L'CHAIM AMERICA! to Play NYC's Museum of Jewish Heritage as Part of America 250

The Braid is celebrating America's 250th anniversary with L'Chaim America!, a new theatrical production exploring the diverse experiences of Jewish life across the United States.

Supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, the production is touring nationally with performances in Los Angeles, Orange County, the San Francisco Bay Area, New York City, Boston, and other communities, while also being presented through global livestreams.

Using The Braid's signature minimalist storytelling style—with no sets, props, or costumes—L'Chaim America! relies on an ensemble of actors portraying multiple characters to bring audiences into a series of true stories spanning the breadth of the American Jewish experience. The production transports audiences from an Iranian American family's Thanksgiving celebration to the Great Plains, from naturalization ceremonies to suburban neighborhoods, revealing stories of identity, immigration, belonging, and community.

Among the featured stories are Joshua Silverstein's account of his Black Jewish family's role in helping elect Los Angeles' first Black mayor; screenwriter Robert Uriel Russin's reflections on Jewish identity in Wyoming; author Emily Bowen Cohen's exploration of her Native American and Jewish heritage; and Solomon Dueñas' journey from civil war in El Salvador to opening one of Orange County's first Jewish bakeries after reconnecting with his family's Jewish roots.

"In divisive times, this show is a respite from the rhetoric and a reminder of who we are as Jews and as Americans," said The Braid founder and artistic director Ronda Spinak. "The Jewish people are a vibrant part of the American story. But I didn't want to depict only the narrow version people think they know."

Directed by Susan Morgenstern, the cast features Kimberly Green, Zoë Hall, Rhiannon Lewis, Lillian Mimi McKenzie, Joshua Silverstein, and Marcelo Tubert. The production also includes writing and music by contributors including Esther Amini, Sonia Nazario, Mike Himelstein, Susan Baskin, Vanessa Bloom, David Chiu, Natalya Bogopolskaya, Sharon Landau, Aharon Zagayer, and Rhiannon Lewis.

Performance Schedule

New York City
July 12, 2026, at 2:30 p.m.
Museum of Jewish Heritage

Boston
July 13, 2026, at 7:00 p.m.
The Vilna Shul

Lexington, Massachusetts
July 14, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
Temple Isaiah

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