Women's Minyan (8 page)

CHANA
: The Rabbis never let me open my mouth. They gave me my divorce and closed the case. The men looked after their own interests. They didn’t give me justice! You—you women—can do it. Here. Now. [
impulsively.
] Why don’t
you
judge me? You put me on trial!

TOVAH
: Is it permissible for us to sit in judgment?

ETA
: Is it permissible for women?

ADINA
: Many things are permitted to women that we don’t allow ourselves…. It’s permissible for women to learn, and to judge. Deborah the Prophetess was the judge of all Israel.

ETA
: She knows. She is learned.

TOVAH
: [
dismissively.
] When you have no husband and children to take care of, what else does a woman have to do with herself?

ADINA
: [
hurt. Pointedly.
] It’s permissible for women to use their brains, Tovah, that is—if they have any. It’s not a sin. [
to all
.] Yes, it’s permissible for us to hear Chana and judge her. [
looking around.
] It’s too bad we don’t have a
minyan.
It would give our judgment even greater force.

ETA
: A
minyan
means ten men! Who ever heard of a
minyan
of women?!

ADINA
: It’s permissible for women to hold a
minyan
for secular matters!

FRUME
: [
to all
.] What is all this silliness? [
to
CHANA
.] We already have the decision of the Rabbinical Court against you.

CHANA
: And
another
that reverses it! You respect the first, but tear up the second as worthless! [
taking the plunge
.] Well, I’m ready to give up both Rabbinical decisions, on condition that you yourselves judge me!

GITTE LEAH
: Don’t start with her. She’ll lie for hours. I know her. All Meah Shearim will be under our window, witnessing our shame. All I need is for my husband to find out. The admor’s wife in such a situation!

CHANA
: [
with self-control
.] I, Chana Kashman, take a sacred oath in the name of God who is in Heaven to speak only the truth, all of it. And further…. [
with great effort.
] I, Chana Kashman, take an oath. in the name of God who is in Heaven to accept upon myself your verdict. [
she kisses the Bible, and places it on the table.
]

ADINA
: She took a sacred oath. We are required to listen to her. There are things that only she—that only the woman—knows. In the Book of Samuel, Eli the Priest saw a woman in the Holy Temple acting strangely. He thought she was drunk and cursed her. But when she was allowed to explain, he understood she was simply drunk with grief at being childless. And in the end, he blessed her.

GITTE LEAH
: Because she had a good reason for her behavior. What possible reason can Chana have?

ADINA
: If we listen, maybe we’ll know….

SHEINHOFF
: [
evasively
.] Really, Adina. What is there to know? What is there to tell? Everything is clear. [
to
CHANA
.] Chanaleh, you know our Torah forbids us to take oaths….

CHANA
: But under special circumstances, it’s a
mitzvah.
It’s an expression of our faith in the justice of God. If you believe in His justice, as I do, you must also swear as I have. Bind yourself with a sacred oath before God to listen with honesty and decide with righteousness!

SHEINHOFF
: We are all God-fearing women, who love our Creator and seek to follow His just, compassionate, and merciful ways. It’s forbidden for us to take God’s name in vain, to swear a sacred oath for some kind of game….

CHANA
: It’s not a game! It’s my life! If I am risking everything by binding myself with an oath, you have to do the same.

GITTE LEAH
: [
skeptically
.] What are
you
risking?

CHANA
: I told you: If you judge me honestly and righteously and decide I’m unworthy of ever seeing my children again, I…. [
pause, conscious of the terrible risk.
] I will accept your verdict.

ADINA
: I, Adina Sheinhoff, Chana’s sister-in-law, accept upon myself a sacred oath to listen to Chana honestly, and to judge her righteously. [
kisses Bible and returns it to table.
]

SHAINE RUTH
: [
running to pick up the Bible.
] I, Shaine Ruth, Chana’s daughter, accept upon myself a sacred oath to listen to my mother honestly, and to judge her righteously.

BLUMA
: I, Bluma, also agree to take upon myself a sacred oath and swear to listen to mother honestly and to judge her righteously.

ETA
: It’s not a sin?

ADINA
: Only if you don’t mean it.

ETA
: [
with a cautious glance at Frume, taking the Bible.
] I, Eta Leibowitz, an excellent cook, accept upon myself a sacred oath to listen to Chana honestly and to decide righteously. Tovah?

TOVAH
: I also take this sacred oath upon myself to listen to Chana honestly and to decide righteously. [
belatedly.
] Tovah Klein, head attendant at the ritual baths in Geulah.

CHANA
: [
taking the Bible to
FRUME
.] Madame Kashman.

FRUME
: Do you really trust her to leave here quietly when she loses?

ADINA
: Mrs. Kashman, the punishment for breaking her oath would be terrible!

GITTE LEAH
: You think that would stand in her way? Why, when she was little, Mother had no choice but to punish her a thousand times but still she…

FRUME
: [
cutting her off.
] Please. Dirty laundry you wash behind closed doors; not in the middle of the living room.

GITTE LEAH
: [
loudly
.] I can’t believe how you’ve all just given in to her! Such a mistake!

ADINA
: [
to
GITTE
.] Shouting the loudest doesn’t make you the smartest.

GITTE LEAH
: [
cruelly
.] Maybe I shout. But at least I don’t stu…stt…ter!

CHANA
: Don’t let it bother you, Adina. If Gitte Leah doesn’t like you, it’s a good sign of your character. [
to
FRUME
.] Madame Kashman!

FRUME
: Stop already with the “Madame Kashman!” I’m your mother! Your
MOTHER!!!

CHANA
: You were never my mother. You were Gitte Leah’s mother. For me, you were always: Madame Kashman, my warden.

GITTE LEAH
: Don’t you dare speak this way to our mother, you ingrate!

FRUME
: All your childhood, all you ever did was cause me pain. Only I know the real Chana Kashman.

CHANA
: [
pushing the Bible toward her insistently.
] Swear!

FRUME
: [
repulsing her
.] All right, all right. Talk if you want. I don’t need Bibles and sacred oaths.

GITTE LEAH
: [
surprised and appalled
.] Mother?

FRUME
: Yes, why not? What do I have to hide? She wants to try out her lies, we’ll listen then go our way. [
to
CHANA
.] You have my word of honor.

CHANA
: You must swear like all the others. Repeat after me: “I, Frume Kashman, accept upon myself a sacred oath to listen honestly to every word my daughter Chana says and to judge with righteousness whether she should be permitted to see her children again.”

FRUME
: [
repeating the oath.
] I, Frume Kashman accept upon myself a sacred oath to listen honestly to every word Chana says and to judge with righteousness and true justice if she should be forbidden….

CHANA
: [
correcting her.
] permitted.

FRUME
: [
bristling with rage
.]
Permitted
to see her children again. Oh, what foolishness…. Are you happy now?

CHANA
: All of you are my witnesses! [
turns to
GITTE LEAH
with Bible
.]

GITTE LEAH
: I don’t have to play this game.

CHANA
: For once in your life, why don’t you try to act like a sister?

GITTE LEAH
: How dare you! Who took you in when you ran away from home? I was newly married, and instead of preparing myself for life as a great scholar’s wife, I had you on my hands to deal with.

CHANA
: All right. In that case, you can prepare yourself for life in jail. [
goes to the phone.
]

GITTE LEAH
: [
scoffingly
.]
You’re
going to put
me
into jail?

CHANA
: Yes, Gitte Leah. Outside of Meah Shearim, everyone is equal under the law. And even a great scholar’s wife can go to jail if she’s convicted of kidnapping. And when you are rotting in prison, the
police
will bring me the children that
I
gave birth to and
I
raised!