Safo

Act I. A sparsely furnished but clean room at the Fingerhuts on the eve of Sofia Fingerhut’s wedding. Sofia, upon seeing her wedding gown, remarks, “A wedding dress! A dress you try on joyfully, put on tearfully, and take off fearfully.” Her apprehension mounts when she sees her groom, photographer Boris Stavropolsky, courting her younger sister Lise. Guests arrive, among them Cherna’s brother Shtempl, a wealthy fishmonger, and his daughter Manichka. Shtempl and Fingerhut argue, then settle down to a game of cards while Sofia’s girlfriends enter. The fathers fight over cards as well, so Boris takes out his guitar. Soon after he starts playing, Lise cries and runs out. Boris brings her back, and while the others try to calm Lise, Sofia declares, “You don’t know why she’s crying? I know. Lise is crying because she knows that tomorrow will not be my wedding day. She will not dance at my wedding.” Since Boris loves Lise, Sofia says will not stand in their way. When Boris tries to appease her, she further discloses that she is pregnant.

Act II. Five years later, in a room in Shtempl’s house, with a piano and expensive furniture, but decorated without taste. Manichka’s fiancé, Apollo Sonnenschein, has just returned to Odessa after years in St. Petersburg, and the Shtempls bring him up to date on the Fingerhuts: Sofia has a daughter (whom she calls her niece), and Lise is married to Boris, who has given up photography. Though Apollo at first refuses to play for the guests, he does play when Sofia arrives, and then escorts her home. The scene changes to an Odessa street at night. Boris with Tseyner, to whom he has just lost a lot of money. Boris expresses his undiminished ardor for Sofia. They exit; Sofia and Apollo enter. Apollo tells her that he no longer loves Manichka; the best he can hope for is to elevate her to his level. Back at the Fingerhuts’, Sofia refuses to answer her parents’ queries. She tells Boris to take Lise away and nurse her back to health. Left alone, Sofia consults a book of ancient history to clarify a remark Apollo made comparing her to Sappho. Legend holds that Sappho, in drowning herself, declared, “I give myself as an offering to the almighty Apollo, the god of beauty and poetry.” Apollo Sonnenschein arrives, and as Sofia wrestles with her emotions, a child’s voice summons her.

Act III. A hut. Apollo has married Manichka, and taken Sofia as his mistress. Fingerhut introduces Tseyner to Sofia, hoping to get rich by having them marry. When Apollo arrives, Sofia’s seven year-old daughter, Zhenichka, who dislikes him, leaves. He tells Sofia of two Apollos: one who loves her recklessly, and the other who worries about his reputation. Boris arrives with the sad news that Lise has died. Manichka goes, and Apollo emerges to see Boris, Sofia, and the child comforting each other—a scene that brings out his hatred toward his rivals for Sofia’s affection. Fingerhut arrives, and when the Shtempls arrive to retrieve Apollo, the in-laws exchange insults. Apollo, appalled by the attention from curious neighbors, forsakes Sofia and goes home with his wife, as a brawl erupts among the remaining family members.

Act IV. Sofia’s room, as in Act II. Sofia and Zheni pack to resettle in Sevastopol. Boris apologizes for the past, then tells Sofia he still wants to be with her to heal her wounds and help raise Zheni, but she rejects the proposal. Shtempl and Manichka enter, imploring Sofia for a way to make Apollo come back to them. She has no such power, she says, and they leave. Apollo enters, pleading to go with her, or for her to stay. But this is too little too late; she insists that he must go back to his wife and child. Zheni and Boris return, and the child reveals that she has long known the identity of her mother and father. This changes the plans; Sofia will bring Boris along to make the family officially “legitimate,” and devote the rest of her life to her daughter.

Article Author(s)

Joel Berkowitz

Joel is Professor of English and Director of the Sam and Helen Stahl Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Iks Miks Driks

Act I. Borekh’s three daughters, Dina, Mina, and Tsina, complain that they have to stay home with their father rather than go out and find husbands, and Borekh laments about having to care for three daughters. His one son is so much easier to deal with, but where can one find husbands for three daughters? When the matchmaker, Reb Shimen, arrives, Borekh berates him for not having found matches for his daughters. But Shimen complains that it’s almost impossible to find three candidates at once. He has found a nice, wealthy young man passing through town, and he can go bring him to be checked out; let him marry one of the daughters while the others are still hunting. But after Reb Shimen goes, Borekh’s daughters insist that they must all get married at the same time. They are getting on in years, and no one wants to have to go second. Shimen returns with Yozef, the young traveler. When Borekh asks whether he has two eligible friends like him who can marry the other two daughters so there won’t be a fight, Yozef tells his story. His mother died young, and he decided to go off and make his fortune. He has done so over the past decade, but is now returning to Lublin to see whether his father is alive, and to help his sisters. It turns out that he is Borekh’s long-lost son, and the family happily reunites. The daughters decide that they will go to the masked ball and see if they can arrange matches with Herren Iks, Miks, and Driks.

Act II. A masked ball. Iks, Miks, and Driks sing about the importance of noses. Iks and Dina meet, and he correctly guesses her identity. He says that he and his friends want just what she and her sisters want: to marry. She goes to discuss it with them and their father and brother, and the girls dance off. Scene change to Borekh’s house. Yozef has received a letter offering him his old job in America, and he’d like to go, but not before taking care of his sisters. The girls bring in Iks, Miks, and Driks, who take off their noses and say that now that the daughters have nice dowries, they’re willing to marry them. Yozef sings that his arrival seems to have brought the family good luck.

Article Author(s)

Joel Berkowitz

Joel is Professor of English and Director of the Sam and Helen Stahl Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Shulamis, oder, bas yerusholayim

Act I. Jews with packs on their backs and sticks in their hands, on a pilgrimage from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, sing about the journey. Manoyekh, an old shepherd, sends his daughter Shulamis home to tend the flock, and moves on with the group. Shulamis gets lost, and grows desperately thirsty. She sees a well, but the bucket is missing, so she ties the rope around herself and descends. An Arab melody is heard, and Avisholem appears in military dress, accompanied by his wild servant Tsingitang. Avisholem sends Tsingitang to fetch food, goes to the well for a drink, hears Shulamis, and rescues her. They praise God for arranging this encounter and swear their eternal love for each other. They sing their vow (“Di shvue”), invoking the well and a wildcat as witnesses. Tsingitang returns, and searches for a girl for himself in the well. He will bring Shulamis home, for Avisholem is expected in Jerusalem for Sukkot, and will return to Shulamis later.

Act II. Two months later, in Jerusalem. Avisholem, his friend Khananye, and Tsingitang, with other men, among a group of women. Foremost among the latter is Avigayil, crowned with pearls. Avisholem and Khananye both have their hearts set on Avigayil. During a dance to select mates, Tsingitang ambushes Khananye so Avisholem can reach her first. Duet between Avisholem and Avigayil, followed by Tsingitang’s comic imitation. The High Priest comes, the young men seat Avisholem on a chair, and the girls do the same to Avigayil. The High Priest blesses them, and the crowd rejoices.

Act III. Two years later, on a mountain near Bethlehem. A distracted Shulamis sings of her love, comparing it to a synagogue in which she is the only congregant. In a long soliloquy: she goes over the possible things that might have kept Avisholem from her, and concludes that she will feign madness to avoid having to marry anyone else. Scene change to a room at Manoyekh’s, where suitors pester him about Shulamis. Enter Yoav Gidoyni, dressed in military uniform, who sings of his triumphs and asks for Shulamis’ hand. His song is echoed by the tycoon Avinadav, and then by Nosn Ha-koyen, who sing of their respective assets. Manoyekh has them draw lots, and Gidoyni wins. He gloats until Shulamis’ voice is heard outside. Her father introduces her to Gidoyni. She congratulates her father, then dances and sings madly, echoing her vow to Avisholem, and cries on her father’s shoulder. She sings obliquely of her loss, and mocks Gidoyni and Nosn. Manoyekh repeatedly asks what happened; each time, she tells him to “ask the cat” or “ask the well.” Scene change to the beautiful home of Avisholem and Avigayil. They are quite happy, for though a cat stole their first-born from its cradle and killed it exactly a year ago today, they have had an even healthier, lovelier baby in the meantime. They send Tsingitang for the baby, and Avisholem laughingly recalls how he tricked Khananye out of winning Avigayil. This memory is interrupted by the wail of Tsingitang. The nurse says that as she was standing by the well, the baby jumped out of her arms to its death. The “Shvue” melody plays quietly, and the wall opens, revealing a tableau: moonlight, Shulamis by the well, the cat nearby. An angel above them points to the tableau; once Avisholem recognizes Shulamis, the wall closes. He takes this as a sign from God, and prepares to meet his judgment. He tells Avigayil that the tragedies have happened because he forsook his predestined match, and decides to atone to Shulamis. Avigayil doesn’t want him to go, but when he is about to stab himself, she stops him and sends him on his way with her blessing. The scene returns to the mountain near Bethlehem, where shepherds sit around a fire is burning singing about shepherds’ (and metaphorically, God’s) vigilant care for their flocks. Avisholem and Tsingitang enter. The shepherds tell Avisholem of Shulamis’ madness; he trembles and cries, and says he can cure her. They invite the travelers to rest overnight, and the shepherds sing, “Flicker, little flame.”

Act IV. Manoyekh’s house; Shulamis lies ill on the couch. Doctors stand around uselessly. Avisholem comes to the window but hesitates to enter. Shulamis sings the “Shvue” theme, and he answers, enters, and swears to be hers forever. As they embrace, Manoyekh enters; Avisholem says he can cure her, and sings “Di Shvue” with her. Manoyekh gives them his blessing. Scene change to the Temple in Jerusalem. The curtain rises, revealing the Temple in all its glory, with Jews, led by the Kohen, offering sacrifices to God as they sing his praises. Enter Manoyekh with Avisholem and Shulamis, who kneel before the High Priest. He blesses them, and the chorus sings praises to God.

Article Author(s)

Joel Berkowitz

Joel is Professor of English and Director of the Sam and Helen Stahl Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Der shtumer meshiekh

Act I. A large gate outside the city walls of Illyria. Two guards enjoy the fact that the Jews are being expelled. The gates open and Jews come out, wearing yellow patches, and crying. A blind man repeatedly says these are signs of the Messiah coming. Eventually, Rokhl emerges. The daughter of Menachem Pnini, one of the city’s leaders, she persuades the crowd to make its way to the Land of Israel, not to scatter among various Christian nations. Her father is later sent out too. He has been tortured, and his tongue has been cut out. He is pleased to learn what his daughter achieved, and asks her to be his tongue. The exiled Jews, singing, make their way toward the Land of Israel.

Act II. A campground near the seashore, which is visible in the background. The Beggar goes from one tent opening to another, and taunts one of the exiles, calling her a whore. When Rokhl comes out, he moves on. Rokhl eyes the tent across from her, and when Hillel emerges from it, they start talking, and before long, confess their love for one another. But she says she can’t marry him, because while her father was being tortured, he had a vision that told him he wouldn’t die, but would gather the Jews to go to Zion. Once they make it there, she and her father will wander throughout the Diaspora and gather the Jews—“He will be Moses; I, his Aaron.” When Pnini comes out of the tent, Hillel tells him that he and Rokhl love each other, and offers to go wherever she and Pnini go—and never to get in the way of their mission. Pnini gives them his blessing, saying that the wedding will take place in the Land of Israel. Then a stir in the camp: Meshulem, who at the last minute chose to stay behind in Illyria, arrives on horseback to announce that King Philip died in a hunting accident, and his son and successor King Louis has rescinded the expulsion order. Most of the exiles immediately change their plans and want to return to Illyria. Rokhl, on her father’s behalf, tries in vain to talk them out of it. Pnini is anguished by this turn of events.

Act III. Still in the camp. Rokhl feels she let her father down, but Hillel tries to convince her that nothing would have persuaded the exiles to stay the course. He wants her to return to Illyria with him, but she feels that she’ll have to go to the Land of Israel if that’s still the plan, particularly if her father really is the Messiah. The king’s messengers arrive. The news is delivered by a Count, who is baffled by the cool reception it receives. He assures them that the King’s invitation is real, and that he will not only protect them, but financially support them for the first year after their return. He gives the official notice to Pnini, who to everyone’s shock throws it to the ground. The Count says he has fulfilled his mission, and returns to Illyria. While the Jews start berating Pnini for potentially getting them in trouble—or maybe forcing them not to return—Leah exclaims that he is the Messiah. Rokhl tells Hillel this is the “wonder” they need to keep the Jews from returning to Illyria, and reveals to everyone the vision her father had. But just as it seems to be working, Leah punctures Rokhl’s exhortations by turning to various others and calling each of them “Messiah.” Laughter erupts in the crowd. Pnini throws himself into the sea. The crowd is stunned, while Leah dances in a circle and cries, “Messiah! Messiah! Messiah!”

Article Author(s)

Joel Berkowitz

Joel is Professor of English and Director of the Sam and Helen Stahl Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.