Stage Adaptation of Isaac Bashevis Singer’s Holocaust Novel 'Enemies, A Love Story' Opens in Tel Aviv

The shadow of the Holocaust continues to loom over contemporary life, affecting not only survivors but also their descendants. The novel "Enemies, A Love Story," written over 40 years ago by the renowned Jewish author Isaac Bashevis Singer and published by Kibbutz Meuchad, explores this enduring impact. The story follows Herman Broder, a Holocaust survivor and a shadowy writer of sermons for a greedy American rabbi, who finds himself entangled with three women: his Polish peasant wife who saved him during the war and moved with him to New York, a spirited Holocaust refugee who desires him despite his unresolved marriage, and his presumed-dead first wife who suddenly returns.

Set in New York City in 1949, the narrative captures a turbulent world of passion, guilt, survival, and deception as Herman struggles to hold onto a future while haunted by his past. Women are a central motif in Singer’s work, and this story vividly portrays their complex roles amid the aftermath of trauma. The novel, which was previously adapted into an acclaimed film and nominated for an Oscar, has now been transformed into a theatrical production at Tel Aviv’s Beit Lessin Theater.

Directed by Shir Goldberg and adapted by Noa Lazar Keinan, the play features a talented cast including Tom Hagi, Limor Goldstein, Yael Vakstein, Reda Kantrovich, Odelia Mor Matalon, Ofir Weil, and Eran Sharel. The production uses a revolving stage to intensify the emotional turmoil and includes a Jewish comic figure who engages the audience with traditional songs and darkly humorous anecdotes, underscoring the blend of tragedy and resilience.

Running for an hour and forty minutes, the play offers a poignant, intense, and compelling examination of love, guilt, and the elusive hope for new beginnings after immense loss. It serves as a powerful reminder of the Holocaust’s lasting presence and the enduring human spirit.