'Jewish Mothers: Inspirational, Collaborative, and Always Loving' to be Presented by The Braid
One pair of guests is an acclaimed comedian and her 90-year-old mom, who recently joined her daughter’s monthly shows.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Apr. 21, 2021
Today's Jewish mother is nothing like the one-dimensional stereotype that plagued her predecessors. She's inspiring, collaborative, and successful-and three of them and their successful kids will be featured in a new Sunday Morning with The Braid event (formerly Jewish Women's Theatre) on May 2, a week before Mother's Day.
One pair of guests are an acclaimed comedian and her 90-year-old mom, who recently joined her daughter's monthly shows. The second duo are a nonprofit manager-mom and her son, who just started a new job in the Security Council at the Biden White House. And the last guests, live from Toronto, are a mom and daughter who co-operate a successful Israeli-food business.
All six will take part in Jewish Mothers: Inspirational, Collaborative, and Always Loving, a special Mother's Day tribute to Jewish moms, at Sunday Morning with The Braid on Sunday, May 2, at 11 a.m. PDT. The event will be live on Zoom and is free. The Braid hopes viewers will consider making a virtual donation to support their theatrical, educational, and outreach events during this unprecedented time. For tickets and more information, visit www.the-braid.org.
Lisa Geduldig is a San Francisco comedian who now produces the monthly online show "Lockdown Comedy." When the pandemic struck, Lisa pivoted her "Kung Pao Kosher Comedy" show to a Zoom format and invited her mom, Arline, now aged 90, whom she was visiting Florida, to be a special guest. Arline brought the digital house down with bits about hearing aids and her escapades flirting with un-uniformed hunks.
The second twosome, Sherri Morr and her son, Jesse Bernstein, have long dedicated their time and talents to creating a better, more equitable world. For several decades, Morr has been working in nonprofit management, with a special emphasis on the Jewish community. Son Jesse was recently named Director for Human Rights at the National Security Council in the White House. "My mother," he says, "inspired and encouraged me to be persistent, take risks, meet new people with diverse backgrounds and perspectives, and to explore the world."
The final pair, Galya Sarner and mom Shani Sarner-Lati, both self-proclaimed food mavens from Israel, have a thriving business, Galya Loves Food, in Toronto. Galya began cooking with her mother at a young age, developed an interest in culinary matters, and refined her gastronomic skills in Paris. Mom Shani added her aesthetic and digital marketing skills, and now, sheltered together during the pandemic, they offer unique Israeli-food workshops and a catering service to Toronto residents.
The panel discussion with the moms and their successful offspring will be preceded by a performance of "Cooking Rice," a story by Gina Nahai that explores how a daughter is inspired by her mother to find that there is way more to life than cooking rice. It will star The Braid favorites Jasmine Curry and Sohalia Zivari and will be directed by Susan Morgenstern, The Braid's producing director.
The panel will be moderated by Maureen Rubin, emeritus professor of journalism at California State University and a board member of The Braid. "I'm a Jewish daughter, a Jewish mother, and now a Jewish grandmother, but I still look forward to meeting lantzmen who can teach us all about humor, accomplishment, and what it means to work and love together."
Ronda Spinak, The Braid's artistic director, is also excited to add this tribute to Jewish mothers to the Sunday Morning with the Braid repertoire. "Our Sunday morning events have proved to be popular, entertaining, and always exciting," she says. "It's always great to integrate the contemporary Jewish perspective into holidays, and this show should do that with style."
The upcoming Mother's Day guests are the latest in a series of noteworthy and significant speakers who have shared their knowledge with The Braid's audiences. Previous guests include Rabbis Naomi Levy, Toba August, and Laura Geller; LA Superior Court Judges Renee Korn and Angela J. Davis; writers Rob Eshman, Angella Nazarian, Judy Zeidler, Amelia Saltsman, Maggie Anton, Gina Nahai, Esther Amini, Jacqueline Saper, and Melanie Chartoff; politicians Jackie Goldberg, Joy Picus, Alicia Weintraub, and Laura Friedman; costumer Debra McGuire; and numerous other artists, attorneys, composers, musicians, philanthropists, and movie and TV executives.
The Braid (formerly Jewish Women's Theatre) is the 2020 winner of The Argonaut's Best of the Westside's "Best Live Theatre Award" and The Santa Monica Daily Press award for "Most Loved" in the live theatre category. Its performances present inspiring Jewish stories, art, and other programming that highlight Jewish contributions to contemporary life. Now in its 13th (bat mitzvah) season, The Braid's salon theatre of original dramatic shows, each written to a specific theme, displays the diverse and eclectic community of writers, artists, and creators who celebrate Jewish life, one story at a time. Learn more about The Braid at: www.the-braid.org
For virtual tickets to Sunday Morning with The Braid, visit: www.the-braid.org.
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