Free Women's Minyan by Naomi Ragen Page B

doesn’t marry for love, but for a family! You serve your husband, give birth to his children, and in exchange you get honor in this world and your portion in the World to Come. Everything else is wantonness for the faithless.
     
    CHANA : If a woman is only a womb, then why did God torture her with intelligence, understanding, creativity, wisdom? Why didn’t He make her ant-like, without the consciousness to raise her head and examine her role as a beast of burden?
     
    ZEHAVA : Where is it written that a woman has to give birth every year?
     
    FRUME : “Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth.” It’s the first commandment in the Torah.
     
    ADINA : [ drily. ] I don’t think the Torah meant single-handedly. Anyhow, if you’ll excuse me Mrs. Kashman, the Torah gives the mitzvah of procreation to Adam, not Eve. And it’s enough to have two children to fulfill the commandment.
     
    GITTE LEAH : Even that you don’t do, so what are you making yourself so wise? “A person with no children is considered dead.”
     
    FRUME : Gitte Leah! [ to SHEINHOFF .] I’m sorry, Goldie. She’s in pain so she gets nervous….
    GITTE LEAH mumbles an apology .
     
    SHEINHOFF : [ in sorrow and admonition. ] With God’s help, her turn will come. It’s all God’s will. Everything is in God’s hands.
    MALE VOICES read the Psalms, threateningly.
     

Scene three
     
    CHANA , detached, doesn’t take part in the debate. She wavers before jumping into the fray, hesitant to reveal the secrets of her marriage.
     
    SHAINE RUTH : Ima , are you going to continue?
     
    CHANA : [ with effort .] Yes, yes…I was like Zevulun. I thought: it’s my duty to be the model Rabbi’s wife. I opened my doors to needy yeshiva boys, arranged lectures for women, guided my friends with pious advice, and never complained, even though I thought I would melt from exhaustion. I obeyed my husband in everything, even when his demands…even when he behaved in a way…a way…I couldn’t understand. His will was done. The important thing was not to fail in my marriage. Except that it wasn’t only dependent on me…. I want to stop now.
    Reactions. “What is she hinting at?” ZEHAVA prevents her from withdrawing. They argue.
     
    ZEHAVA : [ encouragingly. ] Tell about the money. That should be enough.
     
    CHANA : [ nodding assent, she chooses her words carefully. ] When it came time for Bluma to marry, I tried every way I knew to increase our income. Zehava and I decided to open a dress store. My husband, the “model of righteousness”, agreed, but on condition that he keep the books and handle the money. The store brought in a good income. Until one day, just like that, our checks began to bounce. The bank stopped payment to our suppliers. Someone had withdrawn all our funds. Sixty thousand shekel. Mine and Zehava’s money.
     
    ZEHAVA : I was desperate. I didn’t know how I’d feed my children.
     
    SHEINHOFF : What happened? Who could have taken the money?
     
    CHANA : Who had access to the account? [ pause. ] I was shocked.
    Mutterings: “Father?” “Yankele?” SHEINHOFF grows faint.. The WOMEN attempt to shield her. But doubt hangs like a sword over their heads. Surprisingly, SHEINHOFF rises and enters the circle, confronting CHANA .
     
    SHEINHOFF : Enough already! [ to CHANA .] I didn’t want to believe what they all said about you, but now I know: Your mother was right. Only she knows the real Chana Kashman. A child who lies and steals, it’s in her character, it’s forever! And that’s what you’re doing now, making up disgusting lies about your husband to cover up your own sins. And to think, I always defended you, even here, today! Do you really expect me to believe such a thing about my son?! Never! What a mistake we made in agreeing to listen to you at all.
     
    CHANA : It’s the truth, Mameh Goldie. Didn’t I take a sacred oath?
     
    FRUME : [ supporting SHEINHOFF .] A decent woman would have gotten advice from a Rav,