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TSHUVA - THE MUSICAL Copyright Akiva Lane, 2022, All Rights Reserved akivalane@gmail.com |
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ACT
1 -
Jay’s
(Yossi’s)
apartment on the Upper West Side, setting up for his Sholom Zochor
Yossi – Barry and David, I really
appreciate your helping me set up
for my Shalom Zachor.
Barry – After a hard week in our big law firms, we
usually have dinner
and go partying Friday night – so you should be grateful.
David – And I had an especially hard week, with my
boss putting so much
pressure on me to do something that is, maybe unethical. But Jay, we’re
almost
finished setting up, and it hasn’t taken that long. Your brother and I
still
have time to have dinner out and go bar hopping.
What is this Shalom Zachor all about, anyway?
Yossi – David, you can call me by my Hebrew name,
Yossi. As you know,
I’m now the proud father
of a baby boy who was born yesterday.
Members of the shul come over on the Friday evening after
a baby boy is
born to wish the father a mazel tov.
Obviously, Sarah would have helped set up, but as you
know, she and the
baby are still in the hospital.
Barry – Jay, oh yeah Yossi, I can’t believe you
became Orthodox. Of
all our relatives, and all our
friends from Great Neck, I think you’re the only one. I don’t
understand why
you’ve adopted these ancient, outdated rituals.
Yossi – I know two other guys from Great Neck who
also become Baalei Tshuva,
“returners to religion” – Saul Behr and Randy Jacobs.
Barry and David – Yeah, really, they did?
Yossi – Yeah. It’s the best thing I ever did. My
life has more meaning,
and I feel more connected - to my religion, my people, and G-d.
David – Yossi, we’ve been friends all our lives,
and I must admit it
doesn’t make too much sense to me either
But, hey, if you like it, more power to you.
Barry – As your older brother, I have to give you
my sagacious advice –
you’ve put yourself in an ancient prison.
(Rabbi Goldberg walks in)
Yossi – Rabbi Goldberg, I’m so glad you came, good
Shabbos.
Rabbi – Yossi, Mazel Tov, and M’Yirtz’Hahsem, I’ll
be at the bris on
Thursday. How’s
Sarah and the
baby?
Yossi – They’re doing fine, resting, though the
hospital doesn’t have a
great Shabbos atmosphere. Let
me introduce
you to my older brother Barry, and our friend David Kahn.
We all grew up together on
Long Island.
Rabbi – Barry, David, pleased to meet you, good
Shabbos
David – Pleased to meet you Rabbi Goldberg.
Barry – Rabbi, actually I have a bone to pick with
you. You’ve
brainwashed my brother, and
threw him back into the middle ages.
He won’t even eat at our home anymore.
Yossi – Barry, do we have to do get into this now?
Rabbi – Oh, it’s OK Yossi, this is part of my job.
Barry, you see, it’s hard
to understand
in our materialistic, consumer age, that there’s a spiritual side to
life. That the real
goal of life is to uplift
our souls, not just to have fun and acquire expensive toys.
Barry – Rabbi, I believe it’s important to be a good
person. But you’ve
got to leave over time to
have a good time. And
science has
never found a spiritual world. Religion, with all its ritual and
praying seems
like so much antiquated mumbo jumbo.
Rabbi – Barry, the bottom line is that we all have
souls, and it’s
crucial that we raise them up.
Barry – Rabbi, everyone has a personality, but
science has never found
evidence of a soul
Rabbi – Barry, let me explain what I mean.
THE SOUL
(music)
THE SOUL (words)
Barry – That’s all unproven, Rabbi Goldberg.
Rabbi – Barry, I must admit that on the surface,
this is not all
self-evident. And to get even deeper, our soul is holy, a kind of
reflection of
Hashem.
David – What does the word Hashem mean?
Rabbi – Oh, that’s how we colloquially refer to G-d. We say that creation and
history bear
the imprint of the Yad Hashem, the hand of G-d.
David – But how can you be sure that G-d exists?
Rabbi – Frankly, I believe if you look closely
enough, with enough
sensitivity and an open mind, you can see evidence of the Yad Hashem,
the hand
of the Creator, everywhere.
YAD HASHEM
(music)
YAD HASHEM (words)
Barry –
Rabbi, you’re just trying to
brainwash me and David, just
like you brainwashed Jay, I mean Yossi.
I believe that as long as your heart is in the right
place, and you’re a
good and honest person, that’s good enough.
In today’s age, that’s plenty.
Rabbi – I agree that honesty is important and
essential.
Barry – If you can be an honest man in today’s
world, I think that’s
accomplishing a lot. For me, that’s enough.
No castles in the sky for me.
HONEST
MAN (music)
HONEST MAN (words)
Yossi –
Hey guys, a Shalom Zachor is
supposed to be a time of
celebration, not argumentation.
Barry – When else do I get a chance to speak my mind
about these topics?
David – Actually, I find the topic interesting.
I’ve hardly had any
contact with anything Jewish in my life.
Yossi – In truth, the main reason I started looking
into my Jewish roots
was that its lifestyle seemed a wholesome one for raising a family.
Barry – With having a kid at your young age, you
got off to an early
start. Maybe you’ll
have 10 kids
all crying at the same time.
Yossi – No really, it’s all more wholesome. And I
feel more
connected. I feel a
greater sense
of belonging to the Jewish people, and its long and profound tradition,
that
goes back over 3500 years.
ONE
BIG FAMILY
(music)
ONE BIG FAMILY
(words)
David –
Rabbi, I have a question that has
been bothering me all
week. Can I ask it
to you?
Rabbi – Sure, David.
David – My boss is kind of encouraging me to do
something that doesn’t
feel right, doesn’t feel ethical.
Rabbi – What’s that?
David – It turns out that an old flame of mine
works for an opposing law
firm on a big case. My
boss wants
me to just become friends with her again.
Not to seek any information, but if she happens to say
something that’s
relevant, he thinks it might be helpful
Rabbi – I see.
In Jewish
law, there are several types of stealing.
One is physical stealing, called Genava.
That is where someone steals a physical thing, like a
bicycle or a $100. But
there’s
also a less tangible kind of stealing, called Genevas Das.
Literally it means
stealing a person’s
thoughts. In
actually it means
fooling or misleading someone.
What your boss wants you to do is Genevas Das. By not
telling this woman
that your real intention is to get inside information from her, it’s a
more
subtle form of stealing. But
it’s
still stealing.
David – Rabbi, that’s really brilliant.
Barry – Rabbi, I think you’ve done a good job of
Genevas Das on my
brother. You’ve
stolen his mind,
and he’s become a robot.
Yossi – Barry, lay off!
Barry – I’m just feeling guilty I didn’t try to
protect you sooner.
Rabbi – Frankly, David, I’m impressed that you’re
sensitive to this kind
of subtle issue of honesty. Most
ambitious young lawyers would do anything to get ahead.
David – Rabbi, I actually grew up in a very ethical
home. It may not
have been religious, but my
parents were very moral. For
example, let me tell you about my wonderful father, who I’ve always
looked up
to as a paradigm of honesty.
MY
FATHER’S WORDS
(music)
MY
FATHER'S WORDS (words)
Rabbi – By the way, as Yossi knows, next month
there’s a shul trip to
Israel. You’re all
welcome to join
us.
Yossi – I wish I could go, but I’ve got to stay home
with Sarah and our
new baby.
Barry – Rabbi, I’m not going to let you get any
closer to me.
David – When is it?
Rabbi – The first week in May.
Israel is beautiful then.
Actually, Israel is beautiful all year long.
David – You know what, I’ve never even thought of
going to Israel before. Maybe
I should learn a little about
Jewish history.
Barry – Oh, no, David, don’t get sucked into this
trap.
David – Barry, I’m an intellectual, Summa Cum
Laude, Law Review. I’m
not the brain-washable type. Why
shouldn’t I visit Israel?
Rabbi – It’s something our people couldn’t do for
thousands of
years. The rebirth
of Israel has
been an amazing phenomenon, like a Phoenix rising from the ashes.
David – And I’ve got some vacation days coming –
why not?
Rabbi – Let me tell you just a little about how I
feel about Israel.
OUR
HEARTS ARE IN
YISROEL (music)
OUR
HEARTS ARE IN
YISROEL (words)
ACT
2 – The Kotel.
Barry and Yossi are tour
guides who made Aliyah
from America 20 years ago. Barry is Ari, and Yossi is Mendy.
Rabbi – Well, David, I guess not many from
our shul’s tour chose to
come to the Kotel at 5AM - just you and me, and the two tour guides.
David – I’ve never been to the Kotel before. Look
at those stones shine.
It’s overwhelmingly awe inspiring.
Ari – It certainly is.
This
spot has been the center of religious life in the world ever since
Avraham was
ready to offer Yitzchak here 3700 years ago.
Mendy – The Kotel is all that remains of one wall of
Herod’s temple that
was destroyed by the Romans about 2000 years ago.
Ari – The Shechina, Hashem’s presence, rested here
in the Holy Temples
for a total of 830 years during the first and second temples. And you
can still
feel some of the Shechina that remains.
Mendy – We all hope that the Shechina returns
completely, and soon, with
the redemption, the Geula, with the rebuilding of the third temple,
right here.
Rabbi – Amen.
SHECHINA
(music)
SHECHINA (words)
David –
(talking to the two guides) – How
long have you been in
Israel?
Ari – I came 22 years ago from Chicago, and never
looked back. I met
my wife here, and have 8 wonderful
children.
Mendy – I came right after I got married 19 years
ago, from Los
Angeles. Israel
isn’t a startup
anymore. You
couldn’t even visit
the Kotel before 1967. Israel
has
one of the fastest growing economies in the world.
All of us Israelis feel a tremendous pride in what we’ve
accomplished, rebuilding our homeland, after it lay desolate for 2000
years,
while the whole Jewish people wandered around the four corners of the
globe.
WE’VE
ONLY JUST
BEGUN (music)
WE’VE ONLY JUST
BEGUN (words)
David –
But it’s still better economically
in America. Why
would a person move here, when he
can do better financially in the US?
Rabbi – Because, David, there’s more to life that
just money. Here
you can be Jewish 100%. And you
can feel the extra holiness here.
Ari – Rabbi, then how come you haven’t moved here?
Rabbi – I’ve thought about that question many times
over the years. Every
time I visit I feel a tremendous
pull. But there are
more than
enough Rabbis here. And
I’m kind
of attached to my congregation, and feel I’m making a contribution in
America.
Mendy – In the not too distant future, all the Jews
in the world will be
returning to the holy land of Israel.
Ari – It’s the process called Kibbutz Golius, the
ingathering of the
exiles, bringing the Jews from every part of the world back to their
homeland.
Mendy – There are now more Jews here than in
America. And soon
the majority of the Jews in
the world will be living in Israel.
Ari – All Jews should get their bags ready!
RUSH (music)
RUSH (words)
David –
And you say that the third temple
is going to be build right
here?
Rabbi – That’s something that all religious Jews
fervently believe.
Ari – Moshiach and the Redemption are right around
the corner.
David – Are all Jews going to become religious?
Mendy – We welcome all them with open arms to
return to their roots.
HOUSE
IN
JERUSALEM (music)
HOUSE IN
JERUSALEM (words)
Rabbi –
Well, David, what do you think of
the Kotel at sunrise?
David – Maybe it’s my imagination, but I can
actually feel the holiness.
Rabbi – I’m going to put on my talis and teffilin
and join a minyan over
there.
David – This is a real eye-opener for me. I
never knew more about
Judaism than gefilte fish. I
sense there’s a wellspring of stuff
to delve into. But
Rabbi, I’m not
ready to become religious. First of all, Barry would kill me. But the lifestyle is too
much of a
transition for me. It’s
too
restrictive, I like my freedom.
Rabbi – Hashem gives us free will to investigate and
make choices.
David – Frankly, Rabbi, I’m a bit confused. My
emotions are pulling me
in different directions.
Rabbi – David, I have a confession to make.
Whenever I visit Israel, I
also get confused, because I
can’t remember why I’m not living here.
It’s true that my congregation and much of our family is
back in the
states. But the
Rebetzen and I
have a lot of family here too.
David – I wish things were clearer.
Rabbi – Hashem didn’t mean for life to be that
unchallenging!
WINDSTORMS
OF THE HEART
(music)
WINDSTORMS
OF THE HEART
(words)
ACT
3 – Shavuous in Shul,
Back in New York
Barry – David, I can’t believe I let you drag me to Shul for
an all night
learning session!
David – Barry, you’re still my closest friend, and
ever since my father
passed away 4 weeks ago, I’ve felt an extra need for family and
friends. I
appreciate your coming with me tonight.
Barry – But staying up all night learning! What is
this holiday called
again?
David – It’s called Shavuous. Rabbi Goldberg
mentioned it a few times in
his talks tonight. He, and the other speakers, have been pretty
interesting. You
know, Barry, I
just needed the feeling of community tonight, and I also needed you
here.
Barry – David, I also need friends, family, and
community. But
don’t fall into the trap that my
little brother Jay, I mean Yossi, did.
The religious community doesn’t offer these things any
more than anybody
else.
David – Possibly you’re right.
The people just seem a bit more accessible, a bit warmer.
Barry – That’s just an illusion.
They just want to drag you into the same prison that they
live in. Look,
we’ve been good friends all our
lives. That didn’t have anything to do with religion
Religion has separated Jay from our family, he won’t even
eat our Mom’s Thanksgiving turkey anymore.
You don’t have to be religious to believe that friends and
family are at the center of our lives. We’ve got to be with people we
love, and
who love us.
PEOPLE WE LOVE
(music)
PEOPLE
WE LOVE (words)
David –
Boy, Yossi and Rabbi Goldberg are
really into this learning
together!
Barry – What’s with this staying up all night
learning, anyway?
David – From the way it’s been explained to me,
Barry, Shavuous was when
the Jews first got the Torah at Mount Sinai, 49 days after leaving
Egypt.
Barry – But why stay up all night?
David – I think it’s got something to do with
showing their love for the
Torah that they received. Listen,
Yossi and Rabbi Goldberg are talking about it now.
GONNA
GET THE TORAH
TONIGHT (music)
GONNA
GET THE
TORAH TONIGHT (words)
Yossi
– You know Rabbi, Shavuous is one of
my favorite holidays. After
spending the whole night
learning, I feel so
spiritual.
Rabbi – Yossi, it has the same effect on me.
Yossi – And it makes me feel closer to Hashem.
Rabbi – I feel that, too.
YOU ARE
ONE (music)
YOU ARE ONE (words)
Yossi –
David, Barry, you just about made
it through the night.
Barry – The only thing it makes me feel is tired.
Rabbi – David, how have you been feeling lately?
It’s been just about a
month, hasn’t
it, since your father left us. Our sages say that it takes a year to
deal with
the passing away of a parent.
David – There’s an empty void inside me. I
really miss my Dad.
Yossi – I remember your Dad well, I used to confide
in him. He was a
genuinely good person.
Rabbi – David, I know it’s not easy. There’s a lot
in life that’s
difficult. But one
thing that
helps me is to look at life as a series of tests that actually helps me
grow. And during
each test, it’s
important to remember that we have the strength inside to find inner
resources
from the experience, and that we can do it if we try.
WE CAN DO
IT IF WE
TRY (music)
WE CAN DO IT IF WE
TRY (words)
David –
As you know, my Dad had the heart
attack right after I got
back from Israel. During
that last
week, when he was in the hospital, I spent almost all my time with him. We talked a lot.
Yossi – David, it sounds like it was a special time
with your Dad.
David – It was.
And then
the night he passed away, it was the strangest experience.
You know, Rabbi, how you
talk about
people having a soul. I
could
almost see the soul of my father leaving his body.
Rabbi – The soul goes back to Heaven, to bask in
the spiritual light of
Hashem.
David – Let me try to explain how I felt that
night, sitting next to my
Dad. It was so
strange. I actually
had an image of life being a
marriage between the soul and the body.
LIFE IS
A HOLY AND
WONDROUS THINGS (music)
LIFE
IS A
HOLY AND WONDROUS THING (words)
Yossi –
Well, it’s almost 5AM. It’s almost
time to start davening.
Barry – I’m totally pooped, David.
I’m going home to get some sleep. It’s Sunday, and I think
I’m going to
get a good day’s sleep.
David – You know, Barry, I think I’m going to join
you. I hope you’re
not offended Rabbi if I
don’t stay for the prayers.
Rabbi – Not at all.
I think
it’s marvelous that you stayed up all night learning.
David – I don’t want to push myself too much.
Barry – Well I feel like you pushing you – through
the door and out of
here.
Yossi – We all have to do Tshuva at whatever speed
we can, isn’t that
right Rabbi?
David – I’ve been meaning to ask you, what does the
word Tshuva mean?
Rabbi – Tshuva means returning.
Returning to the Jewish people, returning to the Torah,
returning to the
purest part of ourselves, returning to Hashem.
TSHUVA
(music)
TSHUVA (words)
Rabbi
– David, I’m speaking from the heart
when I say that I really
feel honored to know you. I can sense that you have an uplifted and
sensitive
soul.
David – I feel the same way about you Rabbi.
Barry – I think I hear violins in the background.
Yossi – Barry, you’re the perpetual cynic.
Barry – Yossi, I’m your older brother, show me some
respect. I’m just
trying to protect my best
friend.
Yossi – Protect him from what?
Barry – Protect him from you, that’s who.
Yossi – But who’s going to protect David from you?
Barry – I’m sure you’ll do your best.
David – Hey siblings! I think I need all the
protection I can get from
all my friends. I’m
treading
slowly and deliberately.
Rabbi – David, my one message to you is that the key
is learning. The
more we learn, the more we can grow
spiritually. And there’s always more to learn, there’s always more to
grow.
LET
US LEARN (music)
LET US LEARN
(words)