With the upcoming Meorot Production entitled “Eternity,” planned for February 6, 2022, the highly successful all-girls performance in partnership with NCSY Summer Programs will have created a “chazaka” of three performances. The growing number of young ladies participating, currently 125, and the ever-increasing professionalism of the production in a new, larger, professional-grade venue, will no doubt make this coming year’s production the best ever.
”Eternity” will present different aspects of the concept of “L’Olam Va’ed” through song and dance. The young “stars” are currently students in grades 5 through 10, from schools in the greater Bergen County community as well as surrounding areas including RYNJ, Yavneh Academy, Yeshivat Noam, Yeshivat HeAtid, Yeshiva Beit Hillel, The Shefa School, YRSRH (Breuers), Naaleh, Maayanot, Yeshivat Frisch, and the Sinai Program at RYNJ. Clearly, in addition to honing their creative talents in song and dance and learning to perform in front of formal audiences, the young ladies are making new and fast friends and understanding the true meaning of teamwork. There are currently 35 young girls in choir and 88 in dance.
Miriam Pfeiffer of Teaneck, who serves as the co-chair of NCSY’s Summer Programs with Elizabeth Kurtz of the Five Towns, as well as serving on the Youth Commision Board of NCSY, expressed her excitement at the upcoming program. “I am so grateful that Meorot 2022 is happening, and love working with these amazing and talented women directors,” she said. “While there is so much to coordinate, it is extremely gratifying to see how the girls are thoroughly enjoying themselves as they expand their skills and forge new friendships along the way. This upcoming performance promises to be not only an entertaining ladies’ night out but also a unifying event for our community, greatly benefiting NCSY’s over 20 summer programs.”
Teaneck sisters Naomi Schiff and Sorah Shaffren have served as creative directors and music directors of Meorot since its inception, together with Laya Kaufman. They each expressed their enthusiasm about the program and its ramifications. Schiff shared: “We are thrilled to be back after the hiatus last year, and our growth in numbers to 35 girls in choir reflects the excitement about Meorot that has been building up since its inception. We began rehearsals for the upcoming 2022 program in April of 2021, and it promises to be our most professional performance yet.
“We have engaged several professional musicians to collaborate with us, which is just one more secret to our great success,” Schiff continued. “These musicians include Hillel Kapnick, Yehuda Pinsker, Ruli Ezrachi, Itzik Dadya and the Israeli band Hachaverim M’Shaar Yafo.They are all so impressed with our girls that they have offered their services to us as a professional courtesy.”
Shaffren added: “The world of Orthodox female musical artists has seen tremendous growth over the last few years. Tznius women-only performances are gaining momentum and inspiring young girls to pursue their talents with passion. The creative team at Meorot, made up of dance instructors, professional singers, musicians and costume designers, serve as role models for our girls and affirm that there is an opportunity to express themselves creatively in the frum world.”
Dance Director Elie Rubin says of her 88 young ladies: “I have never witnessed this amount of talent before. When the curtains open on the afternoon of February 6, Bergen County and environs will not believe their eyes. It is truly a privilege to motivate and choreograph our troupe of young performers. These girls truly embody ‘meorot,’ luminaries, and will return again shining brighter than ever before.”
Sophie Greenberg, a fifth grader at the Shefa School, attends the Sunday Meorot dance practices at Dance Dimensions. “Rehearsing for Meorot gives me something to look forward to every week,” she said. “Elie makes dancing so much fun. I also get to meet a lot of new girls at the rehearsals.”
The Meorot Production is overseen by a devoted rebbetzin committee including Peshie Neuberger, Chaviva Rothwachs, Efrat Sobolofsky, Adina Weiner and Michal Zahtz. Serving as Meorot chairpersons who have devoted countless hours to arranging the logistics for the rehearsals, the playbill, fundraising and spreading the word to the communities are Mindy Daar, Jennifer Friedman, Rebecca Stein, Elana Smilow and Rebecca Rothstein. Pfeiffer sends a special thank you to Rina Emerson, CEO of NCSY, and David Cutler, director of NCSY Summer Programs, as well as the NCSY office staff for their support throughout the planning stages of Meorot.
The venue for the Sunday afternoon, February 6 performance is The Bergen County Academies, located conveniently at 200 Hackensack Avenue in Hackensack. The 1,200-seat performance space will lend an even more professional ambience to the upcoming performance and will allow for more attendees.
Ticket information will appear in The Jewish Link beginning December 3, 2021. Tickets will range in price, but price should not deter attendance. The Meorot team will be assembling a playbill with space for advertisements. Teens and tweens who have their own businesses are encouraged to advertise in the playbill for a nominal fee of $25 and an opportunity to get the word out about their products to over 1,000 women. To place an ad in the playbill, visit www.SUMMER.NCSY.ORG/MEOROTADS.
By Pearl Markovitz
