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What a new play gets right about ‘Birthright’ and our anguished Jewish conversation

JL;DR SUMMARY The play "Birthright," currently staged at MCC Theater, explores the evolving relationships and conversations about Israel among American Jews, tracking six characters over nearly two decades from their birthright trip in 2006 to a shiva in 2024. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

FriendshipJewish IdentityZionismAmerican JewsCommunityTheaterBirthrightPolitical DiscourseJonathan Spector

Places mentioned

Manhattan, New York, United States
"I recently sat in a Manhattan theater and watched my professional role and personal preoccupations play out on stage."
Israel
"After staffing 13 Birthright trips and sending more than 500 young Jews to Israel, I recently sat in a Manhattan theater and watched my professional role and personal preoccupations play out on stage."

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Cairo Item ID 86465
Cairo Source ID 42
Retrieved 2026-06-30 18:00:21 UTC
Curated 2026-06-30 19:00:34 UTC