Dona Gracia Takes the Stage: The Jewish Woman Who Dared to Change History

A new musical production 'Dona | Doña' is being staged at the Jewish Theater in Israel, centering on the figure of Dona Gracia Nasi, a 16th-century Jewish businesswoman who aided Jews during the Inquisition. The show, initiated by the Shazar Center, starring Laila Malkos, combines original music, Ladino songs, and texts by poets, exploring themes of leadership, identity, and female power.

Nearly 500 years after her death, Dona Gracia Nasi, one of the most prominent and intriguing women in 16th-century Jewish history, stands at the center of a new musical production titled 'Dona | Doña'. The show, an initiative of the Shazar Center, is staged at the Jewish Theater in Israel and stars Laila Malkos. Alongside her, participants include Meital Ner, Israel Treistman, Yehonatan Rosen, Yoav Frankel, and Shir Michel. The play was written, directed, and musically led by Erez Biton, and it combines original music, Ladino songs, and texts by five poets. The play does not settle for a biographical reconstruction but examines the price and possibilities that accompanied Gracia's exceptional status, a woman who operated in a world run by men and had to navigate between commerce, family, religion, and politics during the Inquisition. She used her status and fortune to aid persecuted Jews and conversos. The play also addresses broader questions of belonging, persecution, and the search for a safe place.