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Children’s Fairyland, Oakland’s cherished storybook theme park, bills itself as the longest continually running puppet theater in the United States. This month, for the first time since the theater opened in 1956, the park is presenting a Jewish-themed show based on a classic Yiddish folktale.

“It Could Always Be Worse” takes place in a small village in Poland and offers a fresh perspective on a cherished tale. A Jewish family living in cramped quarters yearns for more space and quiet. Seeking guidance from a wise rabbi, they embark on a journey of self-discovery and gratitude, learning a timeless lesson that transcends cultural boundaries: appreciating what you have is the key to happiness. The story has been adapted several times, including in Margot Zemach’s 1977 children’s picture book of the same name.

The show, which opened last month, will continue with three daily performances Wednesdays through Sundays, through Aug. 27.

“This show is proudly and joyfully Jewish,” said Shana Barchas, Fairyland’s former director of education and the show’s script writer. “But at the same time, it pulls everyone in and everyone can relate to the story.”

The show features puppets made and operated by theater director and puppeteer Randal J. Metz. Voice actors Blake Maxam, Jeff Fry, Krista McDermott, Ori Goldmiller and Maya Engel recorded an audio track that plays during the show. The set was modified from one designed by the late Lewis Mahlmann, who died in 2014, and transports the audience to a cozy cottage in the heart of a shtetl.

Barchas, who grew up in Palo Alto and now lives in Oakland, said she added several personal touches to the story and set to ensure the show felt authentic. The main characters have Jewish marriage contract hanging on their wall — a replica of Barchas’ great-grandparents’ ketubah. A mezuzah is attached to the doorpost of their tiny home. The family dining table is set with Shabbat candles in period-correct candle holders, which were supplied by the Berkeley store Afikomen Judaica. And the male characters wear tzitzit (ritual fringes).

“I think it’s very important for stories to honor their specific cultural roots and to not try to take those away to make them more accessible,” Barchas said. “Taking away specific cultural roots doesn’t make things accessible, it makes them bland. I think it’s really important that no matter what culture a story is about, it has very specific things related to that culture.”

There are more than 150 different puppet shows in rotation at Fairyland. “It Could Always Be Worse” comes as a part of the park’s ongoing effort to include stories from diverse ethnic backgrounds and cultural traditions. Past productions have used tales from Japanese, Vietnamese, Tibetan and Mexican folklore.

Barchas, who works as a counselor at the Oakland charter school organization Education for Change, said she hopes “It Could Always Be Worse” helps Jewish children feel seen outside of Jewish spaces.

“For the Jewish kids, I hope they feel a sense of connection with the bigger world and that their Jewish experiences don’t have to be confined to the Jewish community,” she said. “It’s OK to talk about those things, and it’s OK to invite a friend to synagogue or to have a friend over for Hanukkah. They might enjoy it and learn something from it. And it’s also great to experience your friends’ cultures and religious backgrounds.”

“It Could Always Be Worse”

11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., Wednesdays through Sundays, through Aug. 27, at Children’s Fairyland, 699 Bellevue Ave., Oakland. Free with park admission. $16 for ages 1 and up, $5 for members of households in food assistance programs.