Di Froyen (The Women)

Theater for the New City, New York City

From January 22-30, Theater for the New City will present the New Yiddish Rep's production of "Di Froyen" (The Women), based on the play "Women’s Minyan" by Naomi Ragen, adapted for the Yiddish Rep by Melissa Weisz and Malky Goldman. Director is Rachel Botchan.  The play is a one-act drama of an abused Orthodox Jewish wife who is being kept from her children.

"Di Froyen" tells the story of a woman from the Hasidic community of Brooklyn who has fled an abusive marriage and after being excommunicated and slandered is being kept from her children. After two years, she gets a court order giving her visitation rights and returns with a secular Jewish social worker to enforce the order.  She meets resistance from the women in her family until the story emerges that she has not actually abandoned her family, but fled for her life from a prominent husband who has a history of abuse.  The women surrounding her are brought to realize what has happened.  They ultimately unite to defend her and to empower women in their community suffering the same fate.

The Yiddish of the play reflects the evolving vernacular, sometimes characterized as “Yinglish,” that is spoken on the streets of Hasidic Brooklyn.  Projected supertitles will enable non-Yiddish speakers to keep up.

"Di Froyen" illustrates the injustices toward religious women in abusive marriages.  Although state and local jurisdictions have made great advances in protection from abusive spouses, ultra-religious Jews are discouraged from going outside the system of Jewish religious laws because to do so would disparage the unique assumptions and directions of God’s just and righteous laws.  In such cases–in the hearts of Haredi communities–rabbinical courts take precedence over secular family courts and a husband's religious status may discredit accusations being brought against him.  

This play is based on "Women's Minyan," a Hebrew play by Naomi Ragen that was based on a true story and debuted at Habimah, Israel's national theater, in 2002.  Regan's play was adapted for New Yiddish Rep by Melissa Weisz and Malky Goldman, who were both born into the Hasidic community.

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