A magnificent play about an Egyptian who saved a Jewish family from the Nazis!
We are launching this campaign to stage the play “Mazal”, based on the incredible true story of Dr. Mohamed Helmy.
During the Second World War, this Egyptian doctor risked his life to save a Jewish family, the Boros, from Berlin to deportation. Despite the risks, he hid them in his home and passed the young girl, Anna, off as Muslim.
This little-known story is a powerful message of hope. This proves that friendship between two completely opposite beings can triumph over fear and hatred.
We want to bring this inspiring story back to life on stage to pass on these humanist values to future generations. Theater is a wonderful tool to bring this moving story to life.
The play will be performed in Jerusalem at the beginning of 2024 if we raise €25,000. This sum will cover production costs: room rental, sets, costumes, communication.
The funds raised will allow us to launch production and start rehearsals with our troupe “The Company of Hope”.
You can help us celebrate this beautiful lesson in fraternity and fight against forgetting. Your support is precious to carry out this beautiful humanist project.
Thank you for your trust!
Rodolphe Hadjadj & Patrick Bibas, co-authors
Synopsis
Berlin, 1942. Mohamed Helmy, a young Egyptian doctor, decides against his will to save his Jewish patient Anna Boros from deportation and at the risk of his life. A deep and forbidden friendship is then born between them.
Thanks to false papers and ingenious hiding places, Mohamed manages to protect Anna from the Gestapo raids which terrorize the Jewish community. But the merciless hunt for Nazi dignitary Alfred Hess will soon force them to flee and to take refuge in the city’s sewers.
Guided by the quest for freedom of Anna, a talented young painter, and an indestructible solidarity, Mohamed will never stop protecting his patient. From this extraordinary bond between an Egyptian Muslim and a German Jew will be born a brotherhood that transcends differences.
Carried by a breathtaking suspense, Mazal celebrates friendship in the face of adversity and the hope anchored in the body, through the exceptional destiny of two beings who are completely opposed. A powerful piece about the strength of humanity.
The main characters
Mohamed and Anna are characters who particularly touched us with their depth and their inspiring journey. We discover Mohamed as a disillusioned young doctor, who will find meaning in his existence by risking his life to save Anna. If he is initially driven by the lure of gain, his relationship with the young girl will transform him into a better man.
For her part, Anna evolves from a carefree young person to a resistance fighter ready to do anything to survive, even to the point of denying her origins. Her love of life and her aspiration for freedom make her a luminous heroine. These two completely opposite beings will reveal themselves.
The message
Beyond the Shoah, we wish to highlight timeless humanist values through this story: kindness, courage, resistance in the face of adversity. Show that it is possible to overcome one’s prejudices, even in the most extreme circumstances. The friendship between Mohamed and Anna proves that brotherhood and empathy can triumph over fear and hatred. A message of hope more necessary than ever in our troubled times.
Collection objective
Our goal is to raise €25,000 to finance the start of rehearsals and the concrete preparation of the play Mazal:
– Rental of a rehearsal studio for work on set with the actors
– Salary of artists and technicians
– Construction of the decor for the different locations of the story
– Design and production of period costumes
– Technical equipment: sound, light, accessories
– Transport and logistics costs
Thanks to you, this captivating historical thriller will see the light of day on stage!
As thanks for your contributions, you will have the merit of receiving from this choice:
– An invitation for 2 to the preview in Jerusalem, or
– A meeting with the artistic team after the show, or
– Goodies from the show (the original soundtrack of the play, the magnet with the reproduction of a painting by Anna, the key ring with the Egyptian and Israeli flags, or even a reproduction of the fake identity card in the name of Anna Boros)
So don’t hesitate any longer and support Mazal! Treat yourself to a VIP evening with us to discover this incredible story of friendship! Your participation matters a lot.
THANK YOU !
Mazal: a theatrical nugget carried by a forbidden friendship (Berlin, 1942)
Theater lovers, we dreamed of writing this play with a strong message. Touched by the little-known story of Mohamed and Anna, a talented but rebellious young painter who will see her destiny change, we launched into Mazal, carried by our passion.
We read and viewed numerous documents to immerse ourselves in this historical period and understand the psychological mechanisms of the protagonists, culminating in nine months of writing.
The testimonies of survivors particularly moved us. We hope to restore all the complexity of the feelings that animated each other, with a concern for fairness and respect. We took pleasure in imagining the interactions between these remarkable characters.
Our goal: to touch the public deeply by celebrating indestructible humanity.
This is how this captivating play was born, the plot of which takes place in the Berlin of 1942, where Nazi terror fell on the Jewish community. Mohamed takes a crazy risk to save Anna from deportation. Against the ambient horror, a deep forbidden friendship will be born between these two completely opposite beings.
Inspired by this gripping story, we adapted it into a humanist thriller tinged with liberating humor, including the unprecedented presence at the theater of the controversial Mufti of Jerusalem, Mohammed Amin al-Husseini
To bring Mazal to life on stage, we need you! Support our theatrical gem with its life-saving humor!
Together, let’s make this story of indestructible humanity resonate! Join the Mazal adventure!
Rodolphe Hadjadj and Patrick Bibas, playwrights and directors of the Compagny of Hope.
FAQs
Why finance this project NOW?
Your contribution will help us bring to life this little-known story that carries a humanist message that our society needs. You will allow this committed show to exist and be seen by as many people as possible, to transmit values of courage, friendship and fraternity.
Who are the creators?
The play is written by Rodolphe Hadjadj and Patrick Bibas, two emerging authors passionate about theater.
Rodolphe Hadjadj:
Being married to the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, I have been driven for many years by the duty of memory and the need to transmit these moving stories of resistance and humanity. Up “Mazal is my way of fighting against oblivion and bringing to life these extraordinary destinies which deserve to be celebrated.
Patrick Bibas:
Several members of my family were deported and murdered in Germany. As a result, I was made very aware of the history of the Shoah and the immediate post-war period very early on. With our piece “Mazal”, I want to celebrate moving life journeys, carrying a universal humanist message. Beyond differences, fraternity and courage can triumph over fear and gratuitous hatred. My hope: that this story helps build a more just world.
Our creative alliance is the strength of the project!
Where are you in the process?
We have finalized the writing and are now looking to put our production together and stage it. Your support will allow us to complete this work and present it to critics and the public.
How will the funds collected be used?
All details are available in the description of our collection objective. The funds will be used for room rental, set construction, costumes, etc. We are committed to full transparency.
THANK YOU ALL!
