Indecent

Content Warning: This section discusses antisemitism, anti-gay bias, and the Holocaust.

Sholem Asch (1880-1957) was a Jewish writer born in what is now Poland. He came from a big family, and his parents hoped he would become a rabbi. As a young man, he became interested in literature and wrote some short stories in Yiddish that brought him a modest amount of fame. He married Mathilde (Madje) Shapiro in 1903 and in 1906 wrote The God of Vengeance. The play was immediately controversial because it depicted a Jewish brothel owner, which was a common antisemitic trope at the time. Despite this controversy, the play was very successful in Europe and eventually made its way to America, where it again attracted ire, especially from New York’s Jewish population; many people worried that The God of Vengeance would worsen the already vitriolic antisemitism the Jewish community was facing. 

The God of Vengeance was not just controversial because of its alleged antisemitism. It was also considered scandalous because of its sympathetic and romantic depiction of lesbians. In 1923, the Broadway production was shut down and the cast arrested. Officially, the cast members were charged with obscenity, not antisemitism, though witnesses against the cast cited the play’s depiction of Jewish characters as a primary grievance. Asch was not arrested. At the time of the trial, he was dealing with profound psychological distress after spending time in Europe researching pogroms. In the 1930s, Asch and his wife spent more time in Europe, but they returned to the United States and escaped the Holocaust.

Asch wrote more controversial works in his career. In 1953, facing the McCarthy hearings and increasing criticism, Asch and his wife returned to Europe once more, where Asch died in 1957. Since Paula Vogel’s play was first performed, there has been an increased interest in Asch’s work, especially The God of Vengeance. In 2017, Asch’s play was revived in New York City in the original Yiddish.