Meyer Jacobs wants grandchildren, but God has conspired against him. Meyer has had a stroke and lost the use of one hand, so the entire world must suffer with him, including his pro–Palestinian son, his Serbian caregiver, and his absent, lesbian daughter. Entrenched in his opinions, Meyer knows how everything should be regardless of what everyone else thinks. Beset by guilt, however, he lights Yahrzeit candles in memory of his late wife and is secretly sending money to Israel to plant a forest for her. Meanwhile, his son’s marriage is collapsing, his caregiver is giving him tsuris, his missing daughter shows up with only a bus ticket, and a boy scout is on the loose in his building. Sooner or later, something’s going to crack and when it does, Meyer will find that life has a few surprises left in store. Alex Poch–Goldin’s moving, funny, and brilliant play explores conflict in the family against a backdrop of global conflict. With peace as the ultimate destination, there’s a long journey to get there.

Alex Poch-Goldin is an acclaimed playwright and actor whose work has been produced internationally. His plays include This Hotel, Yahrzeit (both published by Scirocco Drama), Jim and Shorty, The Life of Jude, Anybody and Nobody and This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen, adapted from the work of Tadeusz Borowski. Cringeworthy and This Hotel were both nominated for the prestigious Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding New Play, and the French version of This Hotel (L`Hotel) won the 2005 CBC/Le Droit prize for best production in Ottawa. His play Yahrzeit won the Toronto Jewish Playwriting Award and will receive its world premiere in Germany prior to touring Europe. Alex was commissioned by CBC Radio to write The Death of Simon Pinchuk, which was recorded and broadcast nationally. He has also developed an orginal television series, Rosedale, in addition to adapting his play Jim and Shorty for broadcast on Bravo Television. Alex has recently completed his first feature film script, Jacob's Dream. He lives in Toronto.

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