When I first came to the Yiddish world, I was on the brink of turning 30, had just moved back to New York after many years away and was in the process of redifining my life. Adrienne was among the first people I met from the Workmen's Circle / Arbeter Ring. I was just beginning classes at the YIVO summer program when the WC/AR presented the annual Yiddishfest concert at Damrosch Park. I introduced myself to Adrienne after the concert as a budding Yiddishist theater artist and she whisked me back stage to introduce me around. It was one of those seminal moments, the warm and welcoming environment led me down the path in which I found my home.

Over the years, I had the pleasure of working with Adrienne both at the WC/AR and the Folksbiene. We were often at Circle Lodge together in the summer. One of my fondest memories was being in the kitchen of the JCC in Manhattan cooking together in preparation for ESN.

Adrienne's personality epitomized the Yiddish experience. A little sweet, a little salty. I'd never known her to be less than completely honest. While always encouraging, she offered no polite praise for work that she thought had not earned it. But when she did compliment something, it meant so much more.

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.

Donate

Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women.

donate now

Get JWA in your inbox

Read the latest from JWA from your inbox.

sign up now