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February 23, 2016

North Miami Beach JCC Shuts Down Dialogue with

Cancellation of 'Crossing Jerusalem'

U.S. cultural institutions claim a key role in maintaining the openness of social

and political debate. But that role is threatened when those institutions fail to

take on passionate controversy around difficult subject matter.

A disturbing example of such failure is the cancellation of Crossing Jerusalem

by the Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center (JCC) in North Miami

Beach, Florida, midway through the run of the play, in response to complaints

and claims that its message was "inappropriate and troublesome."

Crossing Jerusalem, which opened on February 10 at the JCC’s Cultural Arts

Theater (J-CAT), is a family drama set in Jerusalem during the 2002 intifada.

The play, by British playwright Julia Pascal (who is Jewish), reflects the

complex and much-contested political realities of the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Pascal, who called the Miami JCC cancellation censorship, has said that the play

shows "the complexity of Israeli life."

Work that addresses the Mideast conflict often provokes controversy and debate.

J-CAT was certainly aware of this, which is why they convened talk-back

discussions after the performances. However, yielding to continuing pressure

from critics, some of whom claimed the play presented a "false paradigm of the

Arab-Israeli conflict," the JCC's President & CEO Gary Bomzer canceled all

remaining performances on February 16th. He justified the cancellation as an

attempt to "avoid any further pain and to engage in rigorous, vibrant

conversation."

Censoring the play does nothing to promote conversation; on the contrary, it

cuts short any possibility for a productive debate by letting hecklers decide the

programming of an institution that should serve the community as a whole – in

all its diversity of views. As a cultural institution, and specifically as an

NCAC PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS

Actors’ Equity Association

American Association of

School Administrators

American Association of

University Professors

American Association of

University Women

American Booksellers

for Free Expression

American Civil Liberties Union

American Ethical Union

American Federation of Teachers

American Jewish Committee

American Library Association

American Literary Translators

Association

American Orthopsychiatric Association

American Society of Journalists

& Authors

Americans United for Separation of

Church & State

Association of American Publishers

Authors Guild

Catholics for Choice

Children’s Literature Association

College Art Association

Comic Book Legal Defense Fund

The Creative Coalition

Directors Guild of America

Dramatists Guild of America

First Amendment Lawyers Association

International Reading Association

Lambda Legal

Modern Language Association

National Center for Science Education

National Communication Association

National Council for the Social Studies

National Council of Churches

National Council of Jewish Women

National Council of Teachers of English

National Education Association

National Youth Rights Association

The Newspaper Guild/CWA

PEN American Center

People for the American Way

Planned Parenthood Federation

of America

Project Censored

SAG-AFTRA

Sexuality Information & Education

Council of the U.S.

Society of Children’s Book Writers

& Illustrators

Student Press Law Center

Union for Reform Judaism

Union of Democratic Intellectuals

Unitarian Universalist Association

United Church of Christ

Office of Communication

United Methodist Church

United Methodist Communications

Women’s American ORT

Woodhull Sexual Freedom Alliance

Writers Guild of America, East

Writers Guild of America, West

Joan E. Bertin Executive Director

19 Fulton Street, Suite 407

New York, NY 10038

tel: (212) 807-6222

fax: (212) 807-6245

e-mail: ncac@ncac.org

web: www.ncac.org

institution which carries on the Jewish tradition of open discourse and Talmudic debate, the

JCC's Cultural Arts Theatre has the opportunity—and arguably even the obligation—to present

to its audiences material that challenges and provokes thought. Indeed, Bomzer's cancellation

letter affirms the goal of the Center to "build a culture in which complicated questions are ones

we can openly discuss." Such a culture cannot be built if the Center censors a production after a

few members of the community object to it.

The Miami JCC is failing its membership when it betrays core cultural values of open debate by

succumbing to demands by some aggrieved patrons who don't like a work of art. What of the

many others who are finding meaning, validation, and truth in the drama of ideas? Those who

are offended need not attend. There will be other works of art that may speak more meaningfully

to them. But to shut down an already affirmed and successful show—one that passed through a

process of refinement and approval to make it to the production stage—is to betray

commitments, rights, and freedom of expression by suddenly declaring ideas that resonate with a

large part of the community impermissible.

It is hardly possible for cultural institutions to avoid controversy and still remain relevant; the

challenge is to work to make controversy productive. Reducing challenging, debate-provoking

programming for the sake of plays that shy away from asking tough questions impoverishes

community dialogue on precisely those sensitive topics where we need it most.

In his letter, Bomzer speaks of the need for the center "to engage in rigorous, vibrant

conversation that advances our community." Those aims would be best served by allowing

members of the community to see Crossing Jerusalem for themselves, and to participate in the

discussion it provokes. We urge the Michael-Ann Russell Jewish Community Center to re-

schedule the remaining performances of Crossing Jerusalem.

National Coalition Against Censorship

Dramatists Legal Defense Fund

Arts Integrity Initiative

American Booksellers for Free Expression

Endorsed by:

David Ben-Arie, actor, composer, playwright, sound designer (Sound designer for Crossing

Jerusalem)

Sara Brookner, Association for Jewish Theatre member-at-large and dramaturg

Christopher Buchanan, independent NYC [laywright

David Y. Chack, Producing Artistic Director of ShPIeL-Performing Identity Chicago and

Professor at the Theatre School at DePaul University

Stacie Chaiken, writer-performer-educator, Los Angeles

Elaine Clayton, artist and author, Westport, CT

Carl C. Cole, Commissioner Emeritus, DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities

David Copelin, playwright / dramaturg / Dramatists Guild member

Cynthia DeShola Coleman, activist and CEO of the Timothy Dawkins-El Project

Edward Einhorn, Artistic Director, Untitled Theater Company No. 61

Gordon Edelstein, Artistic Director, Long Wharf Theatre

Henrik Eger, Ph.D., editor, www.DramaAroundTheGlobe.com

Christine Evans, playwright and Assistant Professor, Georgetown University

Chris Finan, American Booksellers for Free Expression

Rebecca Joy Fletcher, playwright, performer, cantor and Jewish educator (Chicago)

David A. Goldenberg, documentary filmmaker, Rhode Island

David Ira Goldstein, Artistic Director, Arizona Theatre Company

Wendy Graf, playwright/DGA member

Anna Hayman, Managing Director, CultureHub

Michelle Hensley, Artistic Director, Ten Thousand Things Theater, Minneapolis, MN

Jamil Khoury, Founding Artistic Director, Silk Road Rising, Chicago

Larry Kunofsky, playwright

Joshua Ford, playwright, Dramatist Guild, Association for Jewish Theatre member

Mira Hirsch, Past President, Association for Jewish Theatre

Motti Lerner, playwright

Jennifer Mendenhall, former artist in residence, Theatre J, DCJCC, actor

Lisa Mount, consultant, perform, producer, Georgia

Adrienne Nelson, actor/dialect coach/teaching artist, Washington, DC

Jenny Paul, actor/producer, producer of "Crossing Jerusalem" North American Premiere

Sinai Peter, Visiting Professor, American University, Independent Director, Haifa Israel; former

Artistic Director, Haifa Municipal Theatre, Israel

Gail Prensky, Executive Director, The Jüdische Kulturbund Project

Tom Prewitt, Artistic and Executive Director, WSC Avant Bard

Ari Roth, Founding Artistic Director, Mosaic Theater Company of DC

Linnea Sage, actor in the original U.S. premiere of Crossing Jerusalem

Aaron Mack Schloff, DG member

James Sherman, playwright/DGA member

C Denby Swanson, playwright

David Winitsky, Artistic Director, Jewish Plays Project

Laura Zam, independent playwright/performer, Washington, DC

Karen Zacarias, playwright, Dramatist Guild member, Washington, DC