The Story of a Book

Written and directed by: Hana Mikolášková 
Original story by: Angela Strach
Dramaturgy: Eva Petláková
Costume design: Sylva Zimula Hanáková
Music: Ivan Acher
Cast: Miroslav Sýkora, Kateřina Veselá, Kateřina Hoferová, Alžběta Filipová, Melika Yildizová/Ester Yildizová, Eliáš Kliment 

The story of a happy return, emerging from among thousands of stories of people and possessions irretrievably lost. 

The original play portrays the nearly century-long history of the Strach family from Brno, inextricably bound with the story of their machzor: seemingly lost forever after being confiscated in Theresienstadt, the prayer book has since been miraculously rediscovered and returned to the family. The stage rendering details the fate of multiple generations of its owners, relating tragical historical events with overwhelming simplicity.

The story of a book, the story of a family, the story of Europe.

After 82 long years, the machzor has been returned to the descendants of the original owners. The prayer book is but one fragment of a collection of 12,000 liturgical volumes confiscated from Jews in concentration camps located in present-day Czech Republic. As part of the Library of Stolen Hopes project, the Brno Jewish Community is currently in the process of archiving the long-lost books in order to fulfil the primary objective of the undertaking, i.e. to return them to the descendants of the rightful owners.

This story is not about death, but about faith, hope, and the future.