Debórah Eliezer’s one-woman show cracks open the assumptions of her own identity through the story of her father, Edward Ben-Eliezer, an Iraqi Jew born in 1930, a member of the Zionist underground in the aftermath of World War II, a refugee, Israeli spy, and an immigrant to America. 

Set in Iraq, pre-State Palestine, and California at SF’s own Jewish Home, and giving voice to a dozen different characters—including her father at three different ages, her great grandmother, their Iraqi neighbors, an ethereal embodiment of the Tigris Euphrates valley itself – this one-hour tour de force tells the remarkable history of the Iraqi Jewish Diaspora, as told by a daughter of that diaspora. Through this journey, Eliezer also finds a missing part of herself, “a song sung in a language I can’t understand” as she puts it. “A dream I can’t remember.”

“Luminous…So beautifully written, performed and directed that you might wish it were longer. Eliezer is an expressive actor, and her story, lyrical and affecting, is one you’ve probably never heard before.”  

--Jean Schiffman, San Francisco Examiner

The Tea Salon: a delicious space for reflection

Arab culture has a long history of drinking tea and discussing, arguing, debating, commiserating, and laughing over the issues of the day. In this casual and fun interaction, Debórah Eliezer and creators of the play (dis)Place[d] invite participants to sit on pillows and benches in small groups, partake of tea and sweets, and relax. Via small slips of paper, questions are asked of fellow participants to inspire dialogue about cultural identity. This activity follows the show itself and may or may not include an invited guest speaker. 30-45 minutes.

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