A MELODY OF THEIR OWN: ORTHODOX

WOMEN AND THE PERFORMING

By Roslyn ARTS Dickens

38 JEWISH ACTION Fall 5767/2006 rt, most artists would ple; still, there was standing A argue, is often the most room only. Some of the per- essential part of who they formers were actual profession- are. A banker or an accountant als who had taken a step back may play the piano at home as a from more conventional venues creative outlet, as a form of in order to comply with their expression or for personal satis- Torah lifestyle. Some were try- faction. But the need to do so ing to get their music out there, probably does not drive his hoping that this would be a every waking moment. Yet, the stepping-stone to something opposite is often true for the bigger. Jane Babits, a woman artist. with a glorious and haunting Decades ago I saw a PBS voice, captivated the special where a ballerina was audience with two of being interviewed. Her com- her original composi- ment was poignant. “Dancing is tions. Babits is not life,” she said, “all the rest is One of the founders of Girls’ Night On, Leslie Ginsparg would observant, but she rel- waiting.” love to see the open-mike show go on the road. “I would also ishes performing at Enter halachah and its atten- like to start [organizing] concerts for the women who want to Girls’ Night On dant boundaries of kol ishah and pursue this on a professional level.” Photos: Roslyn Dickens because of the special tzeniut and suddenly an onslaught atmosphere in the of restrictions drive artistic women room. “I feel like I am in a safe place, I from the stage, requiring them to stifle feel the support of these women,” she their most abiding impulses. And yet, gious women participating in Girls’ says. “It is unlike anything else I have more and more Orthodox women who Night On take to the stage and perform ever experienced on stage.” feel that performing represents their for an all-female audience. An initiative The very construct of women deepest connection to their inner selves that organizes performances for women “talking” to women generates a wonder- are finding ways to express themselves by women, Girls’ Night On grew out of ful atmosphere. The audience is warm within halachic guidelines. the Orthodox community but has and welcoming, not combative, which Ordinarily Makor, on Manhattan’s broader appeal. Women ranging from in itself is a departure from some open- Upper West Side, is a place where Jews Chassidic to secular congregate, forming mike entertainment. The performers in their twenties and thirties from all a unique and supportive atmosphere. understand and respect each other’s backgrounds gather to connect with Anyone who wants to perform is wel- artistry. The Jewish connection makes Jewish life, but one night every few come. “Most performers are singers or the bond between performer and audi- months the place is transformed as reli- play instruments, although from time to ence that much deeper. time we have a few dancers, stand-up A delicately boned woman, wear- comedians and even poets,” says Leslie ing eyeglasses and a tichel, approached Roslyn Dickens grew up on a turkey farm in Ginsparg, one of the founders of Girls’ the mike. Her expression was serious. Massachusetts, and is currently a filmmaker Night On. There is no charge to per- and photographer specializing in fundraising Her song was even more so. Starting form, and admission is only ten dollars. events for Jewish organizations. A ba’alat slowly, the song, a powerful political teshuvah for twenty years, she is a member of Some months ago, I went to see piece about the terrorist victims in Lincoln Square Synagogue in New York and Girls’ Night On to experience the show , grew in intensity, leaving the has studied extensively at the Jewish myself. Makor’s “café” had been recon- audience transfixed and devastated. A Renaissance Center. figured to accommodate over 200 peo- dark-haired young woman in a striped

Fall 5767/2006 JEWISH ACTION 39 sweater came on stage and spoofed the create them.’ That’s how Girls’ Night [www.girlsnighton.com].” dating scene. In her original composi- On came to be.” Looking to the future, Ginsparg tion, she lamented “the one who got While studying in Israel, Ginsparg says she would love to see the open- away,” generating whoops of laughter attended a few “wildly popular” open- mike show go on the road. “I ran a pro- and recognition from the largely single mike nights that were organized by a gram with high school girls to get the crowd. Toward the end of the first act, a ba’alat teshuvah. “Sitting in the audi- next generation involved,” she says. “I tall woman in a brown, knit snood, ence, I was just blown away,” says would also like to start [organizing] crushed velvet jacket, floor-length skirt Ginsparg. “There was so much talent in concerts for the women who want to and high-top sneakers mounted the the room, and these women who just pursue this on a professional level.” stage, her appearance completely at had so much inside of them were com- CDs of the events are also avail- odds with the yellow, kidney-shaped ing from all different places in Israeli able. “The first CD that we recorded at electric guitar she was carrying. Within society. Girls’ Night On is a compilation of minutes the whole place was clapping and stomping. “From the time I was little, I dreamed of being an actress,” says Ginsparg, who grew up religious. “I was always putting on plays in my liv- ing room and forcing my parents and my brothers and sisters to come watch.” For Ginsparg, chances to perform were many: school, choir, summer camp. Those opportunities dried up when she finished college, but her desire to perform did not. “No matter what I was doing full time, there was always a part of me that was searching An initiative that organizes performances for women by women, Girls’ Night for a way to be involved in perform- On grew out of the Orthodox community but has broader appeal. Women ing.” ranging from Chassidic to secular congregate, forming a unique and supportive atmosphere. Today, as a teacher of Jewish histo- ry at New York University and Touro College, Ginsparg sees the dearth of Could Ginsparg venues as a challenge. “The word have imagined such success when she singers, but there are plenty of women halachah comes from walking a path. started Girls’ Night On a year and a half who could carry a CD on their own,” It’s not rigid. That’s a misconception,” ago? “Not in my wildest dreams,” she says Ginsparg. “I am frustrated. I says Ginsparg, who is a Wexner says. “All over the country people know wouldn’t say I am frustrated with Graduate Fellow. “I view it as a path to about it. I think the kind of growth it halachah, as much as I [am] frustrated

The very construct of women “talking” to women generates a wonderful atmosphere. The audience is warm and welcoming, not combative, which in itself is a departure from some open-mike entertainment. be navigated, or maybe negotiated is a has had in such a short period of time with people who don’t think that a better word. Instead of viewing my life tells you something. Girls’ Night On women’s program could be successful or as limited by my religious observance, I isn’t bedieved, [post facto] … it’s that a woman’s CD will sell. I can’t tell realized I needed to be more creative in lechatchila, [ideal].… Is it enough? No. you how many people came to me [after finding opportunities. I thought, ‘If I But [it] is growing by leaps and bounds. the first Girls’ Night On performance] look for them, I’ll find them.’ But when People keep telling me to ‘think big’ so and said, ‘I thought this was going to be I looked for them and didn’t find them, Girls’ Night On is now chartered. It’s an really lame.’ I could have told [them] it I thought, ‘Okay, then I’ll just have to official entity with a web site was going to be great.

40 JEWISH ACTION Fall 5767/2006 “I have spoken about this program reaching out to Orthodox female per- Kraar was first inspired to create a to non-observant audiences, and not formers? When Kraar worked as region- forum for religious women when she one [secular audience member] said to al coordinator in Canada for lived in Tel Aviv decades earlier and fre- me, ‘Why are you doing it for women Mamapalooza—billed as the only cul- quented Moshe Yess’s coffee house in only?’ And these are people for whom tural event of its kind—featuring the Old City of . “He hosted a kol ishah wouldn’t have been on the “mom” musicians, poets, comics, women’s music night. It was amazing,

“Performing on that stage is something like an out-of-body experience for me. When I get up there and look out at that full house, I am always amazed.” map. Instead they said, ‘Wow, what a dancers and filmmakers, she saw that a and it stayed with me all these years.… great idea!’ Only in [the Orthodox band of talented women could fill a I was heartened to meet Leslie, who had world] was someone asking ‘Why [only room. It inspired her to bring some- the same idea and had the vision, ener- women]?’ Outside no one ever asked thing similar to a smaller and lesser- gy and talent to fuel it. I realized that me that.” heard voice and community: Orthodox people like Leslie and me are simply Ginsparg will be heartened to women. responding to the need in the commu- know that more and more women’s “For me, it’s all about the art and nity, and we have the ability to make it music is getting “out there.” Judaica providing a real stage setting where happen.” stores around the country stock impres- women who would otherwise not have With the Teaneck event some sive selections of female artist CDs by an opportunity to perform can do so,” months away, Kraar is busy making Kineret, Malky Taub Giniger, Julia says Kraar. “They deserve to be heard.” plans. “We have our sites on next Blum and others. “The plan is to help individual spring. We expect [Orthodox female] communities have parlor meetings and performers from the surrounding towns. “It’s All about the Art” open mikes and create a culture where The house seats about a thousand peo- An only child of Holocaust sur- like-minded people can start sharing ple, and we plan [on filling it].” vivors, Lynda Kraar, who is not obser- their art,” she says. Kraar These are not the only venues for vant, is a band- hopes that this will help fos- artistic religious women. Another talent- leader and com- ter a new genre of original ed and enterprising woman, Batya poser who has music. “We will tackle sub- Travis, a mother and grandmother from been working in jects like family life, moth- Far Rockaway, New York, is the origina- the music industry tor of Harmony, an all-female concert since she was six- that takes place in the teen. These days, Over one hundred women perform at Five Towns in New Kraar splits her time Harmony, an all-female concert that takes York every other year. between her native place in the Five Towns in New York every Between 125 and 150 Toronto and her other year. Performances, which run for three women and girls per- home in Teaneck, nights, are completely sold out. “Harmony is form at the concert, New Jersey. But a venue for personal growth, a place for which features a variety wherever she is, she is establishing friendships and sisterhood,” says of art forms including eating, sleeping and Harmony creator Batya Travis. song and dance. dreaming of making Performances, which music. Currently, run for three nights, are Kraar is in the process completely sold out. of mounting a concert erhood/daughterhood “Performing on in the Orthodox com- issues, juggling jobs and domestic that stage is something like an out-of- munity of Teaneck. “The goal is to pro- drudgery and so on,” says Kraar. “It will body experience for me,” says Travis, vide a forum for Jewish women [who lament and celebrate our gender, even who is a singer in her own right. “When abide by the restrictions of kol ishah] to our aging. That’s a pretty rich vein. In it I get up there and look out at that full express their creative selves,” says Kraar. is all the comedy, poetry, music and house, I am always amazed. I can’t How did Kraar get interested in tragedy that we feel.” believe I actually did this from my

Fall 5767/2006 JEWISH ACTION 41 headquarters in my kitchen. themselves artistically. Harmony touches ed to him. Rav Hai Gaon writes that this “There are women who started women and allows them to tap into restriction applies to a man who is reading with Harmony as children, who today their own spirituality. It is a venue for Keriyat Shema, because a woman’s singing as young mothers are bringing their personal growth, through art—a place will distract him, while Rosh disagrees own kids to Harmony,” muses Travis. of nurturing, a place for establishing and writes that the gemara refers to all The music is mostly religious, fea- friendships and sisterhood,” says Travis. situations and is not limited to Keriyat turing both original and standard popu- Interestingly, most of the female Shema. The Shulchan Aruch rules that lar . Except for the musi- musicians who provide back up are not the kol ishah restriction applies to both cians, no one is paid, yet Travis consid- Jewish, but they are incredibly moved Keriyat Shema and other contexts. Rema and Beit Shmuel clarify that this prohi- bition applies only to a woman’s singing voice and not to her speaking voice. Leah Kohn, the director of the Jewish Renaissance Center, a women’s learning program in Manhattan that provides classes for women of all ages and all levels of observance, often encounters women who have to sacri- fice their professional singing or acting careers to become religious. “I tell these women that they must not deny their talent, they must find an outlet for it,” Kohn says. “If a person has something powerful [within] that is not allowed to develop, it will grow and fester. It is not healthy. For this reason, I encourage each woman to … find her own out- let.” “But it is not so sim- For one night every few months Makor, on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, is ple,” Kohn cautions. “Within transformed as religious women participating in Girls’ Night On take to the the context of an Orthodox ers the program a stage and perform for an all-female audience. life, it is not acceptable for a great success. woman to perform for an “Our pri- audience that includes men, mary purpose is whether she is singing or act- to raise money for tzedakah [to be dis- by this experience, says Travis. “They ing or dancing, and this certainly tributed] within our community. To always ask us to invite them back changes the possibility of performing as achieve that goal, we use what God has because it is such an amazing experi- a profession. While there is no compari- given us for the good of [the] commu- ence,” she says. “They don’t understand son in terms of money or glamour to nity. It’s a gift to give to Hakadosh the words but they feel that there’s men’s options … for most women who Baruch Hu.” something special. It is sister to sister; seek to embrace a Torah life, there are Some fourteen years ago, Travis there is kedushah in this.” many other compensations. had the idea of bringing the community Entertainment and art in general don’t together through song and dance. Back Back to the Source occupy as large a place in Orthodox life then while there were many shiurim in The prohibition against women as they do in secular society. People who the community, says Travis, women singing in front of men is based on a live a Torah way of life have more who were hungry for self-expression had gemara in Berachot: important things to do with their time nowhere to go. Harmony affords The voice of a woman is ervah, as and money; there are [other things to women the opportunity to be creative. the pasuk [in Shir Hashirim 2:14] states: do]: children to raise, tuition to pay, Even for those who don’t sing or dance, “Let me hear your voice because your voice mitzvot to do, the studying of Torah.” Harmony enables them to use their is pleasant and appearance attractive.” One of the most famous female administrative or production skills for a Rashi explains that the pasuk in Shir vocalists who performs for strictly higher purpose. “Harmony is more than Hashirim indicates that a woman’s voice is female audiences around the country is a setting in which women can express attractive to a man, and is thus prohibit- Julia Blum. A ba’alat teshuvah, Blum

42 JEWISH ACTION Fall 5767/2006 began studying music at the age of myself’ is silly.” Blum’s perspective and priorities three, and was performing professionally While the drive for self-expression are enviably clear. Rather than seeing art by twelve. She shared a vocal coach with is a fundamental part of a performing as her life, she sees her life as art. Barbra Streisand and Madonna. “I had artist’s nature, Blum gauges self-expres- “People want to live forever, they everything that people think you’re sup- sion differently. want to be important, they want to posed to want,” says Blum, who “Just how is self- make a difference,” Blum says. “But attended both expression meas- being on MTV is not going to do it. Harvard and Yale. ured? When I Even getting an Academy Awards is not “I could have had sing for myself going to do it. Who even remembers [a career in who won the Academy Award four Hollywood] and I years ago? And the secular chose not to, world doesn’t offer anything much better than that. “When you live a A ba’alat teshuvah, Blum began studying Torah life, you can say, music at the age of three and shared a vocal ‘Everything that I do all day coach with Barbra Streisand and Madonna. is important, holy and mean- “I had everything that people think you’re ingful.’ And when I leave this supposed to want,” says Blum, who attended world, all I’ll have is every both Harvard and Yale. “I could have had [a mitzvah that I did. career in Hollywood] and I chose not to, “Years ago, singing was at because I thought there was something better and that was Torah.” Blum travels several the core of the life I envisioned times a year performing concerts for women for myself. These days that and selling her CDs. at the piano and a seems like a very modest goal.… wonderful sound reverberates I would rather have a ‘B-plus’ around the room, is that not career and an ‘A-plus’ life.” JA because I thought there expressing myself? If my teenager sits was something better and that was and listens to me, aren’t I expressing Torah.” myself?” Blum asks. “If I sing for ten Blum travels several times a year people, is that enough? Does it have to performing concerts for women and take place in a stadium? At what point selling her two CDs—Stand Tall and does it count? Is it just a numbers game? Songs of the Heart. “My situation is ideal “The burden of being the world’s and unique,” she says. “My background most beautiful woman, or most talented made for an unusual and easily mar- singer or whatever, means that there is ketable package. I feel very grateful that no life outside of that gift, and no con- a venue has been created for me, and I text for anything. Bear in mind, even feel very satisfied.” the most spectacular beauty, even the Blum recognizes all too well the greatest talent will diminish over time. pitfalls that often accompany talent. Yiddishkeit says, ‘Let’s avoid that trap, “The problem is when your physical and let’s remember that we are bigger person is your art,” she says. “When than our art and bigger than our expres- you dance, your body is your art. When sion, we have many more facets to our- you act, your face is your art. From the selves…. To be given a gift, any kind of time I was young, I became aware of a gift, is a big responsibility and some- this harsh relationship between wanting times a burden. I think that Torah gives to express myself and having to ‘sell you the best tools for channeling your myself.’ Yiddishkeit is not the problem; gift,” says Blum. “Yiddishkeit gives you a the problem is one that is inherent in life that is more significant than just having your body and your face be your your gift. To think ‘All I am is my art art. That doesn’t mean that a woman and its expression’ minimizes the totality shouldn’t have an outlet for her talent. of who a person is. And that [applies] But to say ‘because I can’t sing in front whether a person is Jewish or not, frum of men, I have no way to express or not.”

Fall 5767/2006 JEWISH ACTION 43