Heartbeats, Ma’ayanot’s highly anticipated annual Night of Song, Dance and Connection open to all women in the community, will take place on Wednesday evening, June 1, at 7 at the Hackensack Middle School, 360 Union Street in Hackensack. Started several years ago by three students in the Class of 2009, Heartbeats is an annual student-created and student-directed performance open to women of the community. Each year Heartbeats organizers choose a charity to which the proceeds of that year’s performances will be donated, and over the years over $50,000 has been donated to a variety of organizations, including Sharsheret, Save a Child’s Heart (SACH), Chabad Children of Chernobyl and The Lone Soldier Center, to name just a few.
Preparations for this year’s production began almost a full year ago when the current Heartbeats staff, then rising seniors, was chosen: Denny Tammam and Davida Respler were chosen as business managers; Chana Waintraub, Ellie Blanchard and Tamar Nissel as dance directors and Adina Rosenberg, Abby Steifel, Gabi Lerner and Avigayil Schiff as song directors. Ms. Elana Flaumenhaft, Assistant Principal for Student Life, serves as faculty advisor for the event.
As in past years, the Heartbeats staff selected the beneficiary charity; this year’s staff unanimously voted for Bat Melech, a shelter for victims of domestic violence. When asked why Bat Melech was chosen, Ms. Tammam explained, “Because we are an all-girls school, we wanted an organization that benefits women, and as Bat Melech is the only shelter of its kind in Israel that serves religious women, we realized that they could really use our help.”
Indeed, the entire senior grade is enthusiastic about raising money for Bat Melech, and they have come up with numerous ways, in addition to ticket sales, to raise as much as possible for their chosen cause. Before Pesach they ran a car wash; they are soliciting both business ads and friend and family ads that will appear in the playbill and they are selling food to Ma’ayanot underclassmen during breakfast and lunch.
Noteworthy this year is the change in venue for the event. “Last year Heartbeats was in Temple Emeth,” explained Ms. Tammam, “and even with 500 seats, we had standing room only. Hackensack Middle School, where the event will be held, can seat over 600, and we hope to fill them all!”
A final noteworthy component of Heartbeats is the inclusion of Sinai students; as they did last year, Sinai students will perform an original dance routine with Ma’ayanot students from all four grades. Mrs Sima Morell Kelner, Director of Sinai Ma’ayanot, explained the importance of such inclusion: “It means so much to our girls and their families that they are included in such an enriching experience. They see themselves as part of the greater community and you can see their pride.”
For additional information, or to purchase tickets, email info@ma’ayanot.org.
