Repetition and Solipsism in the “Israel Debate” Play

After a few years of seeing Jewish plays “debating” Israel/Palestine, Jewish Currents editor-at-large Arielle Angel and theater critic Alisa Solomon explored the phenomenon through an exchange of letters, which were published this week. On this episode of On the Nose, they discuss the plays that fall into this category: most recently, the critically acclaimed Birthright by Jonathan Spector, but also including The Zionists by S. Asher Gelman, Giant by Mark Rosenblatt, The Ally by Itamar Moses, and Prayer for the French Republic by Joshua Harmon. They detail the compulsive repetition of these plays and they explore why Jewish hand-wringing is being consistently elevated during a moment of genocide, and why it appears so popular with critics and liberal audiences alike. Thanks to Jules Natt for editing and to Nathan Salsburg for the use of his song “VIII (All That Were Calculated Have Passed).”Media Mentioned and Further Reading“Birthright Stages a Tired Debate,” Arielle Angel and Alisa Solomon, Jewish CurrentsBirthright by Jonathan SpectorGiant by Mark RosenblattThe Zionists by S. Asher GelmanThe Ally by Itamar MosesPrayer for the French Republic by Joshua Harmon“Campus Politics Takes the Stage in The Ally,” On the Nose, Jewish Currents“Who Is Tom Stoppard’s ‘Jewish Play’ For?” On the Nose, Jewish Currents“Giant Gave the People What They Want,” Jessica Goldschmidt, Jewish Currents“‘Birthright’ and ‘Giant’ Tackle Jewish Identity,” Emily Nussbaum, The New Yorker“‘Birthright’ Stages a Thrillingly Complex Conversation on Conversation Itself,” Helen Shaw, The New York Times“Taking the Long View, Brilliantly: Birthright and Camping,” Sarah Holdren, Vulture“Most US kids of intermarriage raised Jewish; parents want institutions to notice,” Ben Sales, The Times of Israel“Shari Redstone’s Next Act: Mogul Named Chair of ‘We Will Dance Again’ and ‘Bad Boy’ Studio Sipur,” Alex Weprin, The Hollywood ReporterMiami New Drama’s announcement of the Y6K Project“‘A Silent Moratorium,’” Lisa Tolin, Geraldine Baum, Malka Margolies, PEN America“Feeling excluded in the literary world, Jews are launching their own publishing houses,” Philissa Cramer, JTA“Birthright Israel and #MeToo,” Sarah M. Seltzer, Jewish Currents “Michael Steinhardt, a Leader in Jewish Philanthropy, Is Accused of a Pattern of Sexual Harassment,” Sharon Otterman and Hannah Dreyfus, The New York Times“Nadav Lapid Faces ‘No,’” On the Nose, Jewish Currents“Kaddish for an Unborn Avant-Garde” by Maia IppSarah Hurwitz on how phones are making it hard to speak to Jewish young people about Gaza“Van Jones and the moral vacancy of American commentary on Gaza,” Ziyad Motala, Al JazeeraTheater Workers for a Ceasefire Birthright BoycottTranscript forthcoming.