The Hebrew Mamita

Actress/Solo Performer/ Writer/ Director Native New Yorker Vanessa Hidary, AKA The Hebrew Mamita, grew up on Manhattan's culturally diverse Upper West Side, graduating from LaGuardia High School of the Arts and Hunter College. Her experiences as a Sephardic Jew with close friends from different ethnic and religious backgrounds inspired her to write "Culture Bandit," a solo show that chronicles Vanessa's coming of age during the golden age of Hip-Hop and her dedication to fostering understanding and friendship between all people.

"Culture Bandit", was originally produced by LAByrinth Theatre Company (Artistic directors; Phillip Seymour Hoffman and John Ortiz). It has since played as part of The Roar Theatre Festival at Nuyorican Poets Café, as part of The Downtown Urban Theater Festival, The Los Angeles Women's Theater Festival, the 3rd Annual Hip Hop Theatre Festival in Washington, D.C, The Revolutions Theatre Festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico, The Philadelphia Fringe Festival, Makor Arts Center in the “Hip-hop without Borders”, festival and Most recently The Comedy Central Stage in Los Angeles.

She has aired three times on “Russell Simmon's Def Poetry Jam" on HBO, and is featured in the film “The Tribe” which was selected for the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, 2006 Tribeca Film Festival in NYC, and for the 2007Jewish Motifs International Film Festival in Warsaw, Poland, where Vanessa attended as the film’s representative www.tribethefilm.com. She has been featured in The New York Post, Time Out New York, The Jewish Week, Spitkickers.com, The Forward, URB , BUST, Beyond Race,The Los Angeles Times, The Jerusalem Post, Time Out NY, and Lilith Magazine.

Other performances include: Central Park’s Summerstage opening for “The Lyricist Lounge” with Def Poetry Jam, NBC’s 9/11 tribute “Concert For America,” B.A.M. Café, Princeton University- as part of their evening supporting Black Reparations and Civil Rights Issues, and was a Grand Slam Poetry Finalist at The Nuyorican Poets Café. She frequently tours colleges and universities, She has recently begun conducting poetry and racism workshops with Bnai’ Brith Youth Organization (youth ages 14-16), and is currently working with Birthright Israel NEXT directing a show “MONOLOUGUES” : An evening of solo performances exploring Jewish Identity inspired by a 10-day trip through Israel .

Vanessa received an M.F.A. in Acting from Trinity Rep Theatre Conservatory. She is a member of SAG and Equity. For more information on The Hebrew Mamita please visit hebrewmamita.com

The Hebrew Mamita

Arts and Culture

Blanquita

By The Hebrew Mamita

Watch this amazing video performance art of Blanquita, the Jewish Mamita!