Thank Goodness “The Unexpected 3rd” Is Not Anti-Israel

Nov 1, 2026 by The Jewish Voice And Opinion Staff

By Sue Weston and Susie Rosenbluth, Two Sues on the Aisle

The best that can be said about Kathryn Grody’s 90-minute (with no intermission), self-written, one-woman monologue/play, The Unexpected 3rd, showing at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, New Jersey, through November 1, is that she has the good sense not to include her anti-Israel sentiments as part of the performance.

Solipsistic to a fault while still witty, free-wheeling, and not at all boring, the show depicts a woman who, on the cusp of turning 80, refuses to define herself as “old” but, rather, as “an elder.” She simply did not believe the aging process would ever apply to her.

“Old starts at 95,” she proclaims while simultaneously acknowledging she feels “like a shriveled-up zucchini in the back of the refrigerator.”

During the stream-of-consciousness-style recitation, Ms. Grody never denies her background as the child of two Jewish immigrants, but the sole reference to Israel is the comment that, as part of all the other problems she has the bad luck to face on this planet, the Middle East is a “horrible mess.”

An Interview:  Thoughts about Israel

In an interview conducted after the performance by one of the Sues, it took about five minutes before Ms. Grody shared her opinion that the root of all problems in the Middle East, and elsewhere in the world, lies with Israel.

Would she consider taking her play to the Jewish state? “No, not as long as there’s no peace,” she said, making clear her belief that the failure lies with Israel’s current leaders. “The settlers have to leave,” she declared.

Asked if that meant all Jews living in Judea and Samaria, she interrupted before the question was out. “I don’t want to hear about Judea and Samaria.”

“It’s the historic name of the areas others call the West Bank.”

“They’re settlers, and they have to leave.”

Told that Arab leaders consider all Israeli Jews “settlers,” she harrumphed. “No, they don’t.”

Compassion for All Jews?

Although she claimed that “compassion for every person in Gaza is very Jewish,” she did not extend that consideration to every Jew in Israel—on either side of the Green Line, the so-called boundary between pre- and post-1967 Israel.

The only Orthodox Jews she seemed to admire were those who, she said, demonstrate with her against Israel’s actions in Gaza.

However, when asked what Israel should have done after Hamas’s murderous attack on October 7, 2023, she replied, “Not that.”

Reminded that while her succinct response may be witty, it leads nowhere, she had nothing more to say.

“As a Jew”

In The Unexpected 3rd, she frequently mentions her husband, referring to him as an actor and revealing that the two of them have made each other bitterly unhappy at various times over the 45 years they’ve been married. Nevertheless, they raised two sons together and now have grandchildren.

While her spouse remains unnamed in the play—perhaps because she believes everyone must know who he is—the program notes emphasize he is actor and singer Mandy Patinkin. Known in many Zionist circles as the quintessential “As a Jew” commentator because of his regular use of the phrase to start most of his rants against Israel, he is an active supporter of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the Michigan Democrats’ candidate for the Senate, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed. Both politicians have distinguished themselves as haters of the Jewish state and advocates of rhetoric that has contributed to the rise of antisemitism. Dr. El-Sayed equated Israel with Iran, calling both “evil.”

“My husband and I are on the exact same page,” Ms. Grody said. “We’re pro-Israel as defined by Peace Now, J Street, and the Jewish Voice for Peace.”

Most pro-Israel supporters consider positions taken by the three far-left organizations against Israel and Jews in general problematic.

For example, like those three organizations, Ms. Grody and Mr. Patinkin insist Jewish opposition to Mr. Mamdani and Dr. El-Sayed is based solely on prejudice rather than disapproval of their avowed policies. However, the fallacy of their assumption is demonstrated by the substantial Jewish support for the ardently pro-Israel Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, the Republican candidate for Senate in Arizona. A Muslim-Syrian refugee, Dr. Jasser is a U.S. Navy veteran (former Lieutenant Commander) and a practicing cardiologist.

Blaming Israel for Antisemitism

While Ms. Grody does not deny there has been a recent surge of antisemitism, she said the only hate she has experienced has been from Jews accusing her of harboring that sentiment. She blamed the rise in antisemitism on Israel and its government.

“Netanyahu is the worst thing ever for the Jewish people. He created a generation of wounded and hurt kids who will understandably be very angry. I feel deeply troubled and horrified by what’s happening in my name,” she said.

Asked why she thinks Israeli decisions to protect its own citizens have anything to do with her name, she said only that she hopes Israel will elect better leaders, presumably those who are “pro-peace.” Trying to explain to her that virtually every right-wing Israeli yearns for peace and every left-wing Israeli demands security felt like a futile attempt at clarifying politics in the Jewish state.

A Ray of Hope

Perhaps unwittingly, Ms. Grody offered one ray of hope against the tragedy of Jews speaking so virulently against Israel. In the play, dedicated in large part to coming to terms with the ephemeral, fleeting nature of life and the loss of loved ones as we age, she mentions her overwhelming love for her grandchildren—the only real legacy any of us leave to the future. During the interview, she let slip that the family of one of her sons turns off all their screens on Shabbat and takes no phone calls. Since one mitzvah leads to another, Ms. Grody and Mr. Patinkin might just find themselves someday visiting grandchildren in Israel—studying at a yeshiva deep in the heart of Judea and Samaria.

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Two Sues on the Aisle bases its ratings on how many challahs (1-5) it pays to buy (rather than make) to see the play, show, film, or exhibit being reviewed. 

One of the Sues awarded The Unexpected 3^rd three challahs, the other gave it one challah.

The Unexpected 3rd at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick, New Jersey through November 1

Received a 3 Challah rating

Running Time: 90 minutes