First Individual is the place Chalkbeat options private essays by educators, college students, dad and mom, and others considering and writing about public training.
When my highschool introduced its upcoming theater manufacturing of “Fiddler on the Roof” again in April 2023, I used to be thrilled.
The musical, which tells the story of a poor, Japanese European Jewish household within the early twentieth century, had at all times been my dream present. As a pupil theater director (and likewise a lighting and graphic designer), I by no means anticipated to be a part of a “Fiddler” manufacturing so early in my profession.
I’m a sophomore at a public highschool the place I’m one of some Jewish college students. Amid my pleasure, one concern weighed closely on me given the present’s explicitly Jewish subject material: antisemitism. The thought made me sick to my abdomen.
This musical, primarily based on quick tales by the Yiddish-language author Sholem Aleichem, was near my coronary heart. Seeing it on our faculty stage, produced by our theater division, was going to be additional particular for me. Nonetheless, I thought of resigning slightly than revealing to the forged and crew that I’m Jewish. I had stored that a part of myself hidden ever since elementary faculty once I was bullied for my Jewish religion.
I shared my issues with a trusted trainer after which reached out to my grownup co-directors — one in all whom, I used to be shocked to be taught, can be Jewish. Having somebody who understood the depth of my emotions concerning the present and the potential reactions to it meant the world to me. After some deep dialogue, we felt that planning instructional occasions concerning the present and its themes would profit the forged and crew, most of whom will not be Jewish.
Then got here the information of the occasions of Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, starting the continued Israel-Hamas struggle. It made me really feel much more overwhelmed and terrified. I had new “what ifs” going by way of my head. Would there be protesters on the performances? How are the youngsters going to deal with the present’s Jewish content material now? Was it actually one of the best time to placed on this explicit manufacturing?
My co-directors and I organized a number of instructional occasions, together with anti-bias peer coaching led by the Anti-Defamation League. Choose tenth and eleventh graders realized how you can fight stereotypes about individuals and teams. We additionally hosted a conventional Shabbat celebration, just like the “Sabbath Prayer” scene in “Fiddler,” and introduced in genuine clothes and ritual objects used on the Sabbath.
I used to be moved and overjoyed to witness my friends’ enthusiasm for studying concerning the Jewish religion and its rituals. The celebration was proof of the sturdy group inside our theater division and a reminder of the ability of custom and togetherness.
Moreover, I created a Yiddish pronunciation information and invited native Jewish leaders — a rabbi, cantor, and rebbitzin (rabbi’s spouse) — to talk to the forged and crew. These visits gave college students the chance to ask questions and have interaction with the tradition they’d be depicting. They wished to know, for instance, why many observant Jews cowl their head, the importance of the Jewish prayer scarf, or tallit, and what “Fiddler on the Roof” meant to Jewish communal leaders.
By opening night time, Feb. 29, 2024, I lastly felt comfy sufficient to put on my Star of David necklace out within the open. It was the primary time I had worn a logo of my faith exterior of an all-Jewish surroundings and the primary time I used to be totally candid about my religion with the forged and crew.
I had by no means thought of carrying any sort of Jewish jewellery in public. However after this expertise, I felt a newfound delight and connection to my religion. Now, I at all times have some sort of Star of David on me — a necklace, earrings, bracelet, or watch appeal.
Earlier than the premiere, the Jewish co-director and I additionally stated the “Shehecheyanu,” a prayer expressing gratitude for a brand new or big day. The prayer made the second much more significant.
Placing on this present was a major problem, nevertheless it confirmed me individuals’s capability for studying about totally different faiths, backgrounds, and cultures. It additionally revealed how accepting the scholars within the theater division are.
Regardless of my preliminary fears, it turned out to be the right time to stage this manufacturing as a result of it introduced pleasure and understanding to those that noticed it. It was a present, infused with historical past and which means, to the native Jewish group and to the group at giant. Following the performances, I additionally heard from a number of different Jewish college students who hadn’t been open about their religion both.
Trying again on this faculty 12 months, I can’t consider how far I’ve come and the way a lot I’ve grown. I’ll at all times cherish the delight and pleasure I skilled whereas embracing part of myself that had been hidden for too lengthy.
Samantha Alexander is a pupil director with six years of expertise. Through the faculty 12 months, Samantha serves as a theater director, lighting designer, and graphic designer in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Through the summer time, she works as a specialist in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, the place she continues to sharpen her abilities and push the boundaries of what’s potential on this planet of theater. When she is just not directing, she enjoys writing, creating handmade jewellery, and touring.
