Amplify Jewish Women’s Voices

Your gift keeps these stories alive—this Passover, please consider a monthly gift.

Help us meet our Passover goal
21 of 50 monthly donors

Yehudit Ornstein

December 11, 1911–April 12, 2008

by Gaby Aldor

Yehudit Ornstein, who with her twin sister Shoshana Ornstein formed the famous Ornstein dancing duo, devoted a lifetime to Israeli dance.
Institution: Dance Library of Israel, Tel Aviv
In Brief

Dancer and choreographer Yehudit Ornstein immigrated to Palestine from Vienna in 1921, with her mother Margalit Ornstein, an Israeli dance pioneer, and her twin sister Shoshana. With her sister she formed the duo Ha’ahayot Ornstein and performed works choreographed by their mother. Ornstein helped establish a dance company, performed as a soloist in her own dances, and later choreographed full performance dances for large ensembles. She also choreographed for the Ha-Ohel Theater, the Cameri, and the Israel Opera. Orenstein prepared numerous kibbutz festivities and organized folk dance festivals in Haifa.

Article

A dancer and choreographer, Yehudit Ornstein immigrated to Palestine from Vienna in 1921, together with her mother Margalit Ornstein and her twin sister Shoshana. The sisters, who formed a duo, Ha’ahayot Ornstein, danced in the spirit of the German expressionist “Freitanz,” (Free Dance) performing works choreographed by their mother and dealing with universal themes, such as “Youth,” to music by Robert Schumann, Valse and Nocturne to Chopin and The Rivals to music by Rachmaninoff. Later they themselves created dances on Israeli and Biblical themes, such as The Girl of Cana’an and Cain and Abel.

Ornstein was considered the more technically sound of the twins and her more introvert or intellectual manner served as a good counterpart to her sister in the inspired duo. She established a dance company with studio producer Aliza Terry and Judith Herman and later with Oded Tiram, who performed MemorialInvitation to the DanceEccentric Dance and other works. Ornstein also performed as a soloist in her own dances and later choreographed full performance dances for large ensembles: CarnavalLit. (Greek) "dispersion." The Jewish community, and its areas of residence, outside Erez Israel.Diaspora, and The Flag. She also choreographed for the Ha-Ohel Theater, the Cameri and the Israel Opera. Orenstein prepared numerous A voluntary collective community, mainly agricultural, in which there is no private wealth and which is responsible for all the needs of its members and their families.kibbutz festivities and organized folk dance festivals in Haifa. She taught at the Wingate Institute for Physical Education, pioneered dance studios in high schools, and was among the founders of the Dancers Union. She wrote dance criticism in the newspapers La-MerhavHaaretz, and Davar and continued teaching until her late seventies.

After divorcing her first husband, the Ha-Ohel actor Poolan, Ornstein married Shlomo Ben David, a graphic artist and photographer, by whom she had a daughter, Naomi, herself a dancer and poet, and a son, Arnon, an artist. After marrying her first violin teacher, Samuel Pevsner, Ornstein lived in New York City. She died on April 12, 2008.

Have an update or correction? Let us know

Double your impact to amplify Jewish women’s stories— 
All gifts matched up to $35,000

Before you close this article, please consider supporting the Jewish Women’s Archive and uplifting Jewish women’s voices.  

At JWA, we preserve the voices of Jewish women and gender-expansive people past and present, share them freely with millions online, and empower a new generation of Jewish feminists to lead with courage, creativity, and conviction. 

But none of this happens without you. JWA is an independent nonprofit— we rely on people, like you, who believe that history belongs to all of us and that the voices of Jewish women must remain powerful, and heard. 

This month, a generous JWA board member will match every gift dollar for dollar—up to $35,000—through June 30. Your contribution goes twice as far right now. 

Every contribution—no matter the size—helps us document, teach, and inspire through Jewish women’s stories. 

It takes less than a minute to make a difference. 

Donate Now

Thank you for being a part of the JWA community,

Judith Rosenbaum, CEO

Donate

Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women.

donate now

Get JWA in your inbox

Read the latest from JWA from your inbox.

sign up now

How to cite this page

Aldor, Gaby. "Yehudit Ornstein." Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. 27 February 2009. Jewish Women's Archive. (Viewed on June 15, 2026) <https://qa.jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/ornstein-yehudit>.