Crowdfunder for the play “The Wrong Sort of Jew”
JVL Introduction
The play “The Wrong Sort of Jew” is a dramatisation of how Jewish people who criticise Israel’s actions towards Palestinians and those who also criticise the ideology of zionism have been treated by the Labour Party over the past 7 years or so. Jewish Voice for Labour members and particular those on the Executive Committee have been particularly targeted. The creators of this drama are now taking it to the next stage and have interest from a London theatre. They would be very appreciative of any support for their modest fundraising target of £6,000, through this crowdfunding link
LL
This article was originally published by Just Giving on Mon 17 Jul 2023. Read the original here.
Weʼre raising £6,000 to To develop the production of the"Wrong Sort of Jew" play.
This is a development fund for The Wrong Sort of Jew, a filmed/live show which premiered at Sands Films in March. We want to turn it into a full live professional production in a prominent theatre, and publish a book containing interviews with the thirty-one Jews on which the show is based.
Let them speak: the life histories and present experiences of non-Zionist, Labour Party Jews.
“Somebody had been trawling my Facebook. They decided to pick on fourteen posts. Mostly against the Israeli government. And in four of them I actually give my background. I come from a family that escaped from the pogroms, that grew up a hundred percent Jewish. My mum fought against Mosley’s blackshirts. It’s like a white person saying to a black anti-apartheid activist, you’re a racist, you’re being racist against black people. You with me?”
Emotional testimony, with its echoes of Kafka and The Crucible, was a feature of a powerful theatre and film staging in Rotherhithe, London. The show dramatised the histories that have shaped Jewish socialists and fuelled their commitments, and revealed how fake allegations of antisemitism were used to attack left-wing supporters of Jeremy Corbyn in the British Labour Party.
Despite a timid silence from theatre venues, we want to move forward on three fronts. Firstly, a full theatre production with nine actors. Secondly, the editing of the filmed version from Sands and then getting it out on the net. And thirdly, the production of a book containing highlights from the fascinating thirty-one interviews with left-wing Jews which form the backbone of the play. We need a lot of money to make these things happen. This fund will enable us to set the wheels rolling on a professional basis.
Additional information: “We have managed to elicit some interest from a London theatre in staging The Wrong Sort of Jew as a fully live production. It is a very well known theatre, but we don’t want to reveal anything further at this stage. We hope to have a discussion with its Artistic Director in the next two months. In the meantime we are applying for Arts Council support and re-working the script, based on follow up from our March performances. We still need support with admin and travel costs over the next months, so please donate if you can. Many thanks.”
I hope Freedland and the rest of the G and observor reporters come along once the show is on the road .. Give them all a free ticket.
Just over a third of the way in this important cause.
I wish you luck with the project. However, I have some reservations about the narrow focus of the theatre production on the ‘life histories and present experiences of non-Zionist Labour Party Jews’ . Since the 2019 election, our non – Jewish, Muslim MP Rupa Huq has been targeted – in the first instance for risible intimidatory comments, allegedly made to her young Jewish interns. In 2022 she was again suspended, pending an enquiry into allegations of her historical support for prominent non- Jewish pro- Palestinian Labour Party members. Her readmission to the party is said to have been contingent on her falsely denying clear evidence of her past association with those same pro Palestinian activists in a photograph.
Presumably, the Royal Court would be interested in staging this as a “companion piece” to the Jonathan Freedland show they put on?
A wonderful ambition, I will try and help
This is a really worthwhile project which seeks to explain how insulting and ridiculous it has been that Jewish people with empathy and warmth towards an oppressed Palestinian people are labelled ‘anti semitic ‘ , and vilified by the Labour Party , many thrown out of the party . This play which I’ve seen as a work in progress is a vital commentary on the way in which our society had been entirely hoodwinked into believing and accepting a thoroughly misleading and dangerous lie ( as to where anti semitism exists ) j….. Caring about other human beings who are being oppressed by your own people has become a very awkward stance for those who care about equality , human rights and dignity . It is especially galling and sad for Jewish supporters of equality for Palestinians who want to see the end to 75 years of occupation by Israel’s highly militarised government. Please support this crowdfunding for a very important play , which needs a wide audience .
Good luck, I cannot donate money but happy to donate my acting skills if they are any use to you