This Passover marks the first time we are gathering together and telling the story in a post–Oct. 7 world in which our hostages are finally home. The last couple of years have been marked by rising antisemitism, locally and abroad, waning support for Israel, and challenges in how we express Jewish joy and pride. author and publisher Zibby Owens edited On Being Jewish Now: Reflections from Authors and Advocates, an inspiring collection of 75 personal essays about what it means to be Jewish in the aftermath of Oct. 7.
In the book’s introduction, Owens writes: “I was scared to speak out. I’m still scared. I was scared that asserting my Jewishness publicly would get me in trouble. (And it did.) But I knew I had to speak up. What would happen if I didn’t? What if no one spoke up? I had a platform that I had to use. If I could, I must.”
The 75 essays come from a range of Jewish voices — rabbis, authors, journalists, influencers, actors and more. The book was well received, landing atop the USA Today bestseller list for 27 weeks.
Beginning March 22, The Braid will adapt 14 of the essays into a theatrical presentation for the world premiere of On Being Jewish Now, performed by four actors. We spoke with Ronda Spinak, artistic director and co-founder of The Braid, about the production.
Spinak explained The Braid’s founding philosophy. “Eighteen years ago, we created this unique theater that sits at the intersection of storytelling and theater,” she said. “That means we don’t have sets, props or costumes because we were doing our work in homes. So we created what we call a salon model, a compilation of different pieces anywhere from a minute to 10 minutes. In a production, you get about 10 or 12 stories curated around a theme.”
“All of the shows, from the very beginning, have been themed. Some were about food, forgiveness or family secrets. Very shortly, we expanded to include different voices of the Jewish people — Persian Jews, with the huge Persian population here. What were their stories? What are their Jewish experiences?”
The Persian-focused show was titled Saffron and Rose Water. Later came Hot Salsa, about the Latin Jewish experience, with writers from Argentina, Cuba, Chile, Venezuela, Panama and Mexico sharing their stories.
Several of The Braid’s board members brought Owens’ book to Spinak to consider for adaptation. She saw the potential and reached out.
“I pitched the idea that it would be amazing to adapt these essays,” Spinak said. “We don’t really do 10-minute plays. We are a theater company, but what we really do is first-person narratives. Essays are my favorite form to adapt for our stage because we break the fourth wall. We’re speaking directly to the audience.” Owens signed on.
Spinak then began the process of selecting and adapting 14 of the 75 essays.
The actors in On Being Jewish Now from left: Abbe Meryl Feder, Photo by Jan Burns. AJ Meijer, Karen Macarah and Benmio McCrea. Photos by David Chiu.
“I had two people who worked with me on this: Lisa Pearl Rosenbaum, a longtime member of our leadership and a beautiful writer in her own right, and Lisa Kenner Grisham, our new literary manager, who has been in the Jewish world and is a playwright,” Spinak said. “The three of us worked together to identify the stories that most resonated with us.”
The selected stories range from Rabbi Sharon Brous’ essay about the serendipity of meeting fellow Jews in Vietnam to actor Mark Feuerstein celebrating his break-dancing prowess at his and his children’s b’nai mitzvah. Writer-director Jeremy Garelick reflects on finding himself in a gun shop, while author Ali son Hammer ponders that despite the new challenges of being Jew ish, it is a choice she would make every day over a more carefree life.
Each story examines what ties the author to their Jewish roots, highlighting anxiety, pride or a sense of belonging. The Braid will present On Being Jewish Now from March through May in 11 performances at various locations and online. The debut is scheduled for March 22 at a private art gallery in Torrance and March 24 at The Braid Theater in Santa Monica. The production will then travel to Valley Beth Shalom, Congregation Or Ami, Wilshire Boulevard Temple’s Irmas Campus and Temple Isaiah. Two performances will be presented online via Zoom before the final show April 23 at The Braid.
Complementing the production, the Jewish Arts Initiative of Southern California will curate an exhibition at The Braid titled “Healing, Hope and Heart: On Being Jewish Now.” The exhibit will run March 22 through May 4 and feature artwork and artist statements.
The exhibition began when Cathy Weiss, exhibition chair for the Jewish Arts Initiative, visited The Braid and saw how the production aligned with JAI’s vision “to be an agent of transformative change by organizing provocative exhibitions and thoughtful programs promoting diverse dialogue about Jewish identity and experiences.”
Weiss sent out a call for submissions to the members and she explained, “we selected 21 artists and 25 pieces representing a wide range of styles, from painting and photography to ceramics and mixed media.”
Weiss adds that among the featured works is “My Mother’s Prayer by Anita Getzler, which pairs visual art with an audio recording of the artist’s mother reciting a prayer. Two monoprints by Leslie Ann Lloyd titled Angel and Fog Bridge that are very ethereal. They’re really beautiful.”
Each artist also submitted a statement reflecting on the exhibition’s theme, to be displayed alongside the artwork.
Don’t miss Being Jewish Now. The book, theatrical production and art exhibit offers a powerful opportunity to reflect on identity, resilience and community through deeply personal storytelling.