New Jerusalem: The Interrogation of Baruch de Spinoza at Talmud Torah Congregation, Amsterdam, July 27, 1656

by David Ives

As a young Jewish man in 17th century Amsterdam, Baruch de Spinoza excelled as a theological student; but as he encountered free-thinking Protestants, atheists, and radicals in this relatively tolerant city, he began to question his religion and the nature of God. As a result, he was branded a heretic and faced excommunication.

An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance featuring: Matthew Wolf as Baruch de Spinoza; Edward Asner as Abraham van Valkenburgh; Richard Easton as Saul Levi Mortera; Andrea Gabriel as Clara; Arye Gross as Ben Israel; Amy Pietz as Rebekah; James Wagner as Simon de Vries.

Directed by Rosalind Ayres. Recorded before a live audience at the Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles.

Genres: Plays, Philosophy, Drama, History, Audiobook, Religion

63 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

A contemporary American playwright whose plays often consist of one act and are generally comedies. They are notable for their verbal dexterity, theatrical invention, and quirky humor.

He earned his MFA in Playwriting from The Yale School of Drama. A Guggenheim Fellow in playwriting, David is probably best known for his evening of one-act comedies called "All In the Timing". The show won the Outer Critics Circle Playwriting Award, ran for two years Off-Broadway, and in the 1995-96 season was the most-performed play in the country after Shakespeare productions.

Reviews

[آبتین گلکار · Rating 4 out of 5]

به نظرم یکی از جذاب‌ترین انواع متن‌های ادبیات نمایشی، نمایشنامه‌هایی هستند که تمام یا بخش اصلی ماجراشون در دادگاه، محاکمه یا شاید حتی جلسات غیررسمی و خانوادگی می‌گذره. نمونه‌های نسبتاً مشهورش «دوازده مرد خشمگین» رجینالد رز، «پنچری» (یا «تصادف») دورنمات، یا نمایشنامه‌های متعددیه که کسانی مثل برشت و شاو و آنوی درباره‌ی محاکمه‌ی ژاندارک نوشتن. بهترین نمونه‌هاش هم، به نظر من، «باد درو خواهد کرد» جروم لارنس و رابرت لی (ظاهراً به اسم «ارثیه‌ی باد» به فارسی هم ترجمه شده، ولی ندیدم و نمی‌تونم نظری درباره‌ش بدم) و «آزمون سخت» آرتور میلره که به هرکسی می‌رسم توصیه می‌کنم بخوندشون. «محاکمه‌ی اسپینوزا» با ترجمه‌ی علی فردوسی (نشر پایان، 1396) هم در بین این قبیل نمایشنامه‌ها واقعاً اثر خوبی بود و فکر می‌کنم برای هرکسی ارزش خوندن داره. ترجمه‌اش کار مشکلی بوده و آقای فردوسی هم به نظرم خوب از عهده‌ش براومده (در مورد صحت ترمینولوژی فلسفیش سوادم نمی‌رسه که نظر بدم، ولی برای خواننده‌ی غیرمتخصص مثل من قابل‌درک بود). بعضی عبارت‌های کتابی و غلط‌های تایپی موقع خوندن توی چشم می‌زنه، ولی اون قدر نیست که عیش خوندن رو منغص کنه. خلاصه، بسیار توصیه می‌شه

مصطفی ملکیان هم مطلبی درباره‌ی این اثر با عنوان «محاکمه‌ی حقیقت‌جویی، عقلانیت‌ورزی و معنویت‌گرایی» در نگاه نو شماره‌ی 115 منتشر کرده و من هم از طریق نوشته‌ی ایشان کتاب رو شناختم

[Theo Logos · Rating 5 out of 5]

”It’s not my job to believe. It’s my job to think.”

”After the eloquent absurdity of being born a Jew why would I embrace the mere illogic of Christianity?”

”So you’re the philosopher the world’s been waiting for these two thousand years?”
“It would be immodest of me to say so, but yes, I am.”

Philosophy, theology, politics, mysticism, history (kvetching on the side) — this play’s got it all. Spinoza’s philosophy is brilliant but dense and often inaccessible to the average reader. Through focus on a historical moment of his life — his excommunication from the Amsterdam Jewish community — this play presents Spinoza and his amazing, fertile thought in a fast paced, witty, funny, style that is simultaneously poignant and moving. Brilliantly written, and brilliantly performed in this LA Theatre Works production.

[Sina · Rating 5 out of 5]

به نظرم این کتاب فارغ از روایت زیبا و گیراش و فارق از پایان تراژیکش که واقعی هم هست و فارق از ارزش نمایش نامه این این اثر,این نمایش نامه یک اثر در مایه تاریخ فلسفه ست
به همه ی دوست داران نیمه جدی یا حتی جدی فلسفه که هر وقت در کتب تاریخ فلسفه یا حتی خود کتب فلسفی اسپینوزا گیج شدن و جان فلسفه اسپینوزا رو درک نکردن این کتاب رو پیشنهاد میدم!
اسپینوزا در یک دادگاه در برابر خاخام اعظم آمستردام که معلم معنوی و دینی اون هست به اتهام الحادی که جامعه یهودی آمستردام به اسپینوزا وارد کردن مجبور به دفاع میشه.اسپینوزا در دفاع از خدا پرست بودنش در خلال محاکمه نظرش در مورد خدا(همه خدایی) و در ادامه کلیه نظام فلسفیش رو شرح میده و جدلی فلسفی زیبایی در محاکمه شکل میگیره!

[Amir Rajabi · Rating 4 out of 5]

حلاج فرنگی
.
لوکیشن : خانه و بام
موسیقی متن : یک سلکشن از Clara haskil

[Rachelle Urist · Rating 5 out of 5]

New Jerusalem: the interrogation of Baruch Spinoza at Talmud Torah Congregation: Amsterdam, July 27, 1656, by David Ives. He cites Jewish rites and weaves Jewish concepts so naturally & effortlessly that I thought he must be Jewish. Not so. Turns out he spent a year in a catholic seminary. He was also voted smartest man in NY, as a young playwright. His verbal facility is astonishing.

This Spinoza play is a brilliant fabrication based on a historical certainty. It plays with the Talmudic mind at work on philosophical conundrums in the life of a curious and confounding wunderkind - someone not unlike Ives himself.

Ives is a champion acrobat - of language. He's not a great plot innovator (as Rajiv Joseph is, for instance), but Ives can take a story and whip it into an intoxicating word confection.

[Seyed-Koohzad Esmaeili]

از خواندن این نمایشنامه به این نتیجه رسیدیم که این مقامات جمهوری آمستردام بودند که اسپینورزا را در دادگاه تفتیش عقاید یهودی محاکمه کردند و مقصر اصلی تکفیر و طرد او از جماعت یهودی هلند، نه مفتشان و کاهنان یهودی بلکه حاکمان مدنی شهر بودند که پیش از آن یهودیان آواره اسپانیا و پرتغال را به شهرشان راه داده بودند! در همین حد!

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

The question of what or who to believe is difficult, disturbing, and thought provoking. This play concerns those questions while centering around the questioning and trial of Spinoza in Amsterdam. His enemies and friends aren’t as clear as they should be. Well performed and thoughtfully written.


Crossposted at Booklikes.

[Ahmadreza Mousavi · Rating 4 out of 5]

« به خاطر مردمی که دوست‌شان داری باید مقداری درد و رنج بر خودت هموار کنی- در سکوت[با فریاد].»

[Mike Cavosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook because I couldn't find a hard copy. The script is great; the presentation isn't.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

A joy to own this play which I thoroughly enjoyed and to know someone else had really gotten the wonder of Spinoza and his God-intoxicatedness.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent play and introduction to life and ideas of Baruch de Spinoza - much more accessible than Spinoza'a own modern but abstruse philosophy.

[Jonathan Widell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gives you the gist of Spinoza the man and Spinoza the thinker in a confrontational setting despite some blatant historical inaccuracies. Fireworks!

[Martin Denton · Rating 4 out of 5]

In David Ives's New Jerusalem, a man's entire belief system is destroyed and reconstructed. The man stirring the cauldron of human thought is Baruch de Spinoza, a young member of Amsterdam's Portuguese Jewish community in the mid-1600s who, when we meet him, is in the process of devising the philosophical ideas that will make him famous. Spinoza's central notion is that God and Nature are one and the same, a conclusion he is able to support through a rigorous logical process that seems to deny the existence of Faith; his views also seem to circumvent the concept of Free Will. The man whose life explodes in the wake of Spinoza's insights is the Chief Rabbi of Amsterdam, Saul Levi Mortera, Spinoza's teacher and surrogate father--a brilliant thinker who begs his student not to share his subversive and disturbing thoughts with others but rather to try to find satisfaction in living a life within the established order of his community.

New Jerusalem takes place at a kind of trial--as the play's subtitle puts it, this is "The Interrogation of Baruch de Spinoza at Talmud Torah Congregation." Mortera and Gaspar Ben Israel, a parnas (president or leader) of the temple, have convened this proceeding to determine whether Spinoza will be subject to cherem (loosely, excommunication) for his heretical teachings. In tried-and-true courtroom drama fashion, the audience sits in judgment as, in Act One, the case is made against Spinoza; in the play's second half, Spinoza delivers an eloquent defense. The outcome, available in the historical record, is not really in doubt here; Ives's triumph is to make the complex and challenging ideas that Spinoza espoused not only accessible but compelling and theatrical.

The play is imperfect, particularly in the inclusion of the character of Rebekah, Spinoza's grasping half-sister, who is portrayed here as a very stereotyped Jewish princess; she's not just offensive, but entirely unnecessary, seemingly present only to provide some uncomfortable comic relief from an otherwise serious study.

But don't let that deter you from the exhilaration of this richly intellectual work of theater that will stimulate all sorts of curiosities about the most fundamental questions facing humanity.

[Jadag88 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this audio play shortly after I read Baruch Spinoza: The Giants of Philosophy written by Thomas Cook and narrated by Charlton Heston. This presentation added even more depth of understanding to Spinoza's philosophical ideas. The voice acting really painted a vivid picture of the proceedings.

For more on my thoughts regarding these presentations and Baruch Spinoza, see Getting to Know Baruch Spinoza.

[Kyle Spishock · Rating 1 out of 5]

A herem or excommunication from the Jewish community is delivered to an atheist. The man falls for a Christian woman, and spends the duration of the play with his pretentious ideas on religion. Even his supporters get tired of this babbling fool, who sounds like every drunk guy you’d run into on Sixth Street in Austin. It’s a true story, but save your time by giving it a quick google search instead.

[char · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I'm a big fan of David Ives, but I was previously only familiar with his comedic one-acts. Reassuring to know he is just as skilled with drama. Heavy-handed at times, but that's hard to avoid given the nature of the story. I appreciated his treatment of Jewish text and theology — the excommunication as a parallel to the v'ahavta gave me chills! — and am motivated to learn more about Spinoza's philosophy now.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

A curious and interesting play. My knowledge of Spinoza is limited to say the least, but Ives does a nice job of laying out some of his major thoughts in a clear and dramatic fashion. Courtroom-style dramas are also always appealing, and this has the extra layer of some religious tension as well, with lessons still relevant to today.

[Mindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd seen the play, and wanted to read the text again slowly and carefully. Very well done!

[Mary Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the audiobook version with good actors and a commentary at the end.

[Ramin Hemati · Rating 2 out of 5]

نمیشه گفت نمایشنامه چرا که هیچ درامی ندارد و فقط صحبت از فلسفه و الهیات است.

[Virginia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful! That is all.

[Chambers Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

New Jersuleum is a fascinating argument. LA Theatreworks did a nice production.

[Rob Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Portrays this pivotal moment in time very well.

[Lluvia Almanza · Rating 3 out of 5]

New Jerusalem: The Interrogation of Baruch de Spinoza at Talmud Torah Congregation: Amsterdam, July 27, 1656 by David Ives
Usually I’m interested in plays that take place in a court house as we get glimpses into the flaws of the legal system. Ives is more known for his comedic pieces so I wasn’t sure what to expect with this play. To be honest, Ives is highly praised by many, but he’s just not my cup of tea. It was interesting to see Ives tackle something else, but I wasn’t too interested in the events. I had trouble getting invested to Baruch de Spinoza’s circumstances. This wasn’t awful by any means, but not something I would read on my own. It’s not something I would recommend my friends read either.

I am interested in finding out more about Baruch de Spinoza, though.

[Caitlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not quite sure what to rate this. I loves the audio version because it's a plan and is a great performance that was recorded, but I don't know if I would have really cared for or finished if I'd just read the play. I cannot remember why this was on my TBR and to be honest I probably would have taken it off without reading if it weren't available via m library's overdrive.

If you like philosophy/etc. and are considering reading this definitely find an audio-copy but I wouldn't go out of my way to read this. If that makes any sense at all.

[Ðayana · Rating 4 out of 5]

اگر میتونستم داخل گودریدرز کتاب موردعلاقم رو نشان کنم، این نمایشنامه حتما قلب میگرفت.
پرده دوم بسیار جذاب بود، یک ستاره رو بخاطر پرده اول نمایشنامه کم کردم. ایده ی دیدن نمایشش برام خیلی جالبه. میتونه هیجان انگیز و تاثیرگذار باشه، طوری که اسپینوزا رو دکارتی میخونن و میخواد ایده هاش درمورد رستگاری، آزادی و بشریت رو ثابت کنه. از تنش ملایم بین شخصیت ها هم خوشم اومد، طوری که هرکدوم عواطفی نسبت به هم دارن و باید با عقل خودشون تصمیم بگیرن و گاهی عقل جلوی عواطف رو میگیره و گاهی عواطف جلوی عقل رو میگیرن.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few historical inaccuracies, the part of Baruch's sister was much more annoying than funny, but the reading of the writ of cherem was powerful - worth the price of admission. The interview with Steven Nadler was great too. I would have liked a blurb on how Spinoza lived a secular life after the cherem. All in all, a worthwhile listen.

[David Wesson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't feel for Spinoza the way I would have liked to.