Yiddish is alive and well and thriving in Montreal. Actors, scholars and musicians from as far away as Australia, Argentina and Austria (if you want to get alliterate) are singing, debating and performing in classic and contemporary works at the international Yiddish Theatre Festival, running through June 25 in Montreal. Yiddish, which is over a thousand years old, is being revived in Poland, France, Romania and North America. Even Israel, where Yiddish was once thought to be the degrading language of the Diaspora, has sent a play in the mother tongue.

There are continuous concerts and a film festival in the language of the Jews of Europe. A symposium on Yiddish theatre with world renowned scholars began today. Best of all, you don’t have to be Jewish to have an amazing time. In fact, this evening Suzanne Dansereau, a Quebecoise journalist and friend, took in Bonjour M. Chagall, by the National Jewish Theatre of Warsaw. Two screens with animated paintings of Chagall accompanied the songs and evocative images of a world that is no longer.

The Yiddish spoken by most of the cast of Bonjour M. Chagall was enunciated with a peculiar Polish accent, but that made no difference to my friend – or anyone else. The audience clapped along with the music as the iconic images of the paintings came to life on stage. The sheer luxury of having 12 bodies in one show plus a three-piece orchestra made theatrical magic.

This festival marks the 50th anniversary of the Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre Company, one of the oldest in the world. Meanwhile, it is Dora’s daughter Bryna who has organized this extraordinary event. Dora kept the company alive through force of will. The tribute to her yesterday was both moving and important in a city where, in the 1920s, Shakespeare was performed more often in Yiddish than in English.

Along with plays by Singer, Ansky, Gordin and Sholem Aleichem, there are newly written works as well at this international Yiddish Theatre Festival.

Yiddish theatres performing at the Festival include Israel’s Yiddishpiel, France’s Der LufTeater, Romania’s Jewish State Theatre of Bucharest, Poland’s State Jewish Theatre, the USA’s New Yiddish Rep and Montreal’s Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre. Individual artists will also be coming from Austria and Australia.

Of particular interest is Gordin’s Mirele Efros, performed by the State Jewish Theatre of Bucharest. It is the definitive mother-in-law story, and a definitive classic. Last Love by Isaac Bashevis Singer and performed by the Yiddishpiel Company of Israel will also be fascinating. A new work by Blanka Metzner and Dan Wollman, Maybe She Was Never Here At All by the same company, will be performed by stage and screen star Anat Atzmon.

The Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre, our local company, presents Those Were The Days, and YAYA’s No More Raisins, No More Almonds. Anyone who has seen their work knows that it is often more exciting and passionate and certainly as robust as theatre in any other language in this city.

One last note: You might want to head on over to the park opposite the Segal Centre on Sunday at one p.m. for a music festival which will include musicians from as far away as Argentina.

For festival details on showtimes and prices, please check out www.yiddishtheatre.org or call 514-739-2301.