Orna Porat (Hebrew: × ×•×¨× ×" פורת‎; June 6, 1924 â€" August 6,
2015) was a German-born Israeli theater actress.She was born Irene
Klein in Cologne, Germany, in 1924. Her father, Willi, was Catholic,
and her mother, Elise, Protestant, but she chose atheism and socialism
in her youth. In 1934 her family moved to Porz, where she attended
high school. During these years she was a member of the Hitler Youth,
although her family opposed this affiliation.She attended drama school
and began her stage career at a repertory theater in Schleswig. She
met her husband, Joseph Proter, in Schleswig. He was an officer from
the British Mandate of Palestine in the Jewish Brigade of the British
Army. In 1946, she moved to Palestine with Proter, and married him (in
a civil ceremony). She converted to Judaism later, in 1957, and they
held a Jewish ceremony before adopting two children. After being
refused by the HaBima and Ohel theaters, she was accepted by the
Cameri Theater. When she joined the Cameri, Yemima Millo suggested she
change her name to a Hebrew-sounding one, Orna Porat. The suggestion
was accepted. Yemima Millo also worked with Porat on her diction,
aiming to soften her German accent. After the major financial and
artistic crisis in the Cameri in 1958, Porat was appointed to the
theater’s administrative board. She retired from the Cameri in
1984.In the early 1960s, she spent three years in France and England
studying children's theater. Upon her return to Israel she founded the
Orna Porat Children's Theater, under the wing of the Cameri. In 1970,
the children's theater became independent. Porat directed several
productions. She retired from managing the Children's Theater after
nineteen years. She helped establish ASSITEJ, an international
children's theater association.
2015) was a German-born Israeli theater actress.She was born Irene
Klein in Cologne, Germany, in 1924. Her father, Willi, was Catholic,
and her mother, Elise, Protestant, but she chose atheism and socialism
in her youth. In 1934 her family moved to Porz, where she attended
high school. During these years she was a member of the Hitler Youth,
although her family opposed this affiliation.She attended drama school
and began her stage career at a repertory theater in Schleswig. She
met her husband, Joseph Proter, in Schleswig. He was an officer from
the British Mandate of Palestine in the Jewish Brigade of the British
Army. In 1946, she moved to Palestine with Proter, and married him (in
a civil ceremony). She converted to Judaism later, in 1957, and they
held a Jewish ceremony before adopting two children. After being
refused by the HaBima and Ohel theaters, she was accepted by the
Cameri Theater. When she joined the Cameri, Yemima Millo suggested she
change her name to a Hebrew-sounding one, Orna Porat. The suggestion
was accepted. Yemima Millo also worked with Porat on her diction,
aiming to soften her German accent. After the major financial and
artistic crisis in the Cameri in 1958, Porat was appointed to the
theater’s administrative board. She retired from the Cameri in
1984.In the early 1960s, she spent three years in France and England
studying children's theater. Upon her return to Israel she founded the
Orna Porat Children's Theater, under the wing of the Cameri. In 1970,
the children's theater became independent. Porat directed several
productions. She retired from managing the Children's Theater after
nineteen years. She helped establish ASSITEJ, an international
children's theater association.
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