About Us
Mission
Arts Judaica is a unique and vibrant live theater and entertainment company based in Chicago, dedicated exclusively to exploring and celebrating Jewish history, culture, and arts. As the only theater of its kind in the city, Arts Judaica serves as a vital platform for preserving and teaching the rich tapestry of Jewish heritage through compelling performances and educational outreach. The company is particularly committed to educating audiences about the profound historical lessons of The Holocaust, using the power of theater to foster understanding, remembrance, and dialogue. Through music, original productions, adaptations, and community engagement, Arts Judaica illuminates Jewish traditions, resilience, and contributions, inspiring audiences to reflect on the past while building connections in the present.
Production Staff
Artistic Director
Elayne LeTraunik is a native Chicagoan and has been involved in the Chicago theatre scene since the 1970s. A graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago with honors in History and Theatre, she continued her acting studies at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England.
Elayne has worked extensively both as an actress and a producer and starred in the Chicago premieres of “Nuts” and “Extremities.” She also appeared in “Beyond Therapy” which featured Skipp Sudduth and Carmen Roman. She currently works extensively in commercials and independent productions. As a producer, she oversaw a number of award winning and critically acclaimed productions including the Chicago premiere of “A Dybbuk” and a revival of “Class Enemy.”
Elayne was the auditions columnist for “Performink” newspaper for 15 years and was the founder and Artistic Director of Red Hen Productions and Chicago Jewish Theatre. Elayne was also a prolific writer and was a weekly columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times as well as contributor to Plays and Players Magazine in London.
Elayne currently works as a freelance grant writer and PR person for a number of small theater and arts companies in Chicago. More information about her can be found at elayneletraunik.weebly.com.
She was the Associate Artistic Director of Genesis Theatrical Productions but now acts as a consultant, script reader and grants writer and has taken courses in grant writing from the Foundation Center and from the Fundraising Authority.
After a sojourn in Texas, she returned to Chicago where she continues to pursue her otherpassion- acting in films and videos. She is represented exclusively by Big Mouth Talent.
Arts Judaica Board
Avi Hoffman – President and Founder of Yiddishkayt Initiative
CEO Avi Hoffman is a world-famous actor, who specializes in Jewish culture and Yiddish theater. His long-running “Too Jewish” trilogy has been seen by millions on PBS and in venues around the world. He has produced and presented shows throughout North America, Europe and Israel. International Festivals include Romania, Poland, New York, Toronto, Montreal, Tel-Aviv and other European cities and countries. His connections in the theater, entertainment and film communities are extensive. He has received a Congressional Award and was named a “Sage” by The New York Times. Both he and his mother were recently inducted into the Bronx Hall of Fame.
Joey Madia
Joey Madia, when he is not investigating strange phenomena, is an award-winning screenwriter, audio dramatist, playwright, novelist, actor, and director. His screenplay The Man at the Foot of the Bed (based on a true story by Josette Saginario) has been a two-time Official Selection and a Beverly Hills Film Festival invitee. He is the author of four books on using theater in the classroom (The Stage Learning Series, Accompany Publishing, 2007) and is working on a fifth book, Every Day is a Story All its Own, about the art, craft, and importance of telling our stories. His award-winning poetry, nonfiction essays, and short stories have been widely published. He is the author of two novels: Jester-Knight and Minor Confessions of an Angel Falling Upward.
Michael Zedek – Rabbi Emeritus of Temple Emanuel
Rabbi Zedek has kept busy since becoming rabbi emeritus in 2016. He accepted an invitation to serve as a senior advisor to the Central Conference of American Rabbis, representing the concerns of Midwestern colleagues. He has also led High Holy Day services for the Thailand Progressive Jewish Community and is finishing a manuscript for a book that he hopes will be published soon. He has continued to be involved at Emanuel. In addition, he is a volunteer board member for Faith in Place, an environmental justice group that works with faith communities across Illinois, and Arise Chicago, an alliance between religious leadership and workers.
Carla Gordon
Singer/songwriter producer, director, Carla Gordon was cited by the Chicago Tribune among, “Chicago’s most accomplished cabaret performers … a major player in cabaret.” Cabaret Scenes called her “Honey-voiced wise cracker!” Chicago venues include Drury Lane Water Tower, Park West Theater, Preston Bradley Hall and Davenport’s. She has entertained at St. Louis’s Sheldon Theater, Manhattan’s Metropolitan Room, and Michigan’s Acorn Theater. Gordon’s songs have aired on WFMT’s Midnight Special. The Miracle We Need (written with Wayne Richards) was selected for the Chicago Humanities Festival. Other songwriting collaborators include Shelly Markham, Michelle Brouerman, Beckie Menzie, Elizabeth Doyle and Bob Moreen. Upcoming projects include Blacklisted at the Milwaukee Jewish Museum. She can be reached via carlacabaret@aol.com.
Rabbi Andy Bossov
Singing pianist, music teacher, transcriber, wedding officiant and rabbi.
Sally Steele
Attorney specializing in Domestic Relations , Litigator, Mediator
Alvin Goldfarb
Alvin “Al” Goldfarb is an American academic administrator who served as the tenth president of Western Illinois University from 2002 to 2011. From 1977 to 2002, he was on the faculty of the department of theatre at Illinois State University in Normal, where he was also chairman of the theatre department, dean of fine arts from 1988 to 1998, and provost and vice president for academic affairs from 1998. Goldfarb has researched and written extensively on the arts and on the Holocaust, of which his parents are survivors. He co-edited and contributed to the book Holocaust and Performance.
Eddie Ring
Mr. Ring founded New Standard Equities in 2010 and serves as its Chief Executive Officer. He has ultimate responsibility for NSE’s investment strategy, operations, risk management, and investor relationships. He has over 25 years of real estate and financial consulting experience, with 16 years of dedicated investing and operating experience in the multifamily sector. Mr. Ring began his career in television and wrote comedies for NBC, UPN, Saban Entertainment, VH1, and HBO where he earned a Cable ACE nomination for his work on The Larry Sanders Show. Mr. Ring received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley, a Master of Fine Arts degree from New York University, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is an active member of the Board of Directors at Center Theatre Group, one of the nation’s largest non-profit regional theaters; he is joining the Board of Trustees for the Children’s Bureau, which is dedicated to preventing child abuse through community outreach, education and mental health services; he serves on the Board of Governors at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles; and he is a member of Mensa and the Writers Guild of America (Emeritus).
Brian LeTraunik
I am a SAG-AFTRA/AEA theatre artist based in South Carolina. I am currently Assistant Professor of Theatre at Coker University in Hartsville, SC I am also a Certified Teacher of Stage Combat with the Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD) and have taught and choreographed stage combat across the United States for almost 30 years! In addition, I am also a director and theatre educator, teaching classes and workshops in acting, movement, voice, musical theatre and stage combat.