2 p.m. Sunday, February 2, 2025
Tickets: Online or at the door (free for CBI members)
Congregation Beth Israel is pleased to offer an an afternoon program with Aimee Ginsburg Bikel, the widow of the legendary Theodore Bikel and director of The Theodore Bikel Legacy Project, on what would have been his centennial year.
Aimee will share stories and lessons from the life and legacy of this giant of Jewish culture, from Bikel’s childhood in Vienna through his magnificent 70-year career and his age-old teachings, with video, music, and wonderful anecdotes.
Although Bikel has been gone for 9 years, his remarkable life and legacy, his contributions in the fields of music, drama, yiddishkeit and tikkun olam continue to influence and move us.
As a stage actor, he was best known for his role as Tevye (which he played over 2,000 times), and for creating the role of Captain von Trapp on Broadway in the Sound of Music (the song “Edelweiss” was written for him personally). Bikel was also a distinguished, Oscar nominated film actor, in such films as My Fair Lady, The African Queen, The Russians Are Coming, and the Defiant Ones. He acted in more than 30 major films. His last film, the documentary “In the Shoes of Sholom Aleichem”, was made only a few years before he died, and was his tour de force.
But Bikel was perhaps best loved for his musical career. Co-founder of the Newport Folk Festival, he recorded 37 albums — more than 20 on the Elektra label. Considered one of the founding fathers of American folk music he sang with Pete Seeger and the Weavers and was responsible for the establishment of world folk music, singing and recording songs in Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino and Russian, bringing the love of Yiddish and Israeli songs into the vogue with American listeners.
Bikel also was a tireless activist for human rights, for justice, and for peace, deeply involved in both Jewish issues as well as the betterment of the lives of fellow workers.
The program will be presented by Aimee Ginsburg Bikel, an award-winning journalist, author, poet, and public speaker. She has lived in Israel, India, and the United States and her work has been published worldwide. She served as the senior Israeli India Correspondent for more than a decade and has extensive experience as a radio editor and host. She has spoken to audiences around the world about her work and life experiences and is currently on tour with her book, “The City Of Light.” Her first volume of poetry, “Take Me With You” will be published in 2024.