Saratoga Jewish Community Arts and the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York are proud to present, live on Zoom, The Braid’s performance of Yearning to Breathe Free, true stories from today’s Jewish immigrants about inspiration, resilience and finding a new home. Register by clicking the blue "Register" box above and mark your calendar for March 28 at 7 pm Eastern time.

Too often the Jewish story of coming to America is visualized in sepia tones — European ancestors trudging off the boats at Ellis Island in the 1880s. But as this poetic and captivating new theatre show reveals, the Jewish immigrant story continues today with fresh and vibrant colors. Weaving together true stories from Jewish immigrants across the globe — from Ukraine, China, Iran, Chile, Egypt, Turkey, and Israel — Yearning to Breathe Free takes audiences deeper into the experience of leaving one’s home for a new land. Rooted by their Jewish tradition, the authors of these stories find a resilience to face an uncertain future. Their words have much to teach us.

The Braid's professional actors relate the true stories of immigrants, including acclaimed memoirist and novelist André Aciman (author of Call Me by Your Name) as he reveals the ironic pain of celebrating a seder while he and his family are forced out of their home in Egypt. An American adoptee from China discovers surprising inspiration in a nearby bridge that connects her own story with that of her Jewish grandparents from the Balkans. In a hilarious tale, two Chilean parents struggle to learn strange, new Jewish customs when their daughter marries an Orthodox American man. And a Ukrainian woman feels the comfort of Jewish tradition as echoes of her family home still reverberate in her soul.

The Braid, formerly Jewish Women’s Theater, is the go-to Jewish story company with a celebrated fifteen-year legacy of advancing Jewish culture. The SJCA presentation of Yearning to Breathe Free is underwritten by Barry and Shelley Bader in memory of their daughter Melissa Bader Lewis.

For more information on Yearning to Breathe Free, click on the program description below:

The Braid March 28 Program Description PDF (Recommended)

REGISTER HERE. When the Registration Page appears, complete the requested information. If you have questions, please email us at sjca.sjcf@gmail.com.

For information on future SJCA programs, go to SJCA Home Page