The Museum Of Jewish Heritage And The Braid Partner For Spring Theater Series

The Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust will partner with The Braid to present "Spring Theater with The Braid," a series of three theatrical performances highlighting themes of food, remembrance, and queer identity in the Jewish community. The featured shows will be The Matzo Ball Diaries on February 23, Remembrance of Things Present on April 20, and Out Loud on June 22.

The Museum of Jewish Heritage's partnership with The Braid, formerly known as the Jewish Women's Theatre, centers on both institutions' commitment to telling inspiring Jewish stories. The Braid's purpose of giving voices to Jewish stories that haven't been heard, combined with the museum's mission to highlight Jewish life before, during, and after the Holocaust, makes this project a perfect collaboration.

"Theater is such a powerful medium for people to share their stories, and Jews in the U.S. have used it for expression since they arrived here," said Jack Kliger, President, and CEO of the Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. "The Spring Theater series with The Braid is the perfect opportunity to see how today's brilliant Jewish playwrights and actors explore different aspects of life through a Jewish lens."

"I am so excited about this partnership between The Braid and the Museum of Jewish Heritage, "Ronda Spinak, founder and artistic director of The Braid, declares. "We are wonderfully aligned in our goals of elevating Jewish stories, advancing Jewish culture, and showing the true face of contemporary Jewish life to all audiences, both in New York and the wider world."

In The Matzo Ball Diaries, professional and lay writers reveal funny, poignant, and pivotal moments that reveal the power of food to heal. A young woman in Iran learns what plucking chickens have in common with the hair removal of a new bride. A boy decides to give up certain Jewish foods, but will he lose his Judaism along with the food? Another man launches a food franchise only to realize the impact he made on others. These and many other stories will make you laugh and cry.

Remembrance of Things Present offers empowering stories from the children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors. The production includes a story of a French resistance fighter's daughter who is inspired to commit to her own life of activism. The son and grandson of Tuvia Bielsky, the leader of the largest armed rescue of Jews by Jews during the Holocaust, she what it means to inherit a hero's legacy. Another story dramatizes the heartbreaking moment where a daughter realizes the impact of encouraging her father to give testimony. Other memorable stories will leave you feeling empowered and inspired.

Out Loud celebrates the beauty of the LGBTQIA+ community through a series of true stories, exploring the power of love and the journey of finding one's place in the world. Two women find each other through an unlikely dating scenario. A Persian son struggles to make peace with his deceased mother, who never accepted his queerness. A strong Latine woman might have to give up her family when she falls in love with a trans man. A man who was raised Christian looks to Judaism to find answers to his questions about life. These and other daring stories will encourage authentically and proudly.

The programs will be available to watch in person at the Museum of Jewish Heritage's Edmond J. Safra Hall at 36 Battery Place in Battery Park City and via livestream.

Ticket Information:

• Individual in-person tickets are $26 for Museum members and $36 for non-Museum members.

• Individual livestream tickets are $13 per show for Museum members and $18 for non-members.

• In-person ticket bundles for all three shows are $65 for Museum members and $95 for non-members.

• Livestream ticket bundles for all three shows are $30 for Museum members and $45 for non-members.

The bundle of all three shows includes an invitation to attend a live Zoom rehearsal for each show.

Any purchase of 10 tickets or more will receive a 10% discount at checkout. Learn more at https://mjhnyc.org/spring-theater-with-the-braid/.

Those wishing to see the performance in person are also encouraged to visit the Museum's exhibition, The Holocaust: What Hate Can Do. The exhibition is an expansive and timely presentation of Holocaust history told through personal stories, objects, photos, and film-many on view for the first time.

The Braid educates and builds community by inspiring Jewish stories that connect us all. As the Jewish story company that pioneered a new theatrical art form called Salon Theatre, it gives voice to diverse contemporary stories grounded in Jewish culture and experience. Since 2008, our growing collection of 75 original Salon Theatre shows has illuminated varied themes like forgiveness, food, family, and freedom, touching hearts and creating real change, including combating antisemitism. Seminal shows newly spotlight the true stories of women rabbis, Persians, Latine, and Russian Jews, and Jews of Color.

For more information, visit https://the-braid.org/

The Museum of Jewish Heritage - A Living Memorial to the Holocaust is New York's contribution to the global responsibility to Never Forget. The Museum is committed to the crucial mission of educating diverse visitors about Jewish life before, during, and after the Holocaust. The third-largest Holocaust museum in the world , the Museum of Jewish Heritage anchors the southernmost tip of Manhattan, completing the cultural and educational landscape it shares with the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

The Museum of Jewish Heritage maintains a collection of almost 40,000 artifacts, photographs, documentary films, and survivor testimonies and contains classrooms, a 375-seat theater (Edmond J. Safra Hall), special exhibition galleries, a resource center for educators, and a memorial art installation, Garden of Stones, designed by internationally acclaimed sculptor Andy Goldsworthy.

The Museum's current offerings include The Holocaust: What Hate Can Do, a major new exhibition offering a timely and expansive presentation of Holocaust history, now on view in the main galleries. Also on view is Survivors: Faces of Life After the Holocaust, featuring photographer Martin Schoeller's portraits of Holocaust survivors on view through June 18, 2023.

Each year, the Museum presents over 60 public programs, connecting our community in person and virtually through lectures, book talks, concerts, and more. For more info visit: http://mjhnyc.org/events. Museum receives general operating support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and New York State Council on the Arts.

For more information, visit: https://mjhnyc.org