June 03 2008 - "Professional Women's Theater"
http://shiurtimes.com/professional-womens-theater/
Professional Women's Theater By Adena & Annie 03 June 2008 An article once appeared in Jewish Action entitled A Melody of Their Own by Roslyn Dickens about Orthodox women in the performing arts (Fall 2006). "Dancing is Life; all the rest," said a ballerina, "is waiting." We felt chills in our spines. What will a woman do who decides take upon the traditional Jewish code of modest conduct, and its halachot such as Kol Isha(the prohibition against hearing a woman's voice sing)? Will she not live? Where does this leave Orthodox women whose artistic drive which represents their deepest connection to their inner selves are being stifled by the very values that define them?
Many orthodox women involved in the performing arts confront a painful dilemma. Those whose intuition or interpretation of tzniut, traditional [Jewish] standards of modesty, precludes them from performing for mixed audiences find themselves, in a secular society, barred from realizing their lifelong professional aspirations. Do they live upstanding, yet professionally repressed (or at best, sublimated and channeled) lives as halachically observant Jews, or wrestle with self-contradiction, hypocrisy and their very identities as they ignore the inconvenient truths of their inner convictions? After a long struggle with these questions, the Professional Women's Theater was founded.
PWT is a registered non-profit organization that seeks to advance and promote female performers' careers throughout Israel. The goal is to empower observant women by providing them venues to utilize their artistic talents. PWT serves as a talent agency through which qualified women can promote their talents into professional careers in the performing arts.
The organization offers educational workshops for those who desire to develop their potential talent in singing, performance, theater, dance, music, comedy and the like. The shows provide expressive outlets for Jewish women on all skill levels, giving them a sense of empowerment while they inspire others.
Every year since 2006, PWT hosts a competition in the performing arts called Rotza Leyiot Kochav/ Wanna Be a Star. Though PWT is geared toward the Orthodox community, all women regardless of their religious or political leanings are welcome and encouraged to perform.
The first round of the competition consists of several open performances, where any female irrespective of previous performance experience or capabilities is invited to perform. At least two judges observe and offer constructive criticism on every performance. The judges evaluate each performance on originality, musicality, technique and contact with the audience. At the conclusion of the evening, the judges announce which performers are entitled to progress to the next level and perform in the semi-finalists performance.
The next round features the Semi-finalists, and the final show consists of the winners of the competition. Finalists then work with PWT as paid performers in female-only venues such as seminaries, women's shelters and various organizations. Sarah Spielman, for example (pictured above), is a finalist from 2006. She wrote and starred in her own one-woman show, Voice of a Woman, produced and sponsored by PWT.
This season, PWT looks forward to a very exciting upcoming final performance on June 19th in Heichal Shlomo, Jerusalem. Starring in this evening will be guest performer Shuli Natan, the original singer of Yerushalayim Shel Zahav. The finalists of this year's annual competition will be performing as well.
The show begins at 8pm with a pre-show boutique beginning at 6pm. To reserve tickets in advance please e-mail pwta_tickets@yahoo.com or see www.professionalwomenstheater.com
Adena Kozak-Blickstein is the founder of PWT. She has studied classical ballet and danced in the Joffery Ballet and Tisch NYU summer programs. She has performed with the Mechola dance companies of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. She is currently studying medicine at the Technion in Haifa. She can be contacted at kozy72@aol.com. Annie Orenstein currently coordinates and produces events for PWT.
September 9, 2008 - "Facing Challenges: Soul Singer"
http://shiurtimes.com/facing-challenges-soul-singer/
Judith Gerzi's music career is rapidly gaining momentum. The English-born singing success recently wowed the crowds in Jerusalem as a finalist in the Professional Women's Theatre's Wanna Be a Star competition. She then went on to England to dazzle the audiences back home with her deep, soul-style voice.
Born to a religious family, Judith never envisioned that a future in singing would be possible. As a religious Jew she chose to follow the laws of Kol Isha, leaving her with no prospect to perform in London. She goes as far as to claim that keeping Kol Isha is "probably the hardest thing I have ever had to do." Furthermore, she faced skepticism from a rabbi who once suggested that she should merely use her talents to sing lullabies to her children. These types of obstacles could have easily hampered her aspirations; however, after making aliyah in 2004, Judith got offers to sing, which she grabbed with both hands. Soon after, she was approached with further offers; as she sounds like a professionally-trained performer. The otherwise-timid soul singer wows her audiences, since she gives off a full-range, deep sound in the true style of soul. She says, "I think it's funny, because I am not a loud person, so when people I know hear me sing for the first time, they are shocked at how far I am able to project my voice!" The mesmerizing performer initially had stage fright, a nightmare many performers encounter. She describes how facing the intimidating, heaving crowds would make her heart pound vigorously, which she felt tainted her voice. But Judith has managed to overcome this obstacle, with the help of her husband Yehoshua. He uses his knowledge and experience as a rabbi to enable her to relax and reach a suitable mindset, so much so that Judith now describes performing as an "out of body experience." Events have eventually come full circle, as she now finds herself aiding others in dealing with their nerves.
With a complicated singing career path, Judith does not view her singing as mere entertainment. She sees her music as a vehicle for self expression; a way of voicing her views on hard-hitting issues. This is exemplified by her song Come On Board which is about the need for Jewish unity. Thus, her songs are thought-provoking and often gain emotional responses from the audience. She tells us of the first gig she had. She was very nervous and a woman approached her after the show sobbing, speaking in Hebrew. The woman had told her that for years she had found it very difficult to connect with G-d, since she had suffered deep tragedies. "After she heard me sing, she knew I meant what I was singing about, and she said my performance enabled her to open up to G-d again. At the end of the day, that's why I do it," she says. With the help of her family and her own self-determination, she has channeled her talents into delighting and educating others. For others facing similar predicaments, she has one simple message: "Never give up."
Jerusalem Post Article - "God's gift to women", June 18, 2008
"In 2006 Delia Spiers appeared to be on her way to stardom. Her five-track CD had attracted interest from Universal, Warner and Sony. An important publisher and producer from her hometown of London had offered her an enticing record deal. And her appearances were registering ever stronger responses from adoring crowds. But something was wrong....."
Arutz 7 Article - "Women's Arts Group to Hold Gala Event", June 16, 2008
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/126509
"The Wanna Be A Star competition of the Professional Women's Theater is having their 2008 Gala this Thursday, June 19, featuring performances by this year's competition winners. The all-women's event is an opportunity for Jewish women in Israel to sing, dance and perform in an all-women's environment...."
Haaretz Article - "Raising their voices", July 24, 2007
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/881411.html
"....The challenge of adhering to principles of traditional Jewish modesty like kol isha while earning a living from one's art is precisely what spurred Adena Kozak, an immigrant from New Jersey who has performed with professional dance companies here and in the United States, to found a group called Professional Women's Theater last year...."
Tambourine: Jewish Women in the Arts, dedicated to Torah living, Vol. I, Issue 7
As religious women dedicated to adhering to Torah values, often the artist in us feels compromised. How can we reach a solution? The courage of one young entrepreneur can provide us all with inspiration.
Adena Kozak has been dancing since the age of thirteen, performing in America and abroad. She moved to Israel not long after graduating Stern College in January of 2005. "As a dancer that holds a high regard for strict halachic observance, this year has brought with it many challenges of which I have not seemed to conclusively resolve; where my religious values and my desire to dance seemed to diametrically oppose one another."
In September of 2005, Adena was accepted by Director Yaniv Hoffman to perform with the Mechola Dance Company of Jerusalem. "This was an incredible opportunity for me and I was excited about performing with the group. Only as the weeks in preparation for the performances progressed however, did I understand what a challenge it would be to maintain my religious identity and halachic observance and dance as well," she comments. Some deep reflection about her role in the company revealed inherent difficulties. She would have to miss several critical rehearsals because of Shabbat observance, which would result in not receiving solo parts. Duets with men were obviously out of the question. She would have to succumb to the company's choice of music, costumes, or dance movement, which might not be appropriate in terms of codes of modesty. Not to mention that the company itself was co-ed as well as the audience to which it performed. "Because I felt I was compromising myself in too many ways, I actually left the company," Adena remarks. "I soon realized that I had no other place to go."
Do you recognize yourself in her story? Adena commiserates: "Thousands of women who are involved in the performing arts find themselves falling in love with the Torah and the Halachic way of life. They come to a point where a striking reality hits and they realize that they have to choose between the two. Do I give up my love for dance, singing...or do I become religious?"
Adena points out that women do not have to make a choice, because the Torah does not negate the performing arts: "When the Children of Israel crossed the Red Sea, the women sang The Song of the Sea (Exodus 15:20). King David performed on his harp and wrote over one hundred psalms that we say and sing daily. Halacha simply puts boundaries in certain context. 'Kol isha ervah' says that a man shouldn't hear a women's voice, but not that women have to stop singing."
In response to the challenges that a halachically-unfriendly world presents to religious Jewish women, Adena has started a project called "Wanna Be a Star" ("Rotza Lihiot Kochav") The project is modeled after programs like "A Star is Born" for singers, and "Born to Dance" for dancers. "The goal of the project is to encourage and inspire women in the performing arts to pursue their dream of becoming dancers, singers, or actresses; granted, they might not get to the big screen, but at least as far as halachic limitations will allow."
"I hope this project to be a jump start for furthering the establishment of performing arts schools for women which include high level training in the performing arts, but more importantly, through this project, I hope to further the establishment of performance opportunities for women-only audiences on high levels in recognized theaters and institutions. It would give me great pride if women would agree to endorse this revolutionary ideal."
"Wanna Be a Star" is a female-only competition (female performers as well as female audiences). This is primarily to enable religious women who do not perform in front of men to have performing opportunities. "The project in no way excludes women who are not observant. Any female, regardless of age, religious, or political leanings is welcome to perform," Adena adds.
How does it work? "Wanna Be a Star" is a unique show in which the audition is done before a live audience. Each contestant can choose to compete in dance, voice, or acting, selecting whatever piece she wants to perform, in any language, given that the content is appropriate for religious observers. Performers must call to register in advance and notify of a cancellation with a minimum of 24 hours notice. Each performer has a maximum of three minutes for her presentation, which is judged by at least three judges in each field of dance, voice, and acting. At the conclusion of the evening, the judges decide which performers will be entitled to participate again. Additionally, the judges take the audience's vote into consideration.
"Wanna Be a Star" has had two very successful performances at the Pargod Theater on Rechov Betzalel. The next show is planned for June 7 at the Pargod Theater at Rechov Mizpe, 49, Jerusalem, at 19:00. Two shows will follow, dates to be announced. If you would like to audition, please call Adena at 052-522-8278. If you are interested in supporting Adena's vision and sponsoring future shows, you may contact her at kozy72@yahoo.com.
Copyright 2006 Devora Gila Berkowitz. All rights reserved. The contents of this newsletter may be distributed for educational purposes only. To submit article ideas or place an ad, please send e-mail to hodulashem@ yahoo.com
