Jesus the Jew

Jesus examined through another lens

What if we saw Jesus, not as the namesake of Christianity, but as a Jewish man growing up in a modern day family setting? An intelligent and bold way to explore Jesus' own religion prior to becoming a martyr, the play focuses on two Jewish brothers and their four siblings growing up in the small town of Nazareth in northern Israel. Using authentic Jewish traditions, rituals and prayers, we see how his religion shaped his teachings, and how his brother James was faced with an impossible task; to renounce his brother Jesus, or be executed for heresy alongside him.

Created by William Spatz, "Jesus the Jew as told by his brother James" also examines more human matters including views on sex and marriage, conception and contraception, and more intriguingly, his relationship with Mary of Magdala. The play also examines the huge gulf between his pacifist teachings and the more firebrand preachings of Paul after his conversion on the road to Damascus. Looking at Jesus as a man of Judaism rather than through the filter of Christianity allows us all to consider him as a human being rather than only Savior.