"This unusual volume is an important contribution to rebuilding the broken bridge from the Yiddish past to the Yiddish future. It is an oral history, yet it has been written down and meticulously annotated. The interviewer is a knowledgeable scholar, but also a close friend of the subject. Thanks to this combination of spontaneous orality and written precision, scholarly rigor and personal trust, readers are treated to a range of professional and personal insights and experiences that rarely make it into print. This treatment accords this history, and the singular figure of Lea Koenig, the respect they deserve."

—Jake Schneider, Yiddish cultural activist and poet

“This book offers a rare opportunity to encounter one of the most important Yiddish actresses of recent generations, who continues the tradition of Yiddish theater as it developed before World War II. Lea Konig’s tumultuous life story unfolds the history of the Jewish people from the war and the refugees in Uzbekistan, through Jewish and theatrical life under communism, to the world of Israeli theater. The struggles she faced—against the Communist regime and later the Israeli establishment—mirror broader battles within Jewish and Yiddish culture. The author’s outstanding scholarly work enriches the reader’s understanding of the cultural, historical, social, political, and legal contexts of Yiddish theater, offering unique insights into the challenges and transformations that shaped its survival. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in Jewish history, theater studies, or the enduring legacy of Yiddish culture in the modern era.”

— Dr. Shaul Sharf, Lecturer in Law at the Peres Academic Center in Rehovot, Israel, and Editor of "Rashut Ha'Rabim" Legal Journal