Picking Up Stones an american jew wakes to a nightmare

'When the world breaks the task is to lift the fallen stones back toward light. When you cry and cry you must, your tears fall on stones, that they may glisten again.'

Sandra Laub's 80-minute solo play, a 'must see' at last year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival, holds more than one story, more than one 'truth' about peace-seeking people navigating these troubled times. It grapples with the most pressing questions facing Jews today: skyrocketing antisemitism/anti-Zionism since October 7th, moral reckoning about Gaza, the fractured relationship between Diaspora Jews and Israel, and the dissonance among American Jews about Israel.

How to cope with the horrific Hamas attack and the conflagration it ignited throughout the region and the world? How to relate to our friends and family in Israel, knowing how differently they experience the world? How do we want them to relate to us?

With mutual respect, support, kindness, and understanding, of course, but also with a critical eye and a mind that can hold two truths: if one weeps for the death of Israeli children, one must also weep for the death of Palestinian children. Otherwise, how can we call ourselves Jews? But our Israeli cousins might say, 'if I am not for myself, who will be for me?'

And for non-Jews, how to relate to us, a tiny majority of the world, holding such a powerful place in our collective conscience?

The artist embodies multiple characters, channeling diverse perspectives.

The one-woman show was performed in 2024 and '25 in the northeast US, Israel and Scotland.

Scheduled performances in 2026 in CT (CBSRZ April 26@2PM. This performance is donation only, call 860-526-8920), USA, Israel and the UK.

Executive Producer, Jerry Fischer

Can art bridge political divides?

The artist enacts archtypes (Warrior, Protector, Firebrand, Prophet, Survivor, Repairer, Witness) via her recognizably human characters from the perspective of herself - an 'average' American Jewish woman. She struggles to hold her narratives equally, to bring a balanced approach to a tinderbox that has continually exploded. She asks: must compassion for Palestinian lives and Jewish attachment to Israel be treated as opposing forces, sequential concerns, or can both be honored equally and at the same time?

Palestine Museum US produced the pre-October 7th version of the solo play, but after October 7th, in response to the seeming celebration of the Hamas attack, Sandy rewrote it to reflect her shock, grief, fear, and moral disorientation. The audience is invited to hold all the truths, all the realities at once, so that peace may appear, even at a distance, as a possibility. The play traces an American Jewish woman's progress as she reconciles her loyalty to Israel and to the Jewish people, upholding Jewish values that sanctify every life, including Israel’s Palestinian and Arab neighbors. "Two peoples, one piece of land, no one's going anywhere. Unless."

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The Play's Ethical Stance "I don't want my grandchildren to grow up to be Sparta, I want them to be better than me, and not fantasize about revenge on innocent people."

While refusing easy answers, the play ultimately argues for several principles:

Shared Humanity: Nursing mothers, mother of martyrs, fearful mothers and children caught in an asymmetrical war; four generations of Israeli soldiers portrayed, Jewish Israelis and Palestinian Muslims
Accountability: Israel must examine settler violence, prison conditions, and military conduct, regardless of what Hamas does
Memory Without Exploitation: Holocaust memory should create empathy for all suffering
The Long View: A vision of Israelis and Palestinians helping with harvests, forgetting history, beginning anew
Women's Leadership: Repeatedly suggesting women might "figure it out together" where men have failed
Tikkun Olam: The Jewish obligation to repair the world; to treat the neighbor you recognize and the stranger you don't with kindness and respect
The 'ISMS': Is antisemitism the same as antizionism 30 years after Shulamit Aloni exposed the 'trick' of calling people who criticized Israel antisemitic? When the writer-performer can barely keep up with the current tidal wave of Jewish hate and ramped up conspirary theories, does it matter what 'ism' it's given? Sandy insists on solidarity with the left, including Black Lives Matter and feminism, even as some of our allies have been perceived as hostile to Jewish people.

Sandy's T-shirt—Sisyphus pushing a rock containing a peace sign—captures the play's position: peace work is absurd, endless, and essential. "One must imagine Sisyphus happy."

Yaara Eshet painting of two women weaving cats-cradle safety for children with an ease that eludes Sisyphus.

Award winning Connecticut artist Susan Clinard created the play's scenic designs (below).

Award winning filmmaker/musician, Roger James Kuhns, created the play's soundscape.

Press Release for Sandra Laub, "Stuck in Israel.".docx

Press Release Israel June 2025

Photo from Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Photo from Hurleyville Performing Arts Center, Catskills, NY

quote from Shira.MOV

Testimonial from a 'lobby' performance at our hotel in Tel Aviv just before the 12-Day War. (June 2025)

IMG_3120.MOV

Testimonials from a mother and daughter who saw a 'salon' performance at a kibutuz in Israel (June 2025)

"Sandra Laub’s solo work is a rare example of someone as comfortable switching personas as others are switching outfits.

Picking Up Stones: An American Jew Wakes to a Nightmare doesn’t seek to offer answers to a heated issue, but rather acts as a springboard for dialogue – and it does it well.

Sandra Laub may be standing alone on stage, but her deft switching between characters manages to represent voices from across the Israel–Palestine conflict. Simple but slick costume changes leave you in no doubt as to who is standing in front of you, whether it’s a New York professor, a Gazan mother, or an Israeli matriarch. No one would ever be able to sum up every opinion and perspective, yet Laub does an impressive job of getting pretty close. Instead of seeking to provide answers and perfect reactions to horrific events, her characters instead react with genuine emotion. The stories and emotions presented are just as complex as the situation they stem from, resulting in a show that won’t leave you feeling any less conflicted than at the beginning, but perhaps better informed.

The use of stones in the narrative of Picking Up Stones: An American Jew Wakes to a Nightmare effectively ties together several disparate stories. With Laub not trying to lay out right or wrong, a gradual timeline since 7 October 2023, as well as brief glimpses of what came before, is painted. While everyone in the audience will have seen the headlines, Laub’s character work artfully portrays the human stories that need more time in the spotlight. Those characters aren’t perfect. Many don’t react how you might wish or expect – but that’s arguably the point. The disjointed timeline is confusing at times, with only Laub’s gentle charm remaining to pull you back into where she is.

Picking Up Stones: An American Jew Wakes to a Nightmare is an impressive example of how art doesn’t need to have all the answers, tied together with truly elegant character work that will leave you wanting more." Rachael Davies, Theatreweekly.com

from Edinburgh Fringe Review 2025

Performances to date: Dragon's Egg, Ledyard CT, Mystic CT Performing Arts Summer Festival, Providence Fringe Festival, Providence, RI; Palestine Museum US, Woodbridge, CT, Peacedale Unitarian Universalist, RI; Canton MA Unitarian Universalist; All Souls Unitarian Universalist, New London, CT; Chapel Street Unitarian Universalist, Newport, RI; The Granite Theater, Westerly, RI; Hadassah, Norwich, CT; The Garde Arts Theater, New London, CT; The Church Center at the UN, NYC (NGO-CSW Forum). Marlene Meyerson JCC NYC; (postponed due to June '25 Israel-Iran war) ISRAEL TOUR (7 venues, including The Jaffa Theatre); Catskills, NY Sept. 4, 2025. CONTACT Sandra at sandralaub08@gmail.com for further info about how to bring her play to your community.

Picking Up Stones an american jew wakes to a nightmare

Before October 7th I grappled with the moral dilemma of being a liberal American Jew, loving my family in Israel, but critical of her government’s increasingly far right policies of subjugation for Palestinians. On October 8th I woke to my Palestinian-American friends’ seeming celebration of Hamas’ war crime as an act of long-time-coming resistance. In my confusion, horror, anger and sadness, I wrote this play. After performing it briefly in Israel, before the Iran missiles came in June 2025, and again for two weeks at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, I rewrote sections of the play to include current lethal antisemitism, continuing rocket attacks by terror groups and the mounting Israeli defense/offense against those attacks, the joyous return of the hostages, the fragile ceasefire, and finally the second war with Iran and its proxies - still raging as I write. The result of all the bloodshed, as my Israeli friend, Sarah says, ‘the howling losses and shared sorrow on both sides, must be a bridge, a reminder that beyond the violence and the smoke and blood, we may one day create peace- and build a future our children can sustain together'. My play expresses the hope and faith that this vision is possible.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe Reviews 2025

Trailer from "salon" Hadassah performance February, 2025

Testimonial Letter from Hadassah, CT

Testimonial Letter from ALL SOULS UU CONGREGATION, New London, CT

Testimonial Letter from the Executive Director of The Garde Performing Arts Center, New London, CT.

Picking Up Stones | Garde Arts CenterA One Woman Play – Written and performed by Sandra Laub. Picking up Stones is Laub’s reaction to the Israel-Hamas ...

"The play is powerful. Sandra captures the collective cry of anguish shared among not just Jews." -Melanie Greenhouse, The Garde audience member

Dear Sandra,

Thank you so much for your stunning performance last evening. I don't have the words to express how deeply I was touched.

Blessings,

Larry Cotton

Canton, MA

INTERVIEW for the New London Day prior to The Garde, March 2025 performance

Yaara Eshet's painting, reporduced on the back of Sandy's T-shirt (the antithesis of Sisyphus!)

Sandra Laub's play - front page article in The Day (New London, CT).docx

181494_Book_PROOF.pdf

Hi, I'm Sandra. I have a play for you.

October 7, 2023 sent shockwaves around the world. It sent a shock through me, propelling me to write for the many voices - Israeli, American, Palestinian, Jewish and non Jewish affected by the Hamas attack and the subsequent war. Lasting peace seems elusive. Antisemitic attacks on Jews keep happening - and the horror of war shatters the fraguile peace in the region as I write.

My play grapples with these questions: How can Jews hold the age - old tension contained in our Torah - defense against annihilation in every age paired with respect and generosity toward our neighbor? How shall Jews in and outside of Israel, 'be' for each other? We affirm Israel's mission as BOTH a Jewish homeland and a liberal democracy as stated in her Declaration of Independence. We cherish Jewish values that center the sanctity of all life. So how do we listen to each other in our wider communities about the tragedy and trauma that has unfolded since October 7th? As a woman, mother, teacher, and ally with my beloved family in Israel, how can I capture the many, sometimes conflicting emotional truths we hold about this historic moment?

I'm a conservatory trained actor (BIO here). I tour William Gibson's Tony-award winning Golda's Balcony. Picking Up Stones gives voice to 26 characters, including 'me', from Golda Meir to a 10 year old Palestinian boy, to Jewish and Muslim American college students grappling with a new climate of dissension and division on campus.

The piece is an inquiry about Jewish identity, values, and morality, a lamentation on October 7th, 2023, and a hopeful prayer for the future.

I welcome the chance to bring this program, which includes facilitated discussion after the show, (total time approx 2.5 hours) to your community to have respectful, civil discourse about an important topic.

Testimonials are from various venues in New England, including Unitarian Universalist congregations, theaters (the Granite in Westerly, RI, and The Garde in New London) the 2024 Providence Fringe Festival, where I won the coveted "Artists 4 Artists" award (presented to the show that other artists feel most deserves a wider audience), and the United Nations Committee on the Status of Women (NGO CSW) in New York City (NY) on March 17th, 2025. Producer, Jerry Fischer, a lifelong leader in Jewish American/Israeli relations and past CT Jewish Federation Executive Director, organized a tour of my play to Israel for June of 2025, cancelled due to the Israel-Iran 12 Day War. Our return to Israeli venues is scheduled for May '26. After that, appearances in the UK, in June '26, including the well known Jewish cultural centre, JW3. Then, in late June, 6 performances are scheduled at the famed Midtown International Theater Festival, NYC.

Details about tech requirements and costs to be discussed on an individual basis.

TESTIMONIALS:

Dear Hadassah Friends,

On February 17, 2025 in Norwich, CT, Hadassah was treated to an afternoon of great theater, artistry, and generosity. Sandra Laub performed her one-woman play: Picking Up Stones - An American Jew Wakes to a Nightmare. Blending the voices of many, from Golda Meir to the diverse humanity of Israelis and Palestinians with her American voice, the play explores the conflict from every viewpoint yet is grounded in her Jewish values, with cries for morality and compassion. This is something all Jews are grappling with, especially since October 7, 2023 - and Sandra gives voice to it all - with her own wonderful script and acting artistry. Sandra dedicates her play to her family members who never came to America or Israel because they were marched into the forest outside Chernowitz and shot into trenches they dug themselves. Hadassah holds a special place for Sandra. Her mother and aunts were Hadassah members and she has extended family in Israel. She is on her way to performing the play at the United Nations NGO-CSW forum, in Scotland and Israel. She gave us her talents freely. I am making a contribution to Hadassah in Sandra's honor for giving us a great afternoon of theater and provocative conversation.

-Sheila Horvitz

Hi Sandra,

I had to tell you again how moving, beautiful, sad and optimistic I found "Picking Up Stones" to be. It had a very profound meaning for me. I've struggled with forgiving or not forgiving my whole life, being a first generation daughter. My heart has perhaps softened a bit, thanks in part to witnessing your play today. The emotional roller coaster you took us on helped me to understand that there is tragedy on both sides. I'm not quite there yet. But your words and expressiveness brought me closer to admitting to myself that grief is universal and chooses no sides. Thank you so much for an afternoon of beauty, heartache and hope for a better tomorrow. - Elizabeth Goor, audience member, The Garde.

From Rabbi Stephen Belsky at CJI (Touro Synagogue) : Yishar koaḥ on such a powerful work of art that presents and holds in tension so many different perspectives, pains, and aspirations. I can only watch it from within my own identity and experience, and while we talk pedagogically about 'walking a mile in another's shoes' that's a goal that is in its truest form tantalizingly out of reach – so I hope that your play succeeds in humanizing and relating American Jewish care and concern for both the lives of our brethren in our Homeland and the quality of their State, and expressing that to outside audiences, along with the ideals, anger, and terror of Israelis and Palestinians.

From Betty Kornitizer, from the full length play at Granite Theatre, Westerly RI: "We were in India at an ashram on October 7th, with people from all over the world, including, Jews, Muslims, Israelis, Arabs- the shock and horror we witnessed them dealing with, and our own, came back to me as I witnessed you perform your play. Your artistry, research, and dedication to telling the human story here, is simply remarkable. Thank you."

From Mark Sawtelle, from the 'hour-long' version at Providence Fringe Festival: "Sandra has an uncanny ability to balance passion, compassion, and a respect for the facts in this tour de force performance. Highly recommended. "

G. Hanrahan (Providence Fringe Festival) "Sandra’s play has the plea for peace at its core. Its power lies in giving voice to the many perspectives of a complicated and thorny issue: the need for peace in the Middle East. Sandra magnificently inhabits the many people and voices in her play — who all speak with urgent, passionate, sometimes humorous and very divergent perspectives. It’s magnificent acting on view in an important story that needs to be shared. It made me think — it made me ask questions. It made me aware of my own ignorance and naïveté about the conflicts in the Middle East. If you have an opportunity to see this show, don’t miss it. It is excellent top shelf theater, and we are very lucky to have this talented performer and writer in Rhode Island sharing her intelligence and heart with us."

Bill Rodriguez (theater critic Providence, RI): " Sandra Laub has an impressive ability to inhabit characters she presents, whether those we are familiar with, such as Golda Meir in Golda’s Balcony, or those of her invention, like those in her one-woman show, Picking Up Stones: An American Jew Wakes To A Nightmare. That’s not an easy accomplishment for an actor, even with the 10 years experience she has had performing the former. "

Peter Sanderson, retired Marvel Comics historian (saw the open rehersal at the Manhattan JCC: "...Much of the strength of this powerful and moving play lies in its thorough examination of the history and current events from both Jewish and Palestinian points of view."

Jerry Fischer, producer: Sandra Laub’s play and performance, Picking up Stones lets us see the flicker of humanity that is still burning and needs to be kept alive.

Dear Nancy and Bina,

I just need to say what an amazing afternoon at Sandra Laub's play, “Picking Up Stones!” I was riveted to my seat and intensely emotionally connected throughout the whole play. Sandra did an outstanding job portraying multiple perspectives and feelings and heartache. Her ability to make extremely complex conflict resonate with very humane thoughts and questions made me wish this play could be shown throughout the world. Her play offers a springboard for more conversations with depth. I am extremely grateful for her generosity in giving us this play, and her effort and incredible talents make me have hope.

Thank you for all the hard work you did in bringing Sandra Laub and “Picking Up Stones” to our community!!!

Sending much love always,

Jeanne A.

Dear Sandra,

I was really glad to be able to see your performance of "Picking Up Stones" on Saturday. Such an ambitious and heartrending piece! In this polarized, "pick a side" society we live in, it is so hard for some to make room for conflicting narratives. Your play brings up more questions than answers, and for me, that is why it is so compelling. As they say in Hebrew, Kol HaKavod--every honor to you.

Amy O. Hillel Director, RI

Sandra Laub’s performance of her one-person play “Picking Up Stones: An American Jew Wakes to a Nightmare,”is a deeply moving and thought-provoking drama. The horrific scenes from October 7th and the ongoing war has led Ms. Laub to write, direct and play the various parts of Israelis and Palestinians directly effected by this tragedy. In just 100 minutes I experienced myself being on both sides of the conflict, feeling unimaginable pain and loss, wanting to blame and yet unable to judge, desperately searching for a way out of this decades-old conflict, hoping for an equitable and sustainable peace. With so much to absorb I look forward to seeing the play again!

Karen C.

Dear Sandra

I wanted you to know how much I appreciate you and value your message as expressed in your Sunday performance. I found your presentation sincere, heart wrenching and beautifully delivered. I am amazed at your power for memorizing and wish I had just a little of that ability.

The issues we all face, Jewish or not, is one of deep concern for all the victims of these horrific wars and acts of violence. As you know I have been an advocate for peace most of my life and encourage the study of nonviolence. The complexity of the issues are vital in understanding the way forward and without a sincere respect and love for our fellow humans we can not figure it out. Some of it has so much to do with militarism and the profits that are gained by keeping the war machine going. Dr. King said it best. “We must learn to live together as brothers and sisters or perish together as fools”. You are contributing to a better understanding of how to hold the tensions between two truths together. The desire for peace and the need to protect those we love. It isn’t easy.

Thank you again for putting yourself out there, speaking up when it is difficult and taking the criticism that is inevitable in today’s climate. May there be peace in Israel and Palestine soon.

With much love and peace,

Madeline

Hi Sandy,

I was so taken with your play last weekend. Entertained is not the word, more like thoroughly engaged throughout your performance...Your play touched my heart in new ways, and so as I read about this ongoing, widening war, I find my relationship to it more personal than before.

Thank you for your courage and creativity and focus and your passionate and gentle spirit.

I want you to know I am not alone in caring about the burden you bear and that I am learning to share with others. In peace and solidarity, Pam

...I feel Sandra could get a MacArthur Fellowship for this play. Maybe she might consider, too, turning it into a movie? Her play is very powerful, and should be shown to a lot of audiences. Maybe by making a movie this would help her talents and insights reach a wider audience. If it is no trouble, would you please ask her if this is a future possibility? - audience member, Unitarian Universalist Congregation Peacedale, RI

"When your heart is broken over lives lost and the profound suffering in Israel and Palestine, Sandy Laub's , "Picking up Stones" is a riveting and masterfully performed, fresh and original work that heals. It is the balm so needed to make space to see, think, act, resolve, and to heal. It is a treasure!" - Sharon S.

" Sandy's portrayals were so accurate, and made the play quite real. A must see." - Yury and Sharon S. audience members at UU Canton, MA.

Reverend Denis Paul of Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Peacedale, RI: If you were one of the folks lucky enough to get to attend Sandra Laub’s performance of “Picking up Stones” at UUCSC on Saturday, you probably left with a sense of awe, swimming in the complexity of the subject. Ms. Laub wrote the script, and performed all the characters, including herself. Sandra moved effortlessly between characters in Israel, Palestine and around the world, reflecting on the conflict going all the way back to the Holocaust and even Sarah and Hagar. I left feeling like there was so much to unpack, but a couple things stood out above all else. A few days after the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, Ms. Laub mentioned to her Rabbi that she was thinking about the innocent noncombatants dying in Gaza. He said it wasn’t her responsibility to worry about them so soon. Her job for the moment, and for as long as she needed, was to tend to her own grief, fear and worry about her family and friends in Israel. I thought, “Exactly. It’s the job of others right now to do that kind of worrying. People who aren’t under attack are the ones who should be worrying right now about Gaza. People who aren’t personally targeted by the worst attack against Jews since the Holocaust.” We must endeavor to hold the hope for one another in difficult times, so that in the midst of loss and chaos we can tend to ourselves and the people we love. This is the kind of hope I’m talking about: hope that no more innocents will die. Many of my ministerial colleagues are calling Israel’s response a genocide. Some — most of whom have no stake in the crisis — are saying that by not using the word genocide I am personally accountable for the deaths in Gaza, an accomplice to murder. Each time I hear that kind of charge, it reeks to me of antisemitism. Ms. Laub has been publicly attacked for trying to play both sides of the issue. I don’t see that. I see someone who can sit with the nuances of an ancient and perhaps unresolvable conflict, even in her identity as a Jew. I’m glad she has invited us, as a community of diverse faith, to be with her. In Peace, Rev Denis Paul

I love what you are offering with this performance. You really bring out the human story and weave in the history and present situation so clearly along the way.

Leslie (audience member, Canton, MA)

Good Morning, Sandra,

I attended your June 1st performance at All Souls, and I'm still feeling its impact. I stayed in the hall for the discussion, where I learned/re-learned some history and heard additional perspectives. So, thank you first for the honest sharing of your insights and emotions. And thanks for your vulnerability and courage throughout the performance and talk-back.

Peace,

Ginny Campbell

The overall effect was compelling. Sandra's approach was balanced and meaningful. There have been atrocities on both sides. A testimony to the emotions she used and elicited from audience were evidenced by the solemnity of those gathered. There was a respectful quiet throughout the presentation. When she spoke about folks forced to watch family and friends killed in front of them, I audibly gasped.I thought about it on my ride home. If the definition of rabbi is to teach then it is obligation of the congregation to provide opportunities for learning. I am proud of Agudas Achim for having done so.

Lynn, Hurleyville Performing Arts Center

AUDIENCE REVIEWS EDINBURGH:

Workshop Performances

Clip #2.mp4

Dragon's Egg, Ledyard, CT

Clip #1 - LAUB.mp4

Dragon's Egg, Ledyard, CT

Clip #3.mp4

Dragon's Egg, Ledyard, CT

Clip #4.mp4

Dragon's Egg, Ledyard, CT

clip 5.mp4

Dragon's Egg, Ledyard, CT

clip 6.mp4

Dragon's Egg, Ledyard, CT

clip 7.mp4

Dragon's Egg, Ledyard, CT

clip 8.mp4

Dragon's Egg, Ledyard, CT

clip 9.mp4

Dragon's Egg, Ledyard, CT

April 2023

The pre October 7 version of the play was part of an article about Palestine Museum US: Challenging the Israeli narrative through art

Youtube of the play performed at the Palestine Museum US

November 1st 2022 "Draft" Zoom

Picking Up Stones 3:19.mp4

Community Culture Showcase interview with Palestine Museum Founder/Director Faisal Saleh and Harriet Goodman Grayson; PRE-OCT. 7

Community Culture Showcase Sandra Laub and Faisal Saleh.mov

Hour-long Performance at The Providence Fringe Festival

July , 2024

The New London Day feature article

Get in touch with Jerry Fischer, Producer, at: jerryfischer49@gmail.com or at his WhatsApp #: +1-860-235-6544.

or Sandra Laub, Writer/Performer at sandralaub08@gmail.com

WhatsApp#+1-401-864-2562

It's a good idea to inspire civil public discourse about controversial issues. Theater does just that in encouraging, inclusive, non-threatening ways. This show dramatizes "all sides" yet takes a very personal view of what it means to value and practice Jewish moral concepts, such as Tikkun Olam: heal the world.