Main Line. In press releases during its
2021-’22 season, Th eatre Ariel described
itself as “Pennsylvania’s only professional
theatre dedicated to illuminating the
social, cultural and spiritual heritage of
the Jewish people.”
Since Baer Mozes founded it in 1990, it
has lived up to that mission, putting on 90
“world premieres,” according to a more
recent press release about the director’s
retirement. But now, the woman who
started and guided the theater on that
mission is “going forth,” as she titled the
musical revue that marked her departure
on June 13 at the Merion Tribute House.

Th e director is actually “going forth”
to Israel, where she will try to live in
Netanya near Tel Aviv. Baer Mozes’
daughter lives in Tel Aviv aft er making
aliyah 13 years ago. Th e longtime Philly
area resident has wanted to make aliyah
herself for years. And during the pan-
demic, as the theater went virtual, she
had some time to step back and refl ect
on when the right moment might arise.

It turned out to be now.

“It’s emotional,” Baer Mozes said. “But
I also know that for me it’s the right
time.” But she did not want to leave until she
secured her legacy. As Ackerman said,
telling Jewish stories is vital to the sur-
A Theatre Ariel performance
vival of the people, and Th eatre Ariel is
the only theater organization in the area
dedicated solely to doing so.

Its founder did not want that mission
to die so, before she departed, she found
a successor. Jesse Bernstein is moving up
from associate artistic director to artistic
director. Bernstein, a veteran of the fi lm, TV
and theater industries, joined Th eatre
Ariel in 2018 to help it host an interna-
tional Jewish theater conference, then
never left . Baer Mozes called their initial
partnership on the conference “a won-
Photo by Jordan Cassway
derful collaboration.”
Recently, Bernstein mentioned to her
that he wanted to be an artistic director
at some point. Baer Mozes had not told
him that she was considering him as her
replacement. But she realized that they
were on the same page.

“Th e more we worked together, the
more it seemed right for me that Jesse
would take over,” she said.

But Bernstein will have big shoes to fi ll.

Baer Mozes brought this stage to life, and
it became her singular devotion, accord-
ing to several fans and colleagues.

“I’ve never seen anyone more ded-
icated and devoted to her craft ,” said
Juliet Spitzer, a Bala Cynwyd resident
and founding board member of Th eatre
Ariel. “When she wasn’t sleeping or
socializing, she was working.”
“She’s had a tremendous impact on the
Jewish community but also the general
community in the Philadelphia area,”
added Judy Guzman, a Bala Cynwyd
resident and the theater’s co-president.

Since Th eatre Ariel is a salon theater, it
strips away the bells and whistles of the
stage and focuses on the elements that
matter: the words, the stories and the
characters. All shine through in such a
focused and intimate environment.

Th at was why Ackerman saw the
Th eatre Ariel shows as a fundamental
part of the Jewish religious tradition.

Th ey illuminated many diff erent types of
Jewish subjects, too, from a Jewish spy in
the Civil War to the women of the Torah
and the Talmud.

“What I liked, in particular, was that
the theatrical pieces told and retold
traditional stories in really relevant
language,” Ackerman said. “And in a
way that enabled participants to really
see themselves in those stories.” JE
jsaff ren@midatlanticmedia.com
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM 7