A competition to write short original plays on relations between Jews and Arabs in Israel took place on Thursday, with Israeli students from six universities across Israel taking part in the Arditi Foundation-sponsored event.
The Arditi Foundation Awards, hosted by Tel Aviv University (TAU) and in collaboration with the Department of Theater Arts in the Yolanda and David Katz Faculty of the Arts, were awarded to three winning plays created by students using the shared motif of "smells, sounds and tastes."
The prize for first place was given to the story "Emulsion," a play by Nir Cohen Rothschild and directed by Riki Assor, which follows Arab pantry chef Wajdi and new apprentice Uri and the difficulties they encounter in communicating, which prevents their restaurant from running efficiently.
“Emulsion is exactly what we need – not only here in the State of Israel but the whole world," said Hanna Birach, the student who played the role of Wajdi.
"The message of the play is that it is mixing, or unmediated contact that creates a delicious dish. We have to remember that we mustn’t judge those who have a different faith than us and that we are not the sole bearers of the truth. Only when we learn to listen will we achieve true coexistence," Birach added.
"The Country's Chef," a play by Doron Rechlis and directed by Yochai Hacker, won second place in the competition. The play follows an Arab and a Jew competing against each other in the grand finale of a popular reality cooking show.
Third place went to Sigi Golan's" Being Only You for the Rest of Your Life," directed by Mor Halevi. The play follows a date between a young woman and a guy she encountered on a dating app, who is not who she expected him to be.
The founder of the Arditi Foundation, Metin Arditi, is a Jewish-Swiss writer and philanthropist.
Arditi congratulated the participants and added that "in Israel, Jews and Arabs have no choice but to live together."
"Coexistence between Jews and Arabs is the inevitable fate of the State of Israel," Arditi said.
The panel of judges who selected the three winning plays included judges from TAU's theater arts, literature, and Arabic and Islamic studies departments.