In August, The Braid Jewish theater Company is bringing back three of their classic salon shows: “What Do I Do with All This Heritage?” (Aug. 10), “Remembrance of Things Present” (Aug. 17) and “I Loved Jew, I Loved Jew Not” (Aug. 24). The performances at their space in Santa Monica will be filmed using a five-camera setup and professional production, thanks in part to a grant from The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation.
The goal of the “Summer Festival of Classics” is to make these stories accessible to communities that would otherwise never be able to experience a Braid production in person. The Braid has always recorded their shows for archival purposes, but this is a chance to immortalize them for generations to come.
“The Braid is so grateful to the Rosalind and Arthur Gilbert Foundation for their continued support and belief in the power of Jewish stories to change hearts and minds — especially important in these times fraught with misunderstanding and hate,” Ronda Spinak, The Braid founder and artistic director, told The Journal. “This grant allows us to film our most popular and important salons in a high-quality format, edit for maximum effect and distribute widely.”
The plan is to make these shows available for communal screenings in partnership with synagogues, JCCs, churches, and schools, ensuring that the stories of Jewish diversity, history and courage continue to inspire across every corner of the globe.
“Stories from the Violins of Hope,” The Braid’s first movie release, was screened by the U.N. and reached audiences across 30 countries and 15 Latin American nations in translation. “Jews are looking for ways to feel their Jewishness, without necessarily doing so in a religious way,” Spinak said. “Because The Braid crosses denominations, cultural backgrounds, political divides, gender and age, everyone can feel inspired by the stories and connected to each other and their Jewishness, whatever that means to an individual.”
Braid communications manager David Chiu said the three chosen shows — performed by most of the original casts — are some of their most popular. More than that, they represent the past, present and future of Jewish identity, all of which speak to this moment in time. “In telling the stories of children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors with “Remembrance of Things Present,” we show the legacy of strength and resilience that is such a part of being Jewish whether you’re descended from Holocaust survivors or not,” Chiu told the Journal. “People worry it’s a sad show; it’s not a sad show, it’s a triumphant show … about this amazing gift that we Jews have to thrive despite all the odds.”
“I Loved Jew, I Loved Jew Not” is about antisemitism and the strength to stand against it. “While some stories are from earlier decades and some from the post Oct. 7 world, all of them capture the present moment we’re in,” he said. “In every generation we need to draw upon our tradition and upon our forebears to strengthen us to stand up to [antisemitism].” He added, “People will be surprised how funny and joyful this show is, even though it also is raw and real; that’s how we Jews stand up to bullies, with humor and with honesty.”
“What Do I Do with All This Heritage?” created in partnership with The LUNAR Collective — and the first-ever theater show about Asian American Jews, navigating dual identities — celebrates the future. “This show is a joyful exploration of a vibrant and multifaceted Judaism,” said Chiu, who played a large role in its curation. “People used to fear introducing new cultures into Jewish culture would dilute it, but the opposite occurred; this show is about how being Asian and Jewish can make you embrace both of those cultures even more.”
“These Jewish stories can touch both Jew and non-Jew, amplifying pride in our Jewish souls and creating empathy across religions and cultures,” Spinak said.
The Braid hopes the initiative, led by Spinak, Chiu, veteran videographer Cindy Kendall and producing director Susan Morgenstern, is just the beginning. There are plans to possibly film additional shows as well, such as a possible September performance of The Braid’s long-running hit, “The Art of Forgiveness.” “Just as The Braid has blurred the boundaries between storytelling and theater, I’m excited to be part of blurring the boundaries between storytelling and theatre and film,” Chiu said.
Chiu said this project is not just creatively satisfying, it’s an opportunity to experience these stories all over again. “You’d think the editing room would make you sick of them, but when I go and watch a story all the way through, I find myself laughing or crying or smiling all over again,” he said. “Honestly, you could watch each of these stories a million times — and I hope you all will!”
Get tickets and details at the-braid.org/classics.
