The wicked son

As might be expected from this fiercely provocative writer, David Mamet's interest in anti-Semitism is not limited to the modern face of an ancient hatred but encompasses as well the ways in which many Jews have themselves internalized that hatred. Using the metaphor of the Wicked Son at the Passover seder--the child who asks, "What does this story mean to you?"--Mamet confronts what he sees as an insidious predilection among some Jews to seek truth and meaning anywhere--in other religions, in political movements, in mindless entertainment--but in Judaism itself. At the same time, he explores…