Among those who took the stage in the Monmouth Reform Temple sisterhood’s March 8 benefit performance of The Vagina Monologues are, from left, Leslie Shields, Madelyne Ryterband, Beverly Gruensfelder, and Elizabeth Roos. Photo by Jill Huber
March 18, 2008
The sisterhood of Monmouth Reform Temple in Tinton Falls raised $10,000 to combat violence against women and girls with its March 8 staging of The Vagina Monologues.
The benefit performance of the play marked the 10th anniversary of V-Day, an effort initiated by playwright Eve Ensler that has funded education projects, women’s shelters, and community-based antiviolence programs around the world.
The sisterhood’s tally — which included donations and proceeds from the sale of 250 tickets — exceeded their original goal of $7,500. Any expenses incurred during the production were covered by temple funds.
Ninety percent of the profits from the sisterhood’s staging of the play will be donated to the City of Joy, a project of Panzi Hospital in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in partnership with V-Day. The project provides a refuge for Congolese women who have survived rape and torture by soldiers and rebel forces.
The remaining 10 percent will go to Katrina’s Warriors, a group working to enhance the well-being of women and girls in New Orleans and the Gulf region affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Preparations for the production drew congregants together in a spirit of tikun olam, said sisterhood copresidents Madelyne Ryterband and Elizabeth Roos.
“This was an ‘egoless’ experience,” said Ryterband, a Rumson resident who directed the 90-minute play. “The entire sisterhood, the men’s club, the social action committee, and so many other members of the congregation helped put this together. And everyone was eager to help — as soon as one part of the project was finished, everyone said ‘What’s next? We’re ready to do more.’”
Ryterband and Roos, who is the wife of Rabbi Jonathan Roos, the temple’s religious leader, originally presented the idea of a benefit performance at a sisterhood meeting. Although the play celebrates women’s empowerment, the themes and language of its linked monologues have sometimes made it controversial in performances around the globe.
“When we presented the idea at a sisterhood meeting, there was unanimous approval,” Ryterband said. “The temple’s board of directors also was unanimous in their support.”
She also sent e-mails to the 100 sisterhood members to further gauge their thoughts about the project.
“The response from the women was overwhelming,” said Ryterband. “They were so proud to be a part of this groundbreaking effort.”
Powerful motivation
Roos was concerned that some of the play’s explicit language might concern those on stage, as well as those in the audience.
“But the spirit of tikun olam was such a motivating force that it overcame any reservations,” said Roos, who lives in Red Bank. “This production became a catalyst for change about how to treat women and girls who are trying to cope with the violence in their lives. The temple members wanted to be a part of this effort.”
The 20-member cast included Leslie Shields of Colts Neck, who also had performed in the play at Brookdale Community College in Lincroft several years ago.
“The first time I rehearsed the play at Brookdale, I couldn’t even say the ‘V’ word in the title,” she said. “It took me a month to choke it out. But look at me now! I have no trouble with any of the dialogue. I’ve reached a different comfort level. I think presenting this play makes us trailblazers.”
The cast began rehearsing in February and were kept to a three-rehearsal maximum, in accordance with V-Day policy.
“The idea was that fewer rehearsals will lead to a more genuine reading,” said Beverly Gruensfelder of Tinton Falls. “It also reduced production expenses. But we felt that tikun olam was a powerful motivation. If women in the Democratic Republic of Congo are coping with so much violence and degradation, we can do something right here that will help them. We became part of something on a global level.”
One of the most important aspects of the project is the way it fostered a sense of community among the congregation members, said Rabbi Roos.
“The preparations were perhaps more important than the play itself,” he said. “Through this production, women from across the spectrum of our congregation and beyond have been drawn closer to each other and to the cause of stopping violence against women.”
The production and its connection to V-Day reflect core Jewish values, he added.
“Torah and talmudic statements say you shall not remain indifferent and stand by while a neighbor bleeds,” Roos said. “In a way, the Torah can be reduced to a few principles, all of which involve tzedaka, pursuit of justice, and acts of loving-kindness.”
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