People Who Inspire Us: Shlomit Tripp

Art comes in many forms, and so does learning. 

Shlomit Tripp is an artist and a teacher, and her medium is her lovingly crafted Bubales puppet theater, which has delighted audiences across Germany since 2011. Bubales stars red-headed boy Shlomo, who is Jewish, and his best friend Ayshe, who is a Muslim girl. Together, Shlomo and Ayshe have shared many adventures and learned that they have much in common. 

Meanwhile, they have given thousands of German children, and many adults, their first exposure to Jewish culture—told through stories vibrant with humor, music, color, and rich detail. Who could resist the Hanukkah story told by three droll spirits emerging from a magic lamp, and accompanied by a rocking choir of Hanukkah candles?

Tripp, a 2022 Obermayer Award winner, originally intended to help Jewish children learn about Jewish culture. But two things happened. First, she realized that non-Jewish children were spellbound by the shows. Second, a six-year-old boy’s response to the question “What do you know about Jews and Judaism?” changed her mindset. He said:

“Jews are the ones who were all killed. There was a man who didn't like them, and he killed them all.”

Tripp says, “If this is what a six-year-old German child has learned about Judaism, how can you build up a normal German-Jewish relationship? And that was the point where I knew: All right, I have to do something so that children’s first contact with Judaism is not the [Holocaust].”

Her artistry and passion have brought acclaim to Bubales. (The name comes from the word bubbeleh, a Yiddish term of endearment.) In addition to teaching about Jewish culture, the shows emphasize multiculturalism, the importance of understanding and communicating with people of different backgrounds, and the need to focus on the many things we all have in common. 

More: See a short video about Shlomit Tripp and the Bubales Puppet Theater, and read more about her work.