Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City will present the premiere of “Yehudit” on May 16, 2024.

The work by Iris Karlin is the first modern Chazzanut Opera and reimagines the story of Judith through a modern feminist Lens. Karlin, who will be a newly ordained cantor this May, has devoted her time to exploring the story of Judith and how she saved the daughters of Israel from being abused. This version gives voice to the victims, names the unnamed, and calls into question many of the omissions made in Christian liturgy of the story where Yehudit’s seduction and decapitation of the invading army’s leader Holofernes is often labeled as a traitorous act, even if it helped the Israelites earn an advantage in their eventual victory.

“Yehudit (“Judith”) lies at the nexus of art and activism.  Iris Karlin’s visionary work is at once an opera and an act of reclamation demonstrating the power and the diversity of Jewish music as it continuously evolves. Picking up an ancient thread of midrash (rabbinic interpretation), Iris weaves Judith’s story into a contemporary liberation narrative,” said Cantor Jill Abramson, Director of the Debbie Friedman School of Sacred Music and Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion.

Karlin will star in the title role alongside Joseph Flaxman as Holofernes, and Cantor Osh Breizer As Achior. Other cast members include Kevin McKenzie, Shirel Richamna, Lauren Blasband Roth, Cantor Benjie Ellen Schiller, Gabriel Snyder, and Laynie Zell-Shai.

The opera is sung primarily in English but also includes Greek and Hebrew.