Event Details

The Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company (HGJTC) was incorporated in 2006 by cofounders David Eisner and Avery Saltzman and is Toronto’s only Jewish not-for-profit theatre company. Its mission is to produce work that reflects a diverse audience and to produce plays

with a Jewish perspective, that are socially relevant to today's audiences. The company operates out of the Greenwin Theatre at the Toronto Centre for the Arts and produces a professional season of three to five plays annually, sometimes including a Yiddish production. It also runs a program called "In the Beginning" to develop new Jewish-themed plays and supports the Canadian Jewish Playwriting Competition. The theatre company has received Dora Mavor Moore Awards and nominations for its work.

This application is for “Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish”, taking place May 25 to June 7, 2026, at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto. The production is a major new undertaking for the Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company: a critically acclaimed Yiddish-language staging of the musical Fiddler on the Roof, performed with English subtitles. This version reveals the musical's Eastern European Jewish heritage through its original language, music, and historical context. Directed by Oscar and Tony Award-winner Joel Grey, the production brings together an all-Canadian cast performing alongside Steven Skybell, the original New York lead. The performances will be accompanied by extensive education, community engagement, and partnership-based programming. Programming includes:

(1) Fourteen mainstage performances of Fiddler on the Roof, featuring the original New York staging complete with original sets, costumes, and props;

(2) Immersive lobby exhibition: In collaboration with the Ontario Jewish Archives, the Elgin Theatre lobby will be transformed into an educational exhibition space highlighting over 100 years of Jewish history;

(3) Community & Cultural Partnerships: Cross-promotional and engagement initiatives with leading cultural organizations, including the Ashkenaz Festival, the Koffler Centre of the Arts, and Jewish Music Week, enhancing the project’s visibility and cultural impact; and

(4) Student engagement initiative: A developing partnership with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) to offer 1,500 complimentary student tickets, introducing young audiences to Jewish history, language, and culture through the performing arts.