Remembrance of Things Present

All of us live in the shadow of the Holocaust. It forever shaped the generations that came after it, both within the Jewish world and throughout the whole of humanity. And no one knows what living in this shadow truly means better than the children and grandchildren of its survivors. Yet too rarely have their experiences been given a stage. Their lives, begun with the hope of rebuilding a shattered world, offer us the wisdom and the resilience that illuminate a path forward.

These stories of the descendents of survivors, once kept secret, are now brought to life in a work of searing but ultimately inspirational theatre. Remembrance of Things Present, a Salon Theatre production from The Braid, the go-to Jewish story community, comes at a time of rising antisemitism. This curated collection of stories, brought to life by professional actors, offers heroism, healing, and hope at a moment when they are sorely needed.

Audiences will discover how the son and grandson of legendary Tuvia Bielsky, the partisan leader who led Jewish armed resistance against the Nazis and was the subject of the film Defiance, struggle to live up to the legacy of their heroic forebear. They will wrestle along with a daughter as she sees that having her father give testimony to the Shoah project video archive has reopened deep psychological wounds. And they will feel inspiration as the daughter of a French Resistance fighter carries her mother’s indomitable example into her own life of activism. These and other important stories will be featured in a show that’s not to be missed and will speak to everyone.

“The Holocaust didn’t end at liberation,” remarks Ronda Spinak, The Braid’s co-founder and artistic director. “I am struck by all the ways, great and small, that it has transformed the lives of the people who were raised by survivors. And yet, what is perhaps more surprising is that these stories are not simply tragedies. While some have moments that have made me cry, others have made me feel pride in the human spirit. And all of these stories have inspired me and taught me something vital for the perilous times we now face.”

Remembrance of Things Present is directed by Susan Morgenstern. The show debuted in person in California and live on Zoom worldwide January 22-February 6, 2023, and was reprised onstage in New York City and livestreamed worldwide on April 20, 2023.

The Braid, formerly Jewish Women’s Theatre, is the go-to Jewish story company and leading non-profit organization creating, curating, producing and preserving stories grounded in Jewish culture and experience. Through its performances and programming, The Braid empowers artists and audiences to feel pride in Jewish culture while building community and connection between people of all backgrounds.

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