The God of Isaac

Elise Hawthorne                      

What does it mean to be Jewish?

As it turns out, whatever you want it to mean.

My reflections…prompted by seeing the marvelous play, The God of Isaac.

Growing up, my family’s Central European Jewish identity centred around music, current affairs, swimming and food. Daily consumption of Mozart, Beethoven or the like washed down with buttermilk, whilst eating a lunch consisting of unsalted butter slathered on rye bread, the kind dotted with caraway seeds – layered with tasty cheese with a generous coating of pickles.

Salami sandwiches lovingly made by my father were a vastly different kettle of fish compared to the vegemite sandwiches, and dare I mention the in vogue Kraft sliced cheese, on white bread variety, that my school chums devoured in the early 1970s.

In my world, it was sauerkraut and dill pickles anyone? Thirty shades of mustard. And let’s not forget a still firm favourite, blue vein cheese, “the smellier, the better,” to quote my father, Fred.

But I digress. 

Back to the question that, The God of Isaac, ponders. What does it mean to be Jewish?

It is a deeply personal question.

The discussions around G-d, and religion in general can for some of us Jews be more complicated than our shared taste in food. In my experience, especially so for people like my father, who lost most of his family in the Holocaust; he was lucky to escape, fleeing to Australia just in time. Dad stopped believing in G-d, and who can blame him, certainly not I. He felt let down by his unseen G-d in a significant way. Yet he still insisted on sending me to Hebrew school each Sunday. Dad was a non-believer but wanted his eldest child to experience the religion of our ancestors.

Well-respected director/producer Moira Blumenthal’s latest production The God of Isaac is based on an episode in the life of playwright James Sherman, telling the tale of his experience in the late 1970s as a young secular Jewish journalist covering the Neo-Nazi riots near his hometown of Chicago. 

Blumenthal calls this play a “serious comedy,” and it certainly doesn’t shy away from tackling the big questions.

The premise being, when Isaac Adams, a second-generation American Jewish journalist, learns of plans for a Nazi group to stage a demonstration in Skokie, Illinois, he wonders what, if anything, his involvement should be. Determined to find the truth, Isaac goes on a quest to find answers about his heritage, his mother, and himself. He’s not sure how to react and starts questioning what it is to be Jewish.

With the uprising of the far-right sadly a topical issue confronting Jewish people today, this play touched a nerve.

The cast of Annie Byron, Lloyd Allison-Young, Tim McGarry, Alexis Fishman and Claudia Ware inhabit their roles, some multiple, with a deft sensitivity, good humour and enthusiasm. I have to say that Tim McGarry steals the show with his magnificent portrayal of in turn a rabbi, a tailor, an elderly father as well as a few chosen cameos from other iconic productions thrown in for good measure. 

The set, lighting and sound design suit the space and tale to a tee. The unexpected breaking of the fourth wall by Isaac (Lloyd Allison-Young) and his mother, Mrs Adams, portrayed to stunning effect by Annie Byron is a brilliant addition to the play. Conversing with each other as a real-life mother and son, include some classic banter not unfamiliar to myself and by the laughs it instigated, by most of the audience as well. I could see my grandmother pinching my cheek, telling me she didn’t like my new hairstyle, “hello, I don’t like your hair.”

Lloyd Allison-Young is Isaac, giving a moving performance. Isaac is somewhat familiar, a nice Jewish boy that any mother would love. Alexis Fishman as his childhood sweetheart, Chaya, is adorable in parts and alternatively deeply sad and sentimental – for good reason. Alexis also swaps roles from time to time as does Claudia Ware who plays Isaac’s shikse girlfriend then-wife, Shelly, who oozes sex appeal but fails to keep her “mixed” marriage intact.

Moira Blumenthal is a storyteller who enjoys telling tales that relate to her tribe; her plays have Jewish themes and sit comfortably side-by-side with her strong Jewish heritage. For the past six years Moira has worked with Shalom, co-producing plays such as Aaron Posner’s stage adaptation of Chaim Potok’s novel The Chosen, Victor Gordon’s You will not play Wagner and The Man in the Attic by Timothy Daly. 

The God of Isaac is not to be missed.

The God of Isaac
Featuring: Annie Byron, Lloyd Allison-Young, Tim McGarry, Alexis Fishman & Claudia Ware
Playwright: James Sherman
Director/Producer: Moira Blumenthal
Producers: Michael Shur, Lyndi Adler, Rabbi Alon Meltzer
Production Manager: Barbara Taylor
Set & Costume Design: Hugh O’Connor
Lighting Design: Martin Kinnane
Sound Design: Tegan Nichols
Photos © Blumenthal Photography – main photo Tim McGarry and Lloyd Allison-Young

Produced by Shalom + Moira Blumenthal Productions in association with Darlinghurst Theatre Company

The God of Isaac plays at the Eternity Playhouse, Darlinghurst till 22 September           

For more information call (02) 8356 9987 or visit: www.darlinghursttheatre.com