to stay and help when they could have fled.

Many of La Benevolencija's members were Holocaust survivors or their children.

They recognized what was coming before others did. As Jakob Finci, one of the community leaders, said: "When you've survived one genocide, you develop a sixth sense for another."

While ethnic tensions tore the city apart, the Jewish community created a neutral zone of humanitarian aid—serving Bosniaks, Serbs, and Croats alike without discrimination.

This timeline only tells part of the story. The human experiences behind these dates are what we're traveling to Sarajevo to document.

With your support, we can preserve these testimonies before they're lost to time.

Click here to contribute to our research trip fundraiser: https://www.gofundme.com/f/sarajevo-will-be-everything-else-will-pass-research-phase?fbclid=IwY2xjawJpRqRleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHui61vYRK2HSSy7mZhzrlgbEe9my_VU7Gc7SQBNWgi5Zl0xc7XRTWs5N0jCp_aem_46NRiPAe8vLtQL7e-sj6KQ

01/18/2024

01/11/2024

We bid farewell to The Crone Chronicles’ run at PhysFestNYC with immense gratitude. Swipe through stunning production photos from Ezekiel , illuminating our investigation into Baba Yaga’s journey.

Watching this mystical world resonate in real-time through the audience’s eyes was profoundly moving. Your investment in Chava and Baba Yaga filled our hearts.

PROFOUND thank yous to our incredible team - Carolyn Moore , Nati Via , Ashley Elizabeth Allen , Josh Levine , Danielle Levsky , and Brooke Shilling .shilling - for embodying this ritual performance and honoring Baba Yaga’s complexity. Your ensemble storytelling was captivating.

RESOUNDING applause for Alice da Cunha's visionary direction and Skye Fort's keen shepherding and refinement during the NYC run. Huge gratitude to Nathaniel Fishburn for quirky graphic design, Sivan Spector for the wondrous puppet, and Josh Levine’s sound direction and guidance of the crew for the whimsical, transportive, and often haunting soundscape and foley underscored each moment.

We’re HONORED PhysFestNYC uplifted this timely interrogation of gender, power, and stereotypes. Our hearts brim with appreciation for Julia Proctor , Becky Baumwol , Clown Gym , Broken Box Mime , and the entire leadership and technical team behind PhysFestNYC for welcoming The Crone Chronicles.

We can’t wait to go down the path, through the woods, to find the light... to see Baba Yaga again.