On the eve of the Holocaust, many left Europe for Palestine to save themselves. Very few went back to save others.
This one-woman show tells the true story of Hannah Senesh, the heroic young Jewish woman who escaped from Axis-allied Hungary in 1939 to the safety of British Mandate Palestine. There she joined Haganah and then bravely volunteered for a daring Special Operations mission to parachute back into Europe to save Jews from the Holocaust. Hannah’s story and indomitable spirit, along with the moving diary and poetry that she left behind, serve as an enduring inspiration to people everywhere standing up to the powers of hatred and oppression.
Written and Directed by
David Schechter
Developed in collaboration with and originally performed by
Lori Wilner
Based upon the diaries and poems of
Hannah Senesh
Translated from the Hungarian by
Marta Cohn and Peter Hay
Music composed and arranged by
Steven Lutvak
Hannah Senesh/Catherine Senesh:
Jennifer Apple
Guard/George Senesh:
Simon Feil
Hannah Senesh/Catherine Senesh Understudy:
Anna Marie Medley
“We wanted Hannah not as a martyr, not as a hero. We wanted her as our friend whom we loved and admired. We wanted her to grow old with us.”
11/24/25 Jewish Community Voice
11/10/25 Algemeiner: Review
11/06/25 Upacked: Review
11/05/25 NY Times: Critics Notebook Elisabeth Vincentelli
11/05/25 Jewish Broadcasting Service: Justin Pines In-Studio Interview w/Jennifer Apple
11/04/25 This Week in New York: Review
11/03/25 Jewish Telegraphic Agency: In the News
11/01/25 Theatre Scene: Review
10/31/25 The New York Times: Obituary
10/31/25 Theaterlive.com: Review
10/28/25 The Front Row Center: Review
10/26/25 Stage and Cinema: Review
10/25/25 NY 1 / Spectrum News: Stephanie Simon Interviews Jennifer Apple in Studio
10/23/25 The New York Sun: Review
10/23/25 Playbill: Article
10/23/25 TheatreMania: Article
10/19/25 Stage Whisper Podcast: Motl Didner interview
10/22/25 Pages on Stages: Review
10/9/25 The Jewish Standard: Article
Broadway World: Article
8/26/25 Broadway World: Article
8/17/25 Broadway World: Article
8/7/19 The Lilith Blog: Article/Review
8/6/19 Algemeiner: Article/Review
7/31/19 TDF.com: Article
7/31/19 Playbill.com: Interview with Lexi Rabadi
7/29/19 Broadway World: Review
7/29/19 Times of Israel: Review
7/25/19 WNYC Radio’s ‘All of It’
7/23/19 Jewish Week
7/22/19 Time Out New York
7/9/19 Forward
7/9/19 Visible Soul Blog- Interview with Lexi Rabadi by Zach Calhoon
7/1/19 Exeunt NYC
October 19 – November 9, 2025
Dr. Eva Fogelman (psychologist, writer, filmmaker, and pioneer in the treatment of the psychological effects of the Holocaust on survivors and their descendants), with David Schechter (Hannah Senesh Writer & Director), Anna Marie Medley (US Hannah Senesh/ Catherine Senesh), and Matthew “Motl” Didner (NYTF Program Director)
Rabbi Michelle Dardashti (Kane St. Synagogue) with Susan Weidman Schneider (Founding Editor of Lilith Magazine) and David Schechter (Hannah Senesh Writer & Director)
Michael Berenbaum (scholar, professor, rabbi, writer, and filmmaker specializing in Holocaust studies) and Joshua Greene (author and filmmaker)
Matti Friedman (author of Out of the Sky)
Rabbi Viki Bedo (Beth El, New Rochelle), with David Schechter (Hannah Senesh Writer & Director) and Jennifer Apple (Hannah Senesh/ Catherine Senesh)
Douglas Century (author of Crash of the Heavens), with David Schechter (Hannah Senesh Writer & Director) and Jennifer Apple (Hannah Senesh/ Catherine Senesh), moderated by Shira Dicker
