Theodore Bikel Quotes

All too often arrogance accompanies strength, and we must never assume that justice is on the side of the strong. The use of power must always be accompanied by moral choice.
Theodore Bikel

Power, Strength, Strong

Must we be put to shame by much smaller and poorer countries, by Ireland, France, Austria or Sweden, who have understood that a nation's support of its arts is a matter of both national pride and cultural survival?
Theodore Bikel

Put, Pride, Matter

No doubt unity is something to be desired, to be striven for, but it cannot be willed into being by mere declarations.
Theodore Bikel

Doubt, Cannot, Unity

I prefer to make common cause with those whose weapons are guitars, banjos, fiddles and words.
Theodore Bikel

Words, Common, Cause

Although I am deeply grateful to a great many people, I forgo the temptation of naming them for fear that I might slight any by omission.
Theodore Bikel

Great, Fear, Grateful

But there is a difference here: When Jewish children are murdered, Arabs celebrate the deed. The death of an Arab child is no cause for celebration in Israel.
Theodore Bikel

Death, Children, Here

I am determined to give the Yiddish language a fighting chance to survive.
Theodore Bikel

Give, Fighting, Chance

You can't expect the entire world to come to New York to see you. You have to travel to them.
Theodore Bikel

Travel, Expect, York

After the advent of the written word, the masses who could not - or were not permitted to - read, were given sermons by the few who could.
Theodore Bikel

After, Word, Few

As an artist I have an even more abiding interest in the compact between the Arts and Government.
Theodore Bikel

Government, Between, Artist

Audiences are audiences.
Theodore Bikel

But, when I toil in the field of Jewish culture which I frequently do, I am indeed a Jewish artist.
Theodore Bikel

Artist, Culture, Indeed

By showing hunger, deprivation, starvation and brutality, as well as endurance and nobility, documentaries inform, prod our memories, even stir us to action. Such films do battle for our very soul.
Theodore Bikel

Battle, Soul, Action

Despite a large body of work in films, TV, theatre and concerts, I am viewed by many as a Jewish artist. I do not resent the label, except for the fact that I disapprove of labels in general.
Theodore Bikel

Work, Fact, Artist

Epistemology is the study of knowledge. By what conduit do we know what we know?
Theodore Bikel

Knowledge, Study, Conduit

Every actor wants to direct.
Theodore Bikel

Actor, Wants, Direct

For I firmly believe that Jewish life, indeed any communal life, can only be organized according to democratic principles.
Theodore Bikel

Life, Democratic, Principles

Having come to live in this age is as though one were to have entered another country. Learn its language or risk being left out.
Theodore Bikel

Age, Live, Country

I always sang, I always acted, I always played.
Theodore Bikel

Played, Sang, Acted

I am a universalist, passionately devoted to the cause of equality within the human family.
Theodore Bikel

Family, Equality, Human

I am a Zionist, an ardent supporter of Israel, its defender when I deem Israel to be right and its critic when I deem it to be wrong.
Theodore Bikel

Wrong, Israel, Critic

I am filled with awe that filmmakers have the capacity to stir us and give us back a sense of wonder.
Theodore Bikel

Give, Sense, Wonder

I am not a specialist but a general practitioner in the world of the arts.
Theodore Bikel

General, Arts, Specialist

I am not, and have never been, in favor of boycotting Israel.
Theodore Bikel

I created the role of Captain Von Trapp.
Theodore Bikel

Role, Captain, Created

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Biography

Nationality: Austrian

Type: Actor

Born: May 2, 1924

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