Theatre Arts professor brings Yiddish to comics

Professor Joel Schechter’s recent scholarly work has focused on Yiddish theatre, leading him into the world of comics. Working with underground comix artist Spain Rodriguez, the Theatre Arts professor has developed a series of comic strips, each focusing on a Yiddish actor, writer or political activist. Their work, “Rivington Street: Yiddish Culture in Comic Strips,” is on display through July 26 at the Bureau of Jewish Education community library in San Francisco.

Schechter writes the stories for the comic, and Rodriguez does the illustrations. According to an April 3 story in the j. newspaper, Schechter gives scripts and stage directions to Rodriguez, similar to the process in theatre. The comic is in English but also uses Hebrew and Yiddish words. It has featured the likes of Mel Brooks, Leo Fuchs, Paul Robeson and Chayale Ash.

The literary journal Jewish Currents has published the comic strip strip since 2004. “Rivington Street,” a book featuring the entire collection of strips, will be published later this year. Schechter’s most recent book, “Messiahs of 1933: How American Yiddish Theatre Survived Adversity Through Satire,” was published in 2008 by Temple University Press. Every other year, he directs a traditional Yiddish play at SF State. The latest, I.B. Singer’s “Fools of Chelm and Their History,” will be performed April 19 and May 3.