Founded as Canada’s first professional Jewish theater in 1978, Nephesh Theatre, now based in Tel Aviv, produces plays in repertory throughout Israel in Hebrew and English. Their works reflect a plurality of beliefs and emphasize common bonds between different communities within Israeli society.

At age eight and a half, Yossi Vassa, born Anda Argi, left his village in northern Ethiopia with his parents, brothers, and grandmother for a year-long trek to Israel, by foot, by donkey, and by plane as part of Operation Moses.

In his intimate, touching, and funny one-man show, Vassa blends memoir, stand-up, and incisive social observations to share the pains and opportunities of immigration, integration, and identity, particularly as a Black Jew in Israel.

Covering dating, education, immigration, television programming, choosing a new name and more, It Sounds Better in Amharic is a search for a harmony among differences as well as commonalities.