Between Letter and Spirit: the Ontology of Jewish Performance Shira Schwartz a Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Gradua
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Between Letter and Spirit: The Ontology of Jewish Performance Shira Schwartz A dissertation submitted to the faculty of Graduate Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Program in Theatre and Performance Studies York University Toronto, Ontario January 2021 ©Shira Schwartz, 2021 Abstract This dissertation is an ethnographic and auto-ethnographic study that focuses on the discursive, gestural rituals and performance practices in the orthodox Jewish community in Toronto, Canada over the last decade. It explores how the written law factors into an oral tradition, a script not passed on by bodily surrogation alone but in the form of guidebooks, performance manuals and legal texts. We have learned from Judith Butler and others how we perform cultural and ideological scripts; performance theory has taught us how scripts are passed down generationally through oral traditions and the repertoire. Diana Taylor’s book The Archive and the Repertoire argues the vital role of performance –gesture, spoken word, movement, song, dance, etc.– in storing and transmitting cultural knowledge. What distinguishes this methodology from Taylor’s and others’ is that it asks how does performance differ in a cultural context where those performance scripts are not implicit, but written? In this project I focus on the scripts central to the religious and cultural life in orthodox Judaism. Indeed, these prescriptions seem to compel their own transgression. The script and the performance are passed down, and what results is a sort of contest between them. This dissertation argues that the archive and the repertoire were never meant to line up – that their efficacy relies precisely on their mutual disconnect. With disidentification as a major theme and throughline, I look at various sites of more progressive enactments of orthodoxy in orthodox communities, which, in some cases, include overt subversions. These phenomena are not a turning away from orthodoxy but rather a recreating of customs often characterized as orthodox, like intricate rituals relating to modesty, clothing, the body, family relationships, dating and marriage, and elaborate Passover preparations, which construct new avenues for embodied performance, mindful enactments, and community formation. In this dissertation, I present material gathered from interviews with men and women between the ages of 20-39 who identify as orthodox and live in Toronto, as well as share my own experiences as part of their community. I pose the questions: How are identities formed and agencies acquired through failing to meet a standard or perfectly match a picture? How does this Sisyphean process of striving for the impossible, in the words of Haym Soloveitchik, produce music that is “better than it can be played”? (73) ii Dedication To my parents iii Acknowledgments I want to express my deepest Hakarat Hatov, gratitude, to Laura Levin, my supervisor. I feel extremely blessed to have her as my mentor. I remember our very first meeting together to discuss the subject of a major research paper for my Master’s, the first iteration of this project. I told her I wanted to write about A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen. “OK…” she said, and pointed to her bookshelf. “But Shira, are you sure you want to be one of fifty people on my shelf who have written about A Doll House? Why don’t you write about something that really means something to you?” Had I been truly passionate about that topic, I know Laura would have approved, but she knew me and intuited more. I made the hard but better choice that day, and ever since Laura has encouraged me to go further. She has taught me the art of interdisciplinarity – the value of embracing messy ideas and the discipline to work through them. It hasn’t always been easy for me, but she has supported me at every turn. She has guided me, read my countless drafts, and talked things out with me at every juncture of this long and winding road. Laura is extraordinarily gifted and it is an honour to learn from her, which I do every single time we interact. She has spent so much time and energy on me and this project, and for that I am forever thankful. Darren Gobert has made a profound impact on me and this project over the course of the ten years that we have worked together. I don’t know if anyone has invested more time, sweat, and effort into providing critical guidance to me and feedback on my ideas. Draft after draft of this dissertation he has pored over, writing tens of pages of thoughtfully articulated notes and insights. We have shared many laughs and even more invaluable conversations. I have held onto these formative moments in my subsequent scholarly endeavours, professional pursuits, and in my journey through life. Darren has challenged me, and it has made my work better. I am forever grateful for the paradigmatic shifts in my worldview that have occurred in my knowing Darren and for the wisdom I have gained from his mentorship. Belarie Hyman Zatzman has been a role model for me since I was eight years old and learned that she was pursuing a PhD in Theatre. It was fortuitous that we met through our community so many years ago and divine intervention that we reconnected at York University in my adult years. Belarie has been with me since day one, coaching me through the murky waters of auto- ethnography, and listening to my journey in Judaism. I have tremendous respect for her as a teacher, scholar, and human being. I cherish our relationship as well as her significant contributions to this work. I want to extend a note of sincere thanks to Marcia Blumberg, who graciously agreed to join my doctoral committee at the last minute. Marcia committed her time to reading this work and to providing valuable comments, for which I am so appreciative. Her passion, rigour, and personal dedication have inspired me greatly in the final stages of this dissertation process. iv I acknowledge the extraordinary individuals in my community who agreed to participate in this study, without whom this project would not have been possible. They shared their personal thoughts, perspectives, and religious practices with me, and I thank each and every one of them for their contributions. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge my incredible friends, Brauna, Mer, Keren, Bailey, Tanya, Sarah, Chaya, Mable, Orit, Zvi and Michelle, Julie and Aaron, Phil and Deb, Jacoby, Dani, Kim, Ilana, Shifra, Bina, Deena, Danielle, Claire, Naomi, Rachel, and Eliana, who have lived in and through these pages with me. Not only have they picked me up when I was down, but they raise me up at every crossroad. They are my lifeline. I honour my exceptional siblings who have always been genuinely interested in this work. I thank my sisters, Elana and Naomi, my brother, Moshe, and my extended siblings, Shmuli, Ryan, and Maya, for teaching me what it means to be truly religious from the inside out (and the outside in), for their endless support, and for their spectacular children – Dov Ber, Masha Miriam, Chayim Yehuda, Baila Sara, Tzvi Meir, Efraim Noach, Uri Simcha, Chaim Zev, Ari, Kayla, Sari, Hadas, Noa, and Binah – who I love with all my heart! In the speech that my father gave at my wedding to my now ex-husband, he said that he admired my ability “to gracefully negotiate two apparently disparate lives – that of the theatre and of Judaism – and to channel them into the noblest of endeavours: intellectually honest inquiry and education.” Can I ever live up to this intention? With this dissertation I have tried, and I pray for the strength to continue this mission. I learn the value of criticality from my mother (who, ironically, has never criticized another human being in her life) who studies the Torah and asks questions, always with humility and respect. My parents are Tzaddikim, righteous people, who learned greatness from their parents, Grammy Sara and Grampa Hy, Bubby Lyla, and Zaidy Frank. Their infinite support and love for me has made this project possible. I also acknowledge Nesanel, with whom I have had the deepest learning, and who has always believed in me, even in the darkest time. Finally, I thank Hashem, for absolutely everything. v Table of Contents Abstract…………………………………………………………………………….ii Dedication………………………………………………………………………....iii Acknowledgments………………………………………………………………....iv Table of Contents………………………………………………………………….vi Opening Quotations………………………………………………...………………1 Chapter One………………………………………………………………………...2 Performing Jewishness……………………………………………………………..2 Methodology………………………………………………………………………………9 Context…………………………………………………………………………………...19 Project Description and Research Objectives……………………………………………27 Literature…………………………………………………………………………………30 Overview…………………………………………………………………………………37 Chapter Two………………………………………………………………………44 Performing Jewish Sexuality: Mikveh Spaces in Orthodox Jewish Publics………44 Niddah……………………………………………………………………………………47 Historical Context………………………………………………………………………..60 Mikveh Ritual: An Overview…………………………………………………………….62 A Woman’s Daf (Page)…………………………………………………………………..67 Mikveh: A Production…………………………………………………………………....74 God is in the Details……………………………………………………………………...78 Mindfulness and Criticality………………………………………………………………86 vi Shoshana…………………………………………………………………………………86 Leah………………………………………………………………………………………90 Sexual Consciousness……………………………………………………………………93 Public, Space, and Discourse…………………………………………………………...102 Gaby…………………………………………………………………………………….111 Maayan…………………………………………………………………………….……113 Talking Sex……………………………………………………………………………..117