An Arts Judaica theatrical production of Naomi Ragen’s 2001 play Women’s Minyan in Chicago has been canceled after artistic director Elayne LeTraunik reported receiving an overwhelming volume of objections from actors, directors, and designers who feared professional repercussions from collaborating with a pro-Zionist Israeli author.
Cancellation After Online Backlash
Playwright Naomi Ragen, 77, learned that the planned staging of her work had collapsed when she received an email from Elayne LeTraunik, artistic director of the Chicago-based Arts Judaica company. The production was originally slated for 13 performances in March, following initial contact between LeTraunik and Ragen in July.
In her message to Ragen, LeTraunik explained that individuals had investigated the playwright’s background and discovered her political stances. LeTraunik wrote that she was “submerged” in messages from theater professionals who worried that working on a show written by a “pro-Zionist Jewish/Israeli” like Ragen would damage their careers.
LeTraunik told Ragen that people had discovered she was a Jewish/Israeli pro-Zionist, and that she had been submerged in messages from actors, directors, and set designers who feared that participating in a show written by her would harm their careers, adding that she had been stunned by accusations of “genocide” flying from all directions.
LeTraunik noted that the backlash caught her completely by surprise, given her life in the theater. She added that the play itself focuses on a Haredi woman fleeing an abusive marriage and contains no political themes, stating that past productions of her work dealing with sensitive topics never drew similar protests.
Broader Pressures on Cultural Institutions
Ragen, who was born in New York and relocated to Jerusalem in 1971, frequently publishes commentaries supporting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the military operations of the Israeli army against Hamas. While some critics suggested the cancellation stemmed specifically from her right-wing Zionism, Ragen rejected the justification, comparing the environment to historical political purges.
Ragen questioned whether society had returned to the era of McCarthyism, asking if it was now necessary to check an artist’s political convictions before deciding whether or not to promote their work. She added that she holds no animosity toward LeTraunik, viewing the incident as a symptom of intense pressure facing Jewish cultural organizations.
| Event / Report | Entity | Key Finding |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Theater Cancellation | Arts Judaica | Canceled 13-performance run of Women’s Minyan due to pressure over playwright Naomi Ragen’s political views. |
| ADL Cultural Report | Anti-Defamation League | Documented systemic exclusion, surveillance, online harassment, and cancellations targeting Jewish, Israeli, and Zionist artists across American cultural life. |
The incident aligns with findings from a report released earlier in the month by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The ADL study highlighted the systematic marginalization of Jewish and Israeli artists within American cultural sectors, including museums, publishing, and live performance venues, noting widespread use of targeted harassment, boycotts, and institutional distancing.
Ragen emphasized that while the play had previously been staged in the United States without incident following its commission by Habima, Israel’s national theater, the current climate reflects a deep reluctance among institutions to withstand organized political pressure.
