Behind every work of art there is a burning question or a conflict in need of resolution. When  Josh Kornbluth performed his most recent show, "Sea of Reeds," at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, it was understood that the play explored his identity and growing interest in Judaism. But behind the scenes, Kornbluth admitted to both anguish and hope regarding the current situation in Israel, where he had gone for his midlife bar mitzvah. 

Anguish because "Israel is an issue that tends to lead to shouting, and walking out," he said."And worse."

Hope because he believes the moment has finally arrived when "we can really, really talk about this stuff, and in a respectful way...that honors everyone involved." We might go so far as to call it "our Perestroika moment," he proposes.

In this brief interview, listen to the usually-comic artist reveal the deeply serious concerns that motivate his work -- and transcend it. 

"I don't want to be a bad guest," he says with a winning smile, " but I came here to tell my story, and to tell the truth."

Feature image used under Creative Commons license 2.0, Atrtribution by J Blue ()