OUR PLEDGE & GUIDEPOSTS

The Braid is committed to creating a community of belonging that advances diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. This is reflected not just in the stories we tell, but in the people we bring into our community. Over our many years, not just our writers and performers, but also staff, leadership, behind-the-scenes creatives, and patrons have increasingly reflected the diversity of our community.  Our key guideposts include:

• Giving voice to historically marginalized communities
  • This purpose and passion is in our DNA. We first started as Jewish Women’s Theatre to address negative stereotypical portrayals and the lack of authentic voices of Jewish women in mainstream media. From there, as The Braid, we expanded to give stage and screen to so many other underrepresented communities. We seek out voices too often ignored: people discounted by race, gender, sexual orientation, class, national origin, disability, and in so many other ways.
  • Our inclusive focus has given us the distinction of being the first to develop and produce shows about Persian Jews, Soviet Jews, Sephardic Jews, Latin Jews, LGBTQIA+ Jews, Israeli-Americans, Asian Jews, and Jews of Color. Our work has featured stories of mental health, stories by immigrants, stories of people incarcerated in the criminal justice system, stories by veterans, stories by people with a disability, and other diverse perspectives and experiences. Our credo is:  “leave no Jewish story untold and celebrate the truths that connect us all.”

• Authentic representation
  • Our stories present real-world, contemporary experiences that debunk stereotypes and showcase our communities as they truly live their lives. We work to ensure these stories, characters, cultures, and situations are represented in an authentic and humanizing way, avoiding cliches and tropes. 
  • This involves featuring stories by writers from those communities who approve every draft and are empowered to speak up if something isn’t accurate to their experiences.
  • It also involves casting authentically from the communities represented as well as engaging co-producers from those communities to shape the material and ensure authenticity.

• Equity

• • We are committed to equal pay where everyone is valued. We pay all of our actors and writers equally, regardless of fame, career status or contribution to artistic production. Our talent always receives royalty payments when their work is reprised.
  • There is no cost to submit work and our submissions are open to all. We review every submitted work. Indeed, the majority of the stories we feature are by non-professional writers.

• Accessibility
  • Our theater model is purposefully portable, which enables us to affordably bring our programs and events into varied and underserved communities. 
  • We believe finances should never be a barrier to experiencing our stories. We often offer discounted and free ticket options. No one is ever turned away! 
  • To address different community needs, we provide virtual offerings with closed captioning, our advertisements are readable by screen-reading software for the blind, and our in-person events accommodate those with mobility challenges. In partnership with Fuente Latina, we have offered real-time Spanish-language translations of some of our shows.
  • We continuously work to make our spaces, both physical and virtual, more welcoming and look for other ways to ensure everyone can enjoy our programs.

• Empowering Communities

• • In addition to the stories we stage, we’re continually creating additional pathways for underrepresented communities to make their voices heard. One example is through a series of videos created from interviews of 18 Jews of Color about building more inclusive communities. See them here.
  • We collaborate with diverse community partners to create new opportunities for creative development. These include story writing workshops for the Iranian and Asian Jewish communities via collaborations with the Y&S Nazarian Initiative and the LUNAR Collective, respectively.
  • We build leaders through professional and development opportunities, including our NEXT Emerging Artists Fellowship and theatre co-producing positions.

• Code of Conduct
  • We have and abide by a clear, written code of conduct that ensures all of our community, including staff, leadership, artists, audiences, volunteers, donors, consultants, and community partners are treated with respect and dignity and treat others that way.

• Striving to Be Better
• • We continually engage in the Jewish practice and values of teshuvah to reflect on our own behavior, looking for ways we may be treating people harmfully and changing our behavior to stop this.  
  • We employ DEIA consultant Joshua Silverstein, who has decades of experience in the field and who identifies as a Jew of Color, to guide our work, incorporate best practices, and advise on productions on an ongoing basis. Our DEIA Council, which includes representatives of varied marginalized communities, also guides our work.
  • In September 2022, our staff/leadership retreat was fully dedicated to DEIA work, including a special anti-discrimination training to identify our unconscious and implicit biases coupled with a company wide strategic discussion to collectively identify and implement new practices to strengthen and ensure an inclusive work culture. All our staff also participated in comprehensive anti-harassment training.  
  • As new ideas about diversity, equity,  inclusion and accessibility enter the conversation, we will keep listening, learning and creating positive systemic change.
  • We know this work is ongoing and takes continued effort. While we are proud of achievements, we are continually motivated to keep growing forward.