In this episode, we discuss the life and legacy of Sholem Asch. Born in Poland to an Orthodox Jewish family, Asch was a novelist, playwright, and essayist acclaimed by both critics and readers alike. He was one of the first Yiddish writers to attract a wide readership in translation and was one of the best-known Jewish public figures of his time, a global icon.
Asch became a U.S. citizen in 1920. His writings included bestsellers in English translation, such as his Christological trilogy: The Nazarene, The Apostle, and Mary. He was also a prominent figure in theater, with smash hits on the Yiddish stages of Warsaw and New York. His writings were provocative and often courted controversy. His 1907 play God of Vengeance resulted in a famed obscenity trial and has inspired many adaptations and reworkings, including Paula Vogel’s 2015 hit Indecent.
Asch is featured in our special exhibit American Prophets: Writers, Religion, and Culture, currently on display. This exhibit and programming series explores the profound ways writing reflects and influences our understanding of religion. Asch explored religious themes in many of his writings. The AWM is honored to display some of his antique spice boxes and inkwells in the exhibit alongside his work, illustrating the connection between his spiritual practice and writing practice.
For this episode, we are joined by two writers with close ties to Asch. David Mazower is the editorial director at the Yiddish Book Center and chief curator and writer of their permanent exhibit, Yiddish: A Global Culture. He is the great-grandson of Sholem Asch. Caraid O’Brien is a translator and playwright who has translated eight of Asch’s plays into modern English. You can learn more about our guests and their work in the episode description.
David and Caraid are interviewed by Nate King, Content & Exhibits Manager at the American Writers Museum. This conversation originally took place March 2, 2026 and was recorded over Zoom.
DAVID MAZOWER is the research bibliographer and editorial director at the Yiddish Book Center and chief curator and writer of the Center’s permanent exhibition, Yiddish: A Global Culture. He oversees the Center’s core collections and co-edits its magazine, Pakn Treger. Author of Yiddish Theatre in London, he is a founder and regular writer for the Digital Yiddish Theatre Project and has published widely on Yiddish popular and print culture, British Jewish history, Jewish art, and the work of his great-grandfather, Yiddish writer Sholem Asch.
CARAID O’BRIEN has translated 8 plays by the Yiddish playwright Sholem Asch including his first full length drama, On the Road to Zion, set in Poland in 1905. She received three new play commissions from the Foundation for Jewish Culture, was commissioned by Theater J in DC and was a translation fellow at the Yiddish Book Center. White Goat Press published three of her translations (god of vengeance, Motke Thief and The Dead Man) as Sholem Asch Underworld Trilogy. Caraid also directed Radio Bloomsday, marathon performances of James Joyce’s Ulysses broadcast live nationally on Pacifica Radio as well as performing the complete three hour Molly Bloom episode. Follow her on substack and instagram at @caraid or visit caraidobrien.com for more info.
The YIDDISH BOOK CENTER recovers, preserves, teaches, and celebrates Yiddish literature and culture to advance a fuller understanding of Jewish history and identity. The Center engages diverse, worldwide audiences, generating enthusiasm, knowledge, and commitment to the history and future of Yiddish and Jewish culture. Check out some of their upcoming programs below, and learn more here.
Book Talk | Russ & Daughters: 100 Years of Appetizing with Niki Russ Federman and Josh Russ Tupper
Yiddish on Display with Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett | 2026 Melinda Rosenblatt Lecture
Yidstock: The Festival of New Yiddish Music