Entertainment
Are you ready to laugh like never before? (We sure could use a little levity!)
Israeli comedian, actor, and director Hai Davidov returns to New York on Sunday, November 1, with the hit Israeli comedy A Lesson in Love (Shiur BeAhava), which will be performed in Hebrew at Queens Theatre in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park.
Davidov, well known to the Bukharian Jewish community as co-founder of Handa-Handa, a Bukharian Jewish theater company, stars alongside acclaimed Israeli actress Anat Atzmon and comedian Shoshana Bendava. The production, directed by Gadi Tzedaka and produced by the Hebrew Theater, is touring North America following successful performances throughout Israel.
The comedy follows Pini (Davidov), an unsophisticated renovation contractor of Caucasian Jewish descent who arrives at a prominent sexual medicine clinic in Israel to perform repairs. Through a series of misunderstandings, he finds himself impersonating a doctor and reluctantly assuming the role of therapist.
The North American tour has taken the cast to Toronto, New Jersey, Florida, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area, drawing enthusiastic audiences along the way.
For Davidov, whose work with Handa-Handa has entertained Bukharian Jewish audiences for more than two decades, the New York performance is particularly meaningful.
“I am incredibly proud and excited to return once again to New York, to an audience I love and appreciate so deeply, to what I truly consider my second home,” he said.
Beyond the stage, Davidov has built a successful film and television career, appearing in the Emmy Award-winning series Tehran and the Netflix series Bros (Ba’esh Uvamayim). He also portrays an Israel Defense Forces officer in Avi Nesher’s new film Our Loves (HaAhavot Shelanu), which addresses the events of October 7.
The North American production is led by Aviva Mosioff, a longtime New Yorker and member of the Bukharian Jewish community.
Actress Anat Atzmon said the tour has demonstrated the enduring cultural connection between Israelis living abroad and their homeland.
“Even after spending many years outside Israel, the humor, the jokes, and the cultural references work exactly as they do back home. It’s as if we’re performing in Israel!”
A new production from Handa-Handa
Davidov also announced that Handa-Handa is preparing a new production, LEV (Heart), created with his brother Ronen Davidov.
The comedy-drama follows a family of immigrants arriving in Israel in 1991 with dreams of a better future, only to discover the challenges of adapting to a new country.
The production stars the Davidov brothers alongside Alik Shimonov, Tatiana Makhlinovsky, and Irina Abayev. New York performances are scheduled for February 20–21 and March 6–7.
Laughter for a cause
Proceeds from the performances benefit Ten Li Yad (Give Me a Hand), a nonprofit supporting women experiencing domestic violence and their children, families in need, victims of terrorism, and those affected by the October 7 attacks.
A Lesson in Love will be performed Sunday, November 1, at Queens Theatre in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park.
By Erin Levi
The Bukharian Times English Editor