How Many Bushels Am I Worth?

The original play, making its New York debut, captures a Kiev family’s agonizing decision in 1976 to flee the Soviet Union for the United States.

Based on the life of playwright Bena Shklyanoy, How Many Bushels Am I Worth? marks close to five decades of Soviet-Jewish immigration to America. Through the lens of Soviet émigré Bena Shklyanoy and based on her life story of her family’s emigration, the play highlights a unique time in Jewish history: when establishment organizations and grassroots advocacy groups coalesced to secure the release of Soviet Jews.

While the play focuses specifically on Shklyanoy’s family, it illuminates such universal themes as identity, values, and solidarity, still relevant for refugees fleeing oppressive regimes around the globe today.