Temple Emanu-El hosting performance of Golda's Balcony

Theater is a great way to bring a story to life, and on Jan. 28 the Temple Emanu-El will be reviving the story of Golda Meir, the fourth Prime Minster of Israel in a a one-night showing of Golda’s Balcony.  

The one-woman show, which was widely successful on Broadway for many years, was written by William Gibson and chronicles Meir’s life. Starting from humble beginnings as a Russian school girl, Meir teaches in Wisconsin and eventually makes her ascent within Israel’s political system to become one of the world’s first elected female heads of state, said Mountain Brook resident Susan Koretzky in a press release for Temple Emanu-El.. 

The play centers on the early 1970s, when Israel is involved in the Yom Kippur War and Meir, as Prime Minister, must decide whether or not to use nuclear weapons, Koretzky said. Her predicament is reflected in the name of the show, which references a nickname of a certain area within the Dimona nuclear weapons facility, where visiting persons could observe underground activity in the facility. 

Now one of the most influential women in Jewish history, Meir is played by Nashville actress Francine Berk. Jay Kholos, who previously worked on The Dick Van Dyke Show and is now producer of Golda’s Balcony, credits Berk saying that “Francine is one of the most - perhaps the most - talented people [he’s] ever worked with. She absolutely channels Golda Meir.”

The show is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 28 at the Temple Emanu-El on 2100 Highland Ave. Tickets are $45 each and are expected to sell out quickly, so interested parties are encouraged to purchase their tickets as soon as possible at ourtemple.org or by mailing a check to Temple Emanu-El care of Susan Koretzky. For more information, email Koretzky at sbkoret@aol.com or call at 956-8888.