It’s a roaring 20’s spiel
Writers
Toni Abrams Weintraub
Neal Appel
Bruce Blakely
Lauren Glickman
Harvey Weiner Director
Emma Rehfeld
Music
Jamie Saltman - Director & Keyboard
Jerzy Glod - Drums
Logistics
Bruce Blakely
Costumes
Bunny Aronson
Props
Joyce College
Stage Manager
Robin Blakely
Choreography
Ilona Goldfarb
Happy Purim! We are so excited that everyone is here this evening to celebrate! Purim is a day when we celebrate how things got turned upside down for us in Shushan many years ago; instead of being destroyed, we survived with many thanks to Esther for her bravery. It’s a classic “they tried to kill us, we survived, let’s eat” holiday.
On Purim we are taught that we should:
1. Hear the megillah (the story) …which we are doing with our Purim spiel!
2. Support those in need
3. Give gifts to friends and neighbors
4. Eat a special meal…what says “special” more than a Sweet Esther or Dirty Haman cocktail with delicious appetizers and dessert?
I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about horses, so here’s some food for thought for those of you who have made it through the program so far: What is the significance behind horses in the story of Purim!?
In order to answer that, we must travel back in time to the Torah in which horses were primarily associated with the oppressors (think Pharaoh’s army pursuing the Jews in chariots). Jews, on the other hand, were generally synonymous with donkeys, the more stubborn and durable of the two animals. Purim, however, is one of the first stories in Jewish history where the relationship of the horse and Jew changes!
Mordechai parades through the streets of Shushan on the back of Haman’s horse. It’s a beautiful, celebratory moment of the promise of a Jewish future in which people stand up for each other, uphold their Jewish values, and make the world a better place one relationship at a time. Who would have thought (well, besides me) that horses could be such a beautiful symbol for Jewish empowerment!?
Chag Sameach!
Emma (and Sue, her horse, pictured above)
Get Happy
Willkommen
Just Won’t Dance for You (Ain’t Misbehavin)
Big Spender (Sweet Charity)
I’m the Villain (I’ve Got Rhythm)
I Won’t Bow (I Won’t Dance)
Save Those Jews (All That Jazz)
He Had it Comin’ (Cell Block Tango from Chicago)
Bye Bye Haman (Bye Bye Blackbird)
There’s No Spiel Like Our Spiel (There’s No Business Like Show Business) (Sing along with us! The lyrics for this song are in the back of the book.)
Esther Lauren Glickman
King Josh Baumer
Mordechai Judi Boviard
Haman Neal Appel
Vashti Jessica Ayer
Drag Queen Bruce Blakely
Chorus, Narrator 1, Dancer 1 Carole Rodenstein
Narrator 2 Rabbi Stern
Chorus, Narrator 3 Joyce College
Chorus, Narrator 4 Ilona Goldfarb
Chorus , Narrator 5, M.C. Toni Abrams Weintraub
Chorus, Narrator 6 Steve Ayer
Chorus, Dancer 2, M.C. Margie Ross Decter
Chorus, Dancer 3, Beauty Contestant, Narrator 7 Rabbi Brown
Lauren Glickman (Esther)
Lauren is thrilled to be performing again with the fabulous Temple Beth Avodah Arts Troupe. Favorite prior TBA roles include Tin Man in “The Wizard of Oz”, Judah in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”, and Joice Heth in “Barnum”. Offstage, she’s mom to Rachel and Daniel, and wife to Jon. At work, she’s an internist in Mass General’s primary care division. Lauren is proud to be a part of this Purim Spiel and wishes everyone a Happy Purim!
Josh Baumer (King)
Josh is so happy to be part of another TBA production, after having such a wonderful experience performing in Barnum, Joseph, and The Wizard of Oz. Josh wants to thank Emma for her direction and leadership and the entire TBA Arts Troupe team for making this fun community event possible.
Judi Boviard (Mordechai)
Judi is thrilled to be in her third TBA Arts Troupe Purim Spiel, having played Haman in Purimstock and Vashti in Forbidden Purim. Judi has been a member of TBA for over 30 years, and has truly loved the fun and friendships she’s made through the Arts Troupe, beginning with Barnum in 2016. Judi is a Toddler Teacher at Gan Shelanu and loves having a job where she can sing every day! Shout out to my very supportive kids, Jeremy and Hallie.
Neal Appel (Haman)
Neal is a temple theater veteran, having played among other roles Luther Billis in “South Pacific”, the tin man in “Wizard of Oz”, Heinzie in “The Pajama Game”, and Daddy Warbucks in “Annie”. He also helped write and performed in TBA’s “Purimstock” and performed in “Forbidden Purim”. Neal graduated from Michigan State with master’s degrees in applied mathematics and computer science and has been a software engineer ever since. He is currently a Consulting Software Engineer at Dassault Systemes, where he has amused co-workers with holiday party tunes such as Steppenwolf’s “Born to Compile”. He
lives in Brookline with his wife Barbara, has two daughters, Melissa and Julia, and five grandchildren, Rose, Maya, Lily, Briyah, and Elijah, who are all the cat’s pajamas!
Jessica Ayer (Vashti)
Jessica Ayer is often a featured singer at TBA High Holiday and Jazz Shabbat services and has appeared in several TBA musicals. Jess performed in a wide range of shows at Wheelock Family Theater, including being part of the Norton-Award-winning best ensemble for Hairspray. Having graduated BU with a bachelor’s in health science, she has since earned her Master’s as an RN and will soon earn her Doctorate as a Nurse Practitioner, both at BC. Jess thanks her family for their ongoing support and counts her favorite role as being big sister to Mia.
Bruce Blakely (Drag Queen)
Bruce is excited to reprise his role from Forbidden Purim, the show that launched a pandemic and won him “best legs in TBA” accolades. Bruce made his theater debut in the TBA production of Barnum. Despite his theatrical successes, Bruce is not yet ready to give up his day job as director of high school science product development for an educational publisher. Bruce and his wife Robin have been active members of TBA for over 10 years, and Bruce serves on the temple board and executive committee. Robin and Bruce enjoy visiting and traveling with their adult daughters Rachel and Hannah. Bruce is grateful to be working again with this wonderful cast and crew on another amazing TBA arts troupe performance.
Carole Rodenstein (Chorus, Narrator 1, Dancer 1)
Carole is so excited to be part of another Temple Beth Avodah Purim shpiel. She has participated in many Temple productions most recently in The Wizard of Oz. She has been an active member of the Temple choir as well as a regular chanting Torah. Carole is currently serving as the temple president. Carole is an Enterprise Success Manager at WebPT and an active Zumba instructor. She is married to Mark, and they have two beautiful daughters, Marissa and Jocelyn. For Carole, the performances are the true epitome of the TBA community and a chance to bond over music and dance.
Rabbi Keith Stern (Narrator 2)
In addition to leading our vibrant congregation, Keith Stern is no stranger to the Broadway stage. He’s starred in a variety of productions. When he’s not on the stage you can find him listening to jazz, cooking, reading, writing his weekly Before Shabbat column or belting our his rendition of the Mi Chamocha Blues on the TBA bimah.
Joyce College (Chorus, Narrator 3)
Joyce is thrilled to be part of the cast for the Purim Spiel. She also will be Props Manager for this performance. Joyce’s first appearance on stage was as Queen Esther in the Purim play at Hebrew school and continued to perform in high school productions. Currently retired, Joyce is a registered nurse and also holds an MBA, both degrees from Boston University. She delights in being part of TBA’s intergenerational choir. When she is not rehearsing, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Alan in Newton Highlands. Joyce loves Rabbi Stern’s Torah Class, travel, photography, Mah Jongg with friends, and her home in New Hampshire.
Ilona Goldfarb (Chorus, Narrator 4)
Ilona is so excited to participate in another Purim spiel at TBA and is thrilled that she is in so many scenes! By day, Ilona is a high risk obstetrician, a casual car singer, and a HUGE fan of Broadway musicals. Ilona is grateful to her husband Jeremy and children Jonah and Misha.
Toni Abrams Weintraub (Chorus, Narrator 5, M.C.)
Toni Abrams Weintraub. Toni’s performed in three TBA Arts Troupe musicals and this is her third Purim spiel. She is thankful for the humor and creativity of her fellow spiel songwriters (Neal, Bruce, Lauren, and Harvey) and the camaraderie and friendship of fellow troupers. When not rehearsing at TBA, Toni enjoys hiking, obsessively reading, traveling, and going to shows. She thanks Emma and Jamie for their talent and dedication to all things Purim.
Steve Ayer (Chorus, Narrator 6)
Steve is excited to be a member of the TBA Arts Troupe. This involvement has greatly increased his connection to the Temple. Steve and his daughter Jessica have been members of TBA for close to 20 years. He has been teaching in and around Boston for 25 years and is currently the K-8 Math Coach at the Ferryway School in Malden.
Margie Ross Decter (Chorus, Dancer 2, M.C.)
As a former Newton School Committee member and NewTV show host, Margie is no stranger to the spotlight. She got her first taste of the stage performing with the TBA Arts Troupe in its parody Purim shpiel, Purimstock. Margie loves to ham it up and “laugh the day away” with friends on stage!
Rabbi Michaela Brown
(Chorus, Dancer 3, Beauty Contestant, Narrator 7)
Rabbi Brown (she/her) is the rabbinic intern at Temple Beth Avodah. She is a proud alumna of her high school theater program (ask her about when she was in Cats), as well as the student-run group First Year Players at the University of Virginia. These days, most of the public “performing” she does is on the bimah, though she loves listening to Broadway cast albums, playing guitar at home, and attending live performances. She is so grateful to the TBA community for including her in this year’s spiel. AND a special thanks to Emma for all of her energy in directing the performance and being an amazing colleague and friend.
Jamie Saltman (Musical Director)
Jamie Saltman lives in South Brookline and has been a temple member for the last 30+ years, where he is the synagogue accompanist and music director of the jazz Shabbat services. He received his musical training at UMass Amherst, The New England Conservatory of Music, and The Academy of Musical Reality. He has been a jazz pianist, conductor, music teacher and music camp director for a long time.
Robin is delighted to be reprising her role as Stage Manager for the latest TBA production. This is her fifth production as part of the stage crew at TBA, following in her daughter Hannah’s South Stage techie footsteps. Robin is happy to be able to work behind the scenes helping support the cast and crew for the 2024 Purim Spiel. In addition to two daughters, Robin has two grand dogs and a new puppy, who keeps her busy.
If so, please consider supporting the arts at TBA by making a donation to our Arts Troupe fund by using this qr code.
Our short Purim spiel features music that was written in the 1920’s or was derived from musicals that were about events in the 1920’s. We had some fun revising the lyrics and the story for your amusement. The Roaring 1920’s were unique in many ways, three of which were as follows:
First, it was the Jazz Age, a term coined by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and jazz remains the one original American art form. It was the decade of big bands, Louis Armstrong, the Cotton Club, Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, the Charleston and the Black Bottom. The great Jewish jazz pianist, Willie “The Lion” Smith, presaged the great Jewish jazz greats of later decades. Sidelined by the market crash of 1929 and overpowered by the advent of rock ‘n roll music of the 1950’s and 1960’s, jazz has its niche today in small jazz venues around the world and in TBA’s iconic Jazz Shabbat.
Second, the 18th Amendment forbid the sale of alcohol beverages in the United States from January 17, 1920 until it was repealed in 1933. However, “speakeasies” that sold illegal alcohol arose everywhere and flourished. Kiddush wine that was used by synagogues was permitted and orders for it increased dramatically. A Jewish household was allowed a certain amount of wine each year for which a certification from a rabbi was required. Accordingly, Jewish congregations increased in size by a factor of ten from 1920 to 1921.
Lacking other means to earn an honest living due to antisemitism, numerous Jewish gangsters, like Meyer Lansky, Arnold “the Brain” Rothstein, “Dutch” Schultz and “Bugsy” Siegel, thrived in the illegal liquor trade. The fictional Fat
Moe’s Bar was an example of a lavish Jewish speakeasy in the great Sergio Leone film “Once Upon a Time in America,” starring Robert DeNiro and many other great actors. This movie was the Jewish equivalent of “The Godfather.” Stream the 4 hour and 11 minutes director’s cut and not the shorter dumbed-down American release.
Third, the Roaring Twenties was the beginning of women’s liberation. They had won the right to vote in 1920. “Flappers” were fashionable young women intent on enjoyment and flouting conventional feminine standards of behavior. They rejected the idea that women should uphold society’s morals through temperance and chastity. In clothes, they rejected corsets and had loose waists, higher hemlines, lighter fabrics and high heels. They smoked, had short hair, uses cosmetics and consumed illegal alcohol. They were exemplified by the fictional Daisy Buchanan in the novel, “The Great Gatsby,” and real Jewish silent movie stars, such as Theda Bara.
So, pack up your present cares and woes (Bye Bye Blackbird – 1926) and enjoy our somewhat more modern take on the ancient Purim story.
Temple Beth Avodah would like to take a moment to thank all of the following people for their help in creating this evening’s Purim experience:
We are grateful to our warm and welcoming greeters
Bev Cohen and Rae Mintz
Sarah Baratz, Beth Hicks, Mindy Golod, and Emily Jabbawy who organized all aspects of this evening’s party. A special shout out to staff members Alexa Weintraub and Eileen Brooks for supporting their efforts, and also to Eileen for creating our Playbill
Wellspring Sound provided equipment and ran sound checks throughout this afternoon
Doug Ball along with Willie Spencer and David Li for the hours spent setting up everything for this evening
Amy Tonkonogy for her valuable input on the spiel while simultaneously planning TBA’s 60th anniversary festivities
A special thank you to Emily Jabbawy and Saigel Productions for our spectacular uplighting
There are so many people behind the scenes who helped make today wonderful- there are too many people to name here, but know that we greatly appreciate all of your contributions!
Warmly,
The TBA TeamThere’s No Spiel Like Our Spiel (There’s No Business Like Show Business)
Chorus
There’s no spiel like our spiel Like no spiel that we know Everything about it is appealing Anything the rabbi will allow.
Nowhere could you get that nachas feeling When you are stealing that extra bow.
There’s no people like Troupe people, we kvell when we are low. Sometimes with a Purimspiel we know is bold, we may be thinking that it might fold.
Still we wouldn’t change it for a sack of gelt.
Let’s go on with the show!
There’s no business like shul business and we tell you it’s so. Rehearsing the show can be so thrilling, standing out in front on opening nights. Smiling as you watch the Temple filling and then the magic of the lights.
There’s no arts troupe like our arts troupe
We smile when we are low.
We all come together as a motley crew
Not much in common, but each a Jew Put a show together in a month or two
Now we finish the show, ‘Cause that’s all that we know!
Save
for a celebration of our anniversary
April 26 - May 3
Lots of exciting programs, services, and jazz... this special week will culminate with a lively Jazz Shabbat Service on May 3 followed by an elegant dessert buffet. Be on the look out for a postcard and dedicated email coming to your inbox!