Yentl Takes Center Stage in Celebration of Yiddish Culture
 

This spring an eclectic group of faculty and staff members spent a lively evening discussing the story of Yentl -- actually, four versions of it.

After reading a translation of the Yiddish short story "Yentl the Yeshiva Boy" by Nobel Prize-winner Isaac Bashevis Singer, the group examined the subsequent Broadway play, viewed excerpts from the Barbra Streisand movie, and discussed this spring's Ithaca College theater arts department production of the play. But the group didn't limit itself to the dramatic merits of each retelling. Instead the story of Yentl became a springboard to foster interdisciplinary engagement on the broader subject of Yiddish culture.

The examination of Yentl's story was part of IC's 2003-4 celebration of Yiddishkeit, or Eastern European Jewish culture. Yentl not only played a recurring role in the celebration -- it serendipitously led to the idea in the first place. The seeds were planted when theater arts director Arno Selco approached Hillel and the Jewish studies program for advice on staging the College's production.

"Arno's choice of the play inspired Hillel director Michael Faber with the idea of exploring Yiddish culture throughout the year," said Barbara Johnson, coordinator of the Jewish studies program and associate professor of anthropology. "That's what got everything rolling. Yentl speaks to so many issues; it seemed an ideal way to involve a broad cross-section of the College community in a celebration of Yiddish culture."

Indeed, Yentl presents an interesting platform from which to explore the topic. The story revolves around a young Jewish woman in 19th century Eastern Europe who disguises herself as a man, so she can study religious texts. The work is open to multiple interpretations and explores concepts as diverse as religious tradition, history, change, ethics, and gender identity.

"It's a strange, wonderful, problematic story that touches so many issues and crosses so many disciplines," Johnson said. "It has provided an ideal way to reach out across campus."

Sponsored by the Jewish studies program and IC Hillel, the yearlong Yiddishkeit celebration transcended disciplines. Among the activities, poet-activist Irena Klepfisz of Barnard College presented a lecture entitled "The Unbroken Thread: Yiddish, Secular Yidishkayt and der Khurbn (the Holocaust)." From the School of Music, the Ithaca College Klezmorim presented a klezmer concert and dance party with internationally renowned clarinetist Joel Rubin as its guest performer. The Roy H. Park School of Communications added its voice, hosting Streisand's Yentl with a lecture by Brandeis University history professor Stephen Whitfield, followed by an additional lecture on lesbian and gay subtexts in Yiddish film by film historian Eve Sicular. The celebration culminated with the theater arts department production of Yentl.

The series on Yiddish culture is indicative of the College's growing reputation in the field of interdisciplinary Jewish studies. A minor in Jewish studies was added to the curriculum this academic year. Coordinated by Johnson and Rebecca Lesses, the program utilizes courses in religion, anthropology, sociology, politics, English, Hebrew, and music -- giving students broad perspectives of Jewish history, religion, and culture. Active connections with Hillel, the theater arts department, the Park School, and the music school further broaden the educational avenues, both inside and outside the classroom. HS