Screen capture of the Jewish Women’s Theatre cast In celebration of its thirteenth year, Jewish Women’s Theatre/The Braid launches a new salon performance titled “I Am a Jew” on October 18, taking place virtually via Zoom at 11 a.m. PT. The event also celebrates the JWT’s transformation from a local theatre to a national and international voice for Jewish culture. JWT performs in communities across America and recently toured the American South, bringing Jewish culture to cities that lack opportunities to experience Jewish theater. Many works from the company’s archive are now available on the streaming platform ChaiFlicks.
The bat mitzvah will also include a blessing from Rabbi Zoe Klein, plus music, montages, and more. “I will never forget how two friends and I gathered around my kitchen table in 2008 to discuss the radical idea of creating a theatre to showcase the ideas, themes, and stories of contemporary Jewish women,” Ronda Spinak, JWT’s founding artistic director, said in a statement. “We had no space and no money but were fueled by a bold and worthy mission. We wanted to give voice to today’s creative, talented, and just plain incredible Jewish women, who are often under- or misrepresented by media stereotypes. So we pioneered a new art form at the intersection of theatre and storytelling to do just that.”
We wanted to give voice to today’s creative, talented, and just plain incredible Jewish women, who are often under- or misrepresented by media stereotypes. So we pioneered a new art form at the intersection of theatre and storytelling to do just that.” — Ronda Spinak
To date, JWT has created 60 original shows and presented 675 diverse stories to more than 105,000 delighted patrons. In partnership with more than 100 interdenominational organizations, it has showcased 345 writers, aged 13 to 98, and graduated 33 emerging artists who participated in a fellowship program designed to foster the next generation of Jewish theatre and arts professionals. JWT also co-produced Monica Piper’s “Not That Jewish,” which played off-Broadway for 200-plus performances.
In “I Am a Jew,” the Zoom audience will meet an African-American Jew who wonders whether her hair extensions must be removed before she is allowed in the mikvah, even after she has completed six years of study to prepare her for conversion. A rabbi will tell the story of her difficulty offering spiritual guidance to a congregation who desperately needs it during the coronavirus crisis, as she wishes that rabbinical school had included a pandemic class.
The recent recurrence of anti-Semitism is a theme in three unforgettable stories. One tells how a hotel guest, relaxing in a hot tub, meets an ex-convict who sports a swastika tattoo covering his entire chest. When the man offers to raise money to get it removed, he gets a shocking response. The granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor relates how glad she is that her grandma is no longer here to see how her synagogue has been destroyed in a recent anti-Semitic attack. And an African-American Jew realizes that the prejudice he has experienced during his life hasn’t been from white supremacists, but from other Jews who felt he did not belong in “their box.” The show also includes a lighthearted story of religious “conversion” stemming from Costco whitefish salad and other Jewish delicacies.
“This event promises to be a very special one. There will be something for everyone – memories, laughter, and maybe some sentimental tears of joy,” said bat mitzvah co-host Gail Israel. “Looking back to see how JWT has grown is really exciting, but it’s even more exciting to look forward to new stories, new ideas, and a whole new generation of Jewish theater professionals being nurtured by JWT.”
Tickets to the bat mitzvah celebration are just $36 and can be purchased at www.jewishwomenstheatre.org
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