The Braid, the go-to Jewish story company and one of the nation’s leading producers of Jewish arts and culture, proudly announces the premiere of The Jewish Question: A Comedic Lament, a bold, thoughtful, and witty new one-man show by writer and performer Eric Jaffe. The limited engagement runs Saturday, December 13 at 7:30 PM and Sunday, December 14 at 2:00 PM at The Braid’s theatre in Santa Monica.
Tickets are $30 and available at the-braid.org/question
Raised among what he describes as his father’s “piles and piles of books,” guided by the humanistic ethics of Star Trek, and shaped by conversations with people from Transylvania to Bangladesh, Jaffe embodies the intellectual curiosity and moral idealism often associated with Jewish cultural life. But as antisemitism rises and political polarization deepens, his lifelong questions take on new urgency.
Can a deeply connected American Jew still be a citizen of the world? Is there room for humanism and hope amid so much hate? And what does idealism mean when the world feels increasingly broken?
In The Jewish Question: A Comedic Lament, Jaffe explores these themes with humor, honesty, and heart. Jewish audiences will especially recognize the emotional complexity he captures, while viewers of all backgrounds will resonate with one man’s quest to reconcile his values with the realities of the modern world.
Early praise has been strong. The Director of the Lambert Center for Arts + Ideas calls the show a “masterful blend of humor and heartfelt storytelling,” while a Past President of the Alliance for Jewish Theatre has praised it as “masterful” and “stellar.”
This limited engagement offers Los Angeles–area audiences a rare chance to experience a timely and provocative solo performance that asks a central question for our era: Is there still a place for idealism—especially Jewish idealism—in a rage-filled world?
Performance Information
What: The Jewish Question: A Comedic Lament
Who: Written and performed by Eric Jaffe
When: Saturday, December 13 at 7:30 PM & Sunday, December 14 at 2:00 PM
Where: The Braid Theatre, Santa Monica, CA
Tickets: $30
Purchase: the-braid.org/question
About The Braid
The Braid (formerly Jewish Women’s Theatre) is a leading independent Jewish theatre and cultural organization, known nationally for elevating diverse Jewish stories through innovative, original programming. Based in Southern California and touring across the country, The Braid brings contemporary Jewish voices to the stage through theatre, film, art, and community programming.
Featured Image: Courtesy of Eric Jaffe
This post was last modified on December 7, 2025 5:31 pm