Play Reading at the Institute
New Jerusalem, The Interrogation of Baruch de Spinoza at Talmud Torah Congregation: Amsterdam, July 27, 1656, by David Ives (2008)
Tuesday, November 12, 2024 | 7:00 p.m.
Rubenstein Commons

Play Reading is a popular activity that brings the IAS community together to read plays. The group meets at 7:00 pm on several evenings this year in the Rubenstein Commons. The readings are not performances, so you need not be ‘experienced.’ Everyone is given a part to read, but if you prefer to just listen to the play instead of reading a role, come and sit back with a glass of wine and some ‘nibbles’ and enjoy the evening. All are warmly welcome! 

We will be reading New Jerusalem, The Interrogation of Baruch de Spinoza at Talmud Torah Congregation: Amsterdam, July 27, 1656, by David Ives (2008). During the time of the Inquisition many Sephardic Jews who had fled Spain and Portugal in search of religious freedom found a tenuous peace in seemingly liberal Amsterdam. Because many of the refugees were traders with valuable connections overseas, Amsterdam benefited greatly from their arrival. But when the revolutionary ideas of Baruch de Spinoza (1632-77) strained the bounds of Amsterdam's professed tolerance, this led to a dangerous confrontation between powerful political forces and the Jewish community. Based on actual events, the play keenly follows the process by which Spinoza attempts to defend himself in the proceeding, challenging traditional political and religious thinking with conviction, passion, and wit.

Please contact Annette Munt (amunt@ias.edu) with questions related to this event. 

Register below to attend.