Women's Minyan (13 page)
Authors: Naomi Ragen
Heavy silence.
SHEINHOFF
keens silently.
SHEINHOFF
: [
after a long silence.
]
Oy
to me and to my life…
ADINA
: This is the truth about your son, my brother. This is my dowry…
SHEINHOFF
: Adina-leh. What have we done to you? My child.
Mein Kinde, Mein Tireh
(my child, my dearest). How is it I didn’t see? How did I let it happen? Why didn’t you tell me? My child…. my child.
ADINA
: Who would you have believed, Mother? Yankele or me? Look what happened to Chana when she told the truth.
SHEINHOFF
: With my own hands, I will strangle him…. Chana, what have we done to you? Oh, Frume, what are we doing to our daughters? [
gathering strength.
] I want to take my oath now.
Waves off her daughter’s help, and finds the Bible herself, and turns with it to face
CHANA
.
SHEINHOFF
: I, Goldie Sheinhoff, widow of the saintly
ADMOR
of Lushiv, do swear to listen honestly and judge righteously. Chana Kashman was a wonderful mother. She is more than worthy to see her children. She is free of any blame. I vote yes. Let Chana see her children.
BLUMA
:
Ima
, I’m so sorry. You deserve to see the children. [
they hug.
]
SHAINE RUTH
: I also agree,
Ima
. I missed you so much. [
runs into her arms and hugs her.
]
ETA
: We’re sorry, Chana.
TOVAH
: We were so afraid. Everyone was against you.
ETA
,
TOVAH
: We also vote “yes”.
Pause. Looking at
FRUME
.
FRUME
: [
entrapped. In a small voice
.] How can we? How can we go against Rav Aaron? I can’t do it! One word from him, and our family is destroyed in the community forever!
SHEINHOFF
: How can we go against the will of our just and righteous God, Frume Kashman?
Pause.
FRUME
realizes her choice.
FRUME
: Chana, perhaps I too was mistaken. Perhaps I punished you for the sins of others. I didn’t understand. I didn’t know…. Forgive me. Grant me
mechillah
(atonement).
CHANA
: After I see my children.
FRUME
: Go then. And may God help us both.
CHANA
: Thank you, Mother.
ADINA
: Gitte Leah, it’s your turn.
GITTE LEAH
folds into herself in a corner.
ADINA
: Gitte Leah, for once in your life, say “yes” to the truth. There is no more room under the carpet. Give your little sister a chance to see her children.
GITTE LEAH
turns her back to
CHANA
,
like a frightened child.
FRUME
: [
going to her
.] Come, Gitte Leah.
I
am asking you. Your sister is waiting.
GITTE LEAH
: My sister. My sister. What about
me
? How will
I
go home? You know the
ADMOR
will never forgive me for siding with her…
FRUME
: I will go with you. Together we will explain to him that we did our duty. That we made a judgment that was righteous and honest. Come, my child….
GITTE LEAH
: [
last appeal
.] You can’t forgive Chana. If you do, all my sacrifices, all I’ve suffered, was for nothing! You think I didn’t want to run away from my husband, my life? (
in pain
) Mother….
FRUME
: What hurts you? Is it your back again?
GITTE LEAH
: My heart, Mother. It’s my heart….
CHANA
: Gitte Leah, am I allowed to see my children?
GITTE LEAH
: [
whisper
.] You are allowed. Go in peace.
CHANA
: Thank you, sister.
They approach each other, but cannot bridge the gap that will allow them to hug. Pause.
SHAINE RUTH
: The vote is over. It’s unanimous. Our mother—that is—Chana Kashman, is allowed to see her children.
CHANA
: Finally. My daughters [
embracing them and sobbing.
] “From the depths I cried out to Him and He answered me…”
ZEHAVA
: I never believed you’d win!…You’ve won. [
embraces her.
]
CHANA
: How often I dreamed of this!
SHEINHOFF
: [
in the meantime, dialing the phone
.] Hello? Yes Rabbi…[
corrects herself
] yes Mister Aaron. This is Goldie Sheinhoff.
Rebbitzen
Sheinhoff. No, no we haven’t gotten rid of her. The opposite. We already know the truth and now we’re going to bring her to the children. Don’t threaten me, Aaron. Have you no fear of heaven in you at all? You or your hooligans? Yes, so what will you do? Break
my
hands and feet, the hands and feet of all the women here? [
beat
.]
You
don’t frighten me. I’m afraid of only one thing: The Holy One Blessed be He. [
slams down the phone.
] Come, Chana, let’s go. The children are waiting.
The phone rings again, it rings and rings, but no one bothers to answer.
WOMEN
and
CHANA
are poised to leave.
SHAINE RUTH
: We have to…
BLUMA
: Wait, there’s something…
CHANA
: [
dismissing their concerns with a smile
.] You’ll tell me after. After I hold my baby Shifra in my arms again. After I bury my face in her neck and breathe in that baby smell once more. After I kiss her fingers, one by one…and she laughs and laughs. My baby…. Then I’ll bring them all back here and we’ll all sit around the table and talk, me in my place, as if it was the Sabbath, and you’ll all understand that not for a moment, a second, did I stop loving any of you…
Everyone exits.
BLUMA
and
SHAINE RUTH
linger behind looking at each other. They too exit. Off.
FRUME’S VOICE
: Quiet! Move out of our way. Have you no respect for honorable Jewish women, you criminals? Get out of here. Go back to your yeshivas, you still have a lot to learn! Oh, how did I dare open such a mouth against the men…!
The stage becomes a street. Large street posters hung on the walls warn women to dress properly, to act in accordance with community dictates. Graffiti against
CHANA
in red paint call her a whore, and say her punishment will come.
BLUMA
and
SHAINE RUTH
enter, hiding in the corner on the street.
CHANA
enters from the opposite direction. She is traumatized.
BLUMA
:
Ima
…
CHANA
: Their eyes—oh God! Their eyes! So cold…[
frozen, her voice dry and cracked
.] Moishele looked at me as if I was a monster. And Ruchele cried when I came near her, as if I had come to eat her alive. Eliahu couldn’t catch his breath…
BLUMA
: Rav Aaron told us to tell the children that Satan had taken you away. And the proof was—
SHAINE RUTH
:—that if they looked you in the eyes, they’d die.
CHANA
: [
heartbroken, and yet relieved.
] Ah! I see.
The girls murmur apologies, asking forgiveness.
SHAINE RUTH
: They aren’t to blame. It’s not their fault.
CHANA
: [
tiredly
.] No. It’s my fault. Granny Frume was right. Children are not a suitcase you can put down and pick up. It’s late. The children need to come home and be put to bed. I must leave here.
BLUMA
: Where will you go?
CHANA
: Don’t worry about me, Bluma. Take care of the family you’re building…
SHAINE RUTH
: Really Bluma?
CHANA
: Good-bye, my girls.
SHAINE RUTH
:
Ima
, Wait! Please, don’t go! Bluma, we can’t let her go like that! [
BLUMA
shrugs. To
CHANA
.
] What will happen to you?
CHANA
: I’ll live somehow. Don’t forget I love you, always. And take care of the little ones. Try to explain to them. In time, maybe a miracle will happen and our people will learn to have the same compassion as our God…. Good-bye my darlings. [
the girls both cling to her
.] And may God deal kindly with you both.
SHAINE RUTH
: [
refusing to accept.
]
Ima
, wait! I’m going with you.
BLUMA
: Shaine Ruth, you can’t! You have to stay. Without
Aba
or Rav Aaron, who will arrange for your marriage?
SHAINE RUTH
: [
in revulsion.
] Do you think, Bluma, after everything I’ve heard I’d let those two men choose a husband for me?
CHANA
: Shaine Ruth, your sister is right. I have no money. No place to live. I’m an outcast. You’re better off staying with your father and his family….
SHAINE RUTH
: [
determined, quoting from the Book of Ruth.
] “Whither thou goest, I will go. Wither thou lodgest, I will lodge. Thy people will be my people and thy God, my God!”
CHANA
: [
embracing her.
] My child!
CHANA
and
SHAINE RUTH
exit.
BLUMA
is left alone. The street is full of noises. The men’s voices call out epithets, demands. Looking at the posters telling her how she must live her life, she re-enters her world with full knowledge and disappears.
CURTAIN
