Book title: "Mup­pets in Moscow: The Unex­pect­ed Crazy True Sto­ry of Mak­ing Sesame Street in Russia"
Moderator: Ethan Helfand, Director of Jewish Experiences, A Collaboration of Jewish Federation and The J

This event is part of the Acclaimed Author Series, presented by Jewish Experiences, A Collaboration of Jewish Federation and The J.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the tim­ing appeared per­fect to bring Sesame Street to post-communist Russia. The Muppets were seen as ambassadors to model idealistic values, but no one anticipated just how challenging and dangerous it would be. Natasha Lance Rogoff, a young Jewish American TV producer, was tasked to produce the series in Moscow and faced bombings, assassinations, the takeover of the production office; heated cultural clashes touched every aspect of the production — from scripting writing to educational content to the design of the Muppets themselves.

Sesame Street’s progressive values were pitted against four centuries of Russian thought. And yet, the TV series became a huge hit, broadcasting messages of tolerance and inclusion well into Putin’s era to millions of children across the former USSR. Told with humor and thoughtfulness, Rogoff’s story of collaboration will resonate with Jewish audiences. Her story offers deep insights into the Russian people and their culture while exploring tensions that continue to thwart relations between Russia and the West — themes that remain more relevant than ever.

Natasha Lance Rogoff is an award-win­ning film­mak­er, jour­nal­ist, tele­vi­sion pro­duc­er, and author of "Mup­pets in Moscow." She wrote exten­sive­ly about Russ­ian under­ground cul­ture and led the pro­duc­tion of Sesame Street in Rus­sia and Mex­i­co. Rogoff is an Asso­ciate in the Art, Film, and Visu­al Stud­ies Depart­ment at Har­vard Uni­ver­si­ty and pas­sion­ate media cre­at­ing bridges for cross cul­ture understanding. 

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