‘Miracles’ in Motion: Meorot 2025 Captivates With Dance, Music and Heart

(Courtesy of Meorot) The recent Meorot production at the Bergen County Academies Theater was a resounding success, attracting over 1,500 women and girls from near and far. The song and dance performances featured professionally choreographed dance routines, original musical compositions and popular Jewish songs, as well as expertly custom-crafted costumes, all centered around the theme of “Miracles.”

Meorot, an initiative by NCSY Summer, brings together middle and high school aged girls from various schools to experience the beauty of performing arts, teamwork and community. Participants receive technical vocal training and dance skill-building, culminating in a high-quality production that serves as a significant fundraiser for NCSY’s summer programs. NCSY Summer co-chair and founding producer, Miriam Pfieffer, expressed that the theme of “Miracles” tied in perfectly with NCSY Summer 2024, when the fact that the programs ran was a miracle itself.

The Meorot production showcased the talents of the performers while also highlighting the strong sense of community and support among the attendees. The Bergen County Academies Theater provided plenty of backstage space for the 240 performers, along with their makeup bags and curling irons, as well as the directors, volunteer teens and moms who helped supervise.

Dancers begin the Meorot program in fifth grade and continue through high school. Lessons progress over the course of the program, with fifth-graders dancing a modified and modest version of hip-hop, and advancing to contemporary in eighth grade and lyrical in high school. Different dancing styles and techniques are displayed throughout the performance. Costumes range from fun to elegant and each costume ensemble is designed to highlight the girls’ dancing along with their modesty. Dance Director Stacey Salkin oversaw the choreography, and was assisted by high schoolers Atara Rothstein, Ally Smilow, Avital Schlissel and Sophie Klapper. The younger dancers look up to their dance instructors, and the connections formed at weekly rehearsals, which began back in September, are another element of the magic of Meorot.

Meorot began in 2019 and has since run six successful performances. Each year a theme is conveyed through song, dance, color and light. Previous themes included “Storm the Heavens” in 2023, “Redemption” in 2024, and now “Miracles” in 2025.

Over the past year and a half, the Jewish community has experienced a time that is difficult to describe in words. Meorot is a performing arts event for women and girls that gives expression to hundreds of talented Jewish girls and is exactly that—something beyond words. Song and dance convey and elicit emotions for both performers and audience members. Many smiles and tears were seen this past Sunday.

Audience member Miriam Kaminetsky said: “I love taking my daughter to Meorot. I love how she gets to see good role models—frum women and girls up on stage, singing and dancing; it is such a beautiful outlet for these girls. Music is the language of the soul, and the event was just unbelievable.” Meorot choir mom Kayla Rabinowich commented on how the show struck a balance between celebrating the girls and acknowledging the times we are currently living in. “Meorot sets the bar for true excellence in programming for our girls. What a stunning show, in every way.” The finale featured the entire audience rising for “Hatikvah” and singing along with Teaneck soloist Gabby Schlagbaum.

Popular songs such as Yaakov Shwekey’s “We Are a Miracle” and “Ani Maamin” by TAI were featured by the choir, with soloists Shira Ginzberg and Pepa Colton bringing the audience to tears. The senior chorus performed the hit song, Eyal Golan’s “Am Yisrael Chai,” featuring twin soloists Dahlia and Aviva Angel, Shira Dym, Adina Fishkin and Gabrielle Schachter, while the high school dance troupe did a hip-hop dance along with the singers on stage. Choir Directors Aliza Schiff and Yaeli Weisberger brought new choreography to the choral numbers. Singing sensation sisters, Directors Naomi Schiff of Teaneck and Sorah Shaffren of Bergenfield, sang a medley of upbeat popular Jewish songs as well as an original composition, “All the Miracles,” which is set to be released on all music streaming platforms soon.

One highlight of the show was Roberta Shapiro, mother of directors Sorah and Naomi. For the theme of “Miracles,” the penultimate number began with Roberta singing “Oyfen Pripetchik,” in the original Yiddish. Meorot dance mom Aviva Novak said: “My mother quickly took out her phone to record Mrs. Shapiro. She wanted to show it to her 96-year-old mother, who was unable to attend. Her mother sang ‘Oyfen Pripetchik’ to her all the time!” The choir joined Roberta on stage and sang “From the Ashes,” Abie Rotenberg’s song about the miracle of Holocaust survivors rising above their dark past and building new communities against all odds. The song culminated in “Hatikvah,” in which the audience joined. The miracle of the survival of our people was expressed in this emotional musical journey. “I was crying through the whole thing!” exclaimed Rebbetzin Efrat Sobolofsky.

On Sunday morning, about an hour before the curtain rose for Meorot 2025, the choir stood in a circle, hand in hand. Shaffren told them, “We just read in yesterday’s Torah portion about Moshe leading the Jewish People in song after the miracle of the splitting of the sea. Right after that, Miriam led the women in their own dancing and singing, with the timbrels they brought along with them. The Sages say that the women’s celebration was superior to that of the men’s, since they had musical instruments. Miriam knew to prepare for the redemption. Girls, when Moshiach comes, you are prepared to be the leaders of the women’s celebration!”