The Color of Water: Transforming the silenced archive to repertoire in the Mizrahi theatre in Israel

The article examines how Mizrahi theatre in Israel seeks to reclaim and voice the marginalized history of Mizrahi Jews, who immigrated from the Middle East and North Africa. Despite forming a significant part of Israel's population, Mizrahi cultural contributions have been sidelined since the state's establishment in 1948. Traditionally, Mizrahi history has been orally transmitted and often dismissed within the Eurocentric Zionist framework. The article highlights The Color of Water, a play by the Shahar Theatre that focuses on the ‘Yemenite Kinneret expulsion’. This historical event involved the expulsion of Yemenite Jews from agricultural land near the Kinneret by Eastern European Zionist pioneers due to racist views. The play integrates Yemenite cultural elements like singing and dancing, presenting them as vital aspects of Jewish culture. The article emphasizes the dynamic relationship between archive and repertoire in preserving cultural memory. While the archive consists of texts and documents, the repertoire encompasses embodied practices. The play exemplifies how Mizrahi artists transform the silenced archive into a living repertoire, challenging the dominant Zionist narrative and enriching the cultural discourse in Israel by integrating Mizrahi perspectives.