Ronda Spinak News

Santa Monica and virtually everywhere. He travels America, meeting fascinating characters who stop by his a?oePoetry Store,a?? a wobbly street table with a vintage typewriter perched on top.  When they do, he asks them a simple question: a?oeWhat do you need a poem about?a?? 

As the High Holy Days approach, many Jewish souls are already feeling the loss of the uplifting spirituality that normally accompanies in-person synagogue worship each New Year.  In response to this void, The Braid/Jewish Women's Theatre is offering a special one-hour Sunday Morning at The Braid Zoom program on a?oeForgivenessa?? on September 20, the second day of Rosh Hashanah.

ChaiFlicks, the world's first dedicated streaming service for Jewish and Israeli-themed film/tv shows, is now available and will feature content from the critically acclaimed collection of stories by The Braid/ Jewish Women's Theatre (JWT) that have entertained audiences for the past 13 years.

Performed virtually by invitation to join the National Womena??s Theatre Festival in North Carolina, 'Inside our Time'presents eight selected stories (from a series of 31) performed by four talented and dedicated actors whose only prop is a notebook containing the story being read. Like all JWT Salon series shows, usually performed in homes around the Westside, the story is the focus, told without scenery, props or costumes. And as presented online, I guarantee you wona??t miss those embellishments since the emotional content of each story is presented with such authenticity that you will find yourself identifying with each character as their stories connect all of us, all the time, thanks to the skill of the incredibly talented cast.

A psychiatrist and a licensed clinical psychologist will join forces to bring truthful, helpful mental health-related COVID advice to audiences at Jewish Women's Theatre's newest special Zoom event.

The lights of the old Yiddish theater have dimmed, but Jewish theater is alive and well in America today. What makes a play Jewish? What are the new Jewish playwrights and directors saying, and to whom are they speaking?

The popular and prestigious Women's Theatre Festival (WTF), based in North Carolina but streaming the world over, will include live performances of eight stories from Inside Our Time: Stories from the Sheltering, Jewish Women's Theatre's (JWT) thoughtful and touching look at what COVID-19 is doing to our lives, our families, our communities, and ourselves.

Two celebrated Persian-American authors will share highlights from their recently published memoirs and fascinating life histories as Jewish Women's Theatre presents Sunday Morning at The Braid, coming to audiences via Zoom on Sunday, June 28, at 11 a.m. PDT.

Sex, Addiction & Love in the 21st Century, the brand-new salon show from Jewish Women's Theatre (JWT), originally scheduled to open at The Braid in Santa Monica in March, will be available for three nights only via Zoom, beginning June 27.

As the American public yearns for trustworthy, truthful medical information, Rear Admiral Susan Blumenthal, M.D., MPA (ret) will provide it at a special Jewish Women's Theatre (JWT) Sunday Morning at The Braid  Zoom event on Sunday, June 14, at 11 a.m. PDT.

Nashuva's Naomi Levy and Lev Eisha's Toba August met when they were both members of the first class of women admitted to the Jewish Theological Seminary's rabbinical school.  Now, more than 30 years later, they have continued to study Torah together, and the lessons they learned will be shared with viewers via Jewish Women's Theatre (JWT).

Sunday Morning at The Braid, the popular interview and performance event from Jewish Women's Theatre (JWT) that has featured Jewish leaders, movers and shakers, authors, and cultural icons for nearly four years will offer a new online program on Sunday, May 3 featuring author Angella Nazarian in conversation with award-winning screenwriter Arlene Sarner.

The eight days of Passover will be different this year for millions of Jews throughout the world. Recognizing the need to come together in new ways, Jewish Women's Theatre (JWT) will post one archived Passover story online each day from April 8 to April 15.

In an effort to reduce isolation and give solace and smiles to members of its community and beyond, Jewish Women's Theatre (JWT) is now offering free online daily digital stories about feelings and experiences during this uncertain time.

In these crazy, safe-distancing times; I reached out earlier this week to various heads of Los Angeles theatres to see how they and their theatre families are holding up. The replies were amazing in their quickness, numbers and uniform positivity.

What the heck is love anyway? Whatever you think it is, think again. And understand that your definition of this elemental mystery just might change after seeing Sex, Addiction & Love in the 21st Century, the new salon show from Jewish Women's Theatre (JWT) opening at The Braid in Santa Monica on March 14 and traveling across LA until March 24, with a special stop at the dnj Gallery to view how two Jewish women photographers capture love's magic.

Two prominent Los Angeles judges will be featured in Deborah's Daughters: Jewish Women Judges during Sunday Morning at the Braid, Jewish Women's Theatre's (JWT) performance and panel discussion event on Sunday, February 23 in Santa Monica from 10am to noon.

Mental health is the foundation of healthy relationships, personal and emotional well-being and positive connections to society. But one in five adults suffers from mental illness and they, and the people who care about them, have important stories to tell. Mapping of the Mind, a new salon show from Jewish Women's Theatre (JWT), will bring these stories to life and just might change the way we think about mental health forever.