The collection contains eight posters created by Marian Stachurski, a contemporary Polish poster designer. The posters were used to advertise plays staged at the Ester Rokhl Kaminski Jewish State Theatre from the 1960s to the 1970s. The posters were given to Mr Levy in the late 1970s by his friend Maryna Brejowski, a Polish woman who moved to Durban with her husband Yurek. Ms Brejowski after whom the collection is named was involved with Polish theatre and Television.
The State funded Theatre was established in 1948 when the Communist Government nationalized and merged two Yiddish Theatre companies based in Wroclaw and Lodz. The newly created company was headed by celebrated actor and stage director Ida Kaminski, daughter of Ester Rokhl the founder of modern Yiddish Theatre. Under Ida’s leadership, the troupe toured Wroclaw and Lodz until 1955 when it was moved to Warsaw. Ms Kaminski directed many of the production herself. She also used innovative ways to attract Polish theatregoers such as using simultaneous Polish translation, staging classical Yiddish play, producing Polish plays with Yiddish translations as well as staging Yiddish versions of European plays. Ida remained the director of the company until 1968 and was succeeded by Szymon Szurmiey. In 1970 the company acquired its own building in Plac Grzybowski where it still performs today.