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BH "A TALMUD TALE" PREMIERED FEBRUARY IN HOUSTON, TX! The musical was an enormous hit! If you'd like a dvd of the show, please send a contribution of $18 for an enjoyable, entertaining and inspiring look at the world of the Talmud! "A TALMUD TALE" IS READY FOR PERFORMANCE! Too many people think that the Talmud is incredibly hard to understand and very serious. "A Talmud Tale," can show performers and audiences alike how fun Talmud study can be. The musical follows thirteen-year-old Rachel who has a dilemma: how can she work up any enthusiasm for becoming a bat mitsvhah when everyone, her mother most of all (because she did not have a bat mitzvah herself) are inappropriately invested in it. Rachel doesn't care about the menu, the "theme,"the band, the clothes, etc. She just wants to know what her Torah portion means to her so she can write her bat mitzvah speech. Rachel's rabbi tries to help the despairing Rachel by leaving her with a book of Talmud (a vast work of Jewish teachings). When she opens it, Rashi, the great Medieval Talmud commentator, magically appears. He leads her on a journey through the past, back to the romantic story of Rabbi Akiba and his wife Rakhel, the fabled first century couple from the Talmud. In observing their moving story, our modern Rachel learns life-changing lessons about tolerance, commitment and how to navigate the tension and love between parent and child. She also learns that anyone can learn Talmud as Rabbi Akiba did not even know the aleph bet when he began. The musical is accompanied by educational materials that can be used either as a curriculum and then the musical could be a summation activity or the materials can be used by performers to better understand the characters they play. See www.maqom.com/previous.html to view the materials. The musical was conceived with the idea of giving congregations, day schools, JCCs, camps, etc., an entertaining and educational way to introduce learners to the Talmud. The project is supported by grants from The Covenant Foundation, The Houston Jewish Community Foundation of the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston and many other generous donors and foundations are listed below. The musical comes in long and short formats and songs can be adjusted for singers who's voices have not yet changed. The musical requires only keyboard accompaniment but the score also has woodwind lines and guitar chords. Educational materials related to the show can be found at the Maqom website:www.maqom.com/previous.html. The script and score, created by New York professionals Ned Ginsburg and David Schechter, is outstandingly inspiring, beautiful and meaningful. The long form of the script as well as two songs from the show can be downloaded below for free. If you are interested in producing the show, please contact Rabbi Judith Z. Abrams, Ph.D., Founder and Director of Maqom, at "maqom at compassnet.com" or 713-723-2918 for the music and other details. Please consider a generous contribution to Maqom for using these materials. A much abbreviated version designed for younger audiences (Grades 1-5) is presented below. I hope you'll take advantage of this opportunity to involve your community in a project that pokes gentle fun at the current "bat mitsvah culture" while showing how Talmud is relevant in our everyday lives and can be a joy to study! Download a song and the script from "A Talmud Tale!"      Song 1 (2409kb)     Song 2 (4222kb)     Script (268kb)     Abbreviated Version (158kb) (If you have difficulty, "right click" to download the entire file and then open it.) 2008 Donors The Babs and Bill Lowenstein Donor Advisory Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City 2007 Donors Avi Regev 2006 Donors Samuels Foundation Shirley and Marvin Barish Miriam Leah Droz 2005 Donors Rabbi Sanford Akselrad Shirley and Marvin Barish 2003 Donors Dr. Raziel Haimi Cohen The Ellman Phalnthropic Fund of the Columbus Jewish Foundation Covenant Foundation This project as partially underwritten by funding from the Houston Jewish Community Foundation. Esther Polland Dolores Wilkenfeld 2002 Donors Richard and Judy Abrams Ruth Alpert Rabbi Victor S. Appell Gilbert and Golda Baker Mrs. Sonia Benjamin Covenant Foundation Rabbi Jason Z. Edelstein Marc S. Ehrlich Rabbi Lawrence A. Englander Steven and Sandra Finkelman Bobby and Hilda Frank Charlett R. and Marshall S. Frumin Shifra S. Gardner Rabbi Gary Glickstein Judith M. Goldman Dr. and Mrs. Barry Goodfriend Rabbi Jon Haddon Rabbi Daniel M. Horwitz Jackie Jacobs Larry Jefferson and Nancy Beren Amelia R. Kleiman Rabbi Tracy Klirs Arthur Kurzweil Honey Leone Rabbi Alex and Sandra Lilienthal Rabbi Ralph Mecklenburger Stanley Novy, M.D. Diane Novy, Ph.D. Rabbi Bruce J. Pfeffer Esther Polland Irving Pozmantier Ann Pinchak and Richard Tomlinson Rabbi Michael M. Remson Mallory Robinson Don and Marilyn Schlossberg Rabbi Jack Segal Reb Ari Shapiro Lynn Shapiro Michael and Betsy Torop Rabbi Shohama Wiener Dolores Wilkenfeld Joe L. Williams Joel S. Winograd Lorraine and Ed Wulfe Previous Donors Judy and Richard Abrams Stanford and Joan Alexander Anonymous Anonymous Ruth Alpert The Arthur and Joan Weisberg Family Foundation Paul and Maida Asofsky Linda and Shimon Atzil Charlotte Axelrad Shirley and Marvin Barish Christopher P. Benton, Ph.D. Nancy T. Beren Linda Block Mr. and Mrs. Robert Brackman Michael and Cheryl Brown Robert C. Brown Kirsten Coco Justice Murry B. and Meryl Cohen Helen Cohn Congregation Brith Shalom Dr. and Mrs. Joel H. Cyprus Rabbi Minkin's Fund and Temple Beth David Leslie Deman Freida Dow Lee Egerton State Senator Rodney Ellis Vikki Fallon Evans Theba Feldman Steven and Sandra Finkelman Dr. and Mrs. Alan Fisherman Linda L. and Andrew Burger Philanthropic Fund of the Houston Jewish Community Foundation The Mickey & Noel Graubart Philanthropic Fund of the Houston Jewish Community Foundation Becky & Joe Williams Philanthropic Fund of the Houston Jewish Community Foundation Abraham and Frances Friedman Bruce Friedman, D.D.S. Janet and Mickey Frost Marshall and Charlett Frumin Shifra Gardner Joyce Gilbert Ellen Glass Hilary Tham Goldberg Barry and Carol Goodfriend Dan Gordon Dan M. Gordon: refua'h shleimah for Hy Penn and their children Charleta Guillory, M.D. Arleen Harr Lynn G. Haufrecht Terry A. Hausner Isabell and Max Herztein Barbara Horwitz Cathy Irby Rabbi Frisher and Temple Israel Larry Jefferson Bernice Kaufman Naomi J. Kertesz, M.D. Amelia Ribnick Kleiman and Eric Kleiman Joe and Amelia Kornfeld Arthur Kurzweil Glenn and Pam Lowenstein Lowenstein Brothers Foundation Velva Levine Shirley and Bill Loeser Jack and Julia Mazow Russell and Virginia McFarland Gerald and Sherry Merfish Marna Meyer Stephen J. Stein and Stephen A. Miller Joan Morgenstern Rabbi David Moss Dr. Daniel and Karol Musher Esther and Gary Polland Ricardo Portal Dr. and Mrs. Benjamin Portnoy Irving and Sidney Pozmantier Sidney Pozmantier Cantor David and Mrs. Karen Propis Mallory Robinson Rose Rose Marlene Y. Rosenthal Myrna E. Rudolph Rabbi Stanley Schickler Don and Marilyn Schlossberg Marsha Schneider Peninnah Schram William and Barbara Schwartz Rabbi Jack Segal Sondra Shapiro Marty Sharpe Marilyn H. Shaw Barbara and Larry Shuman Danny Siegel Maxin Silberstein Annette Sondock Howard Stern Renee Stern Alana R. Spiwak, M.D. and Sam L. Stolbun Teri Straus Beverly Sufian Gail and Gary Swartz Temple Beth Torah, Humble, TX Ann Pinchak and Richard Tomlinson Ellen and Daniel Trachtenberg Norma Levine Trusch Jack Turk Joe and Jean Victor Rabbi David Wechsler-Azen Steve and Irene Weingarten Riki Weinstein Dolores Wilkenfeld Joel and Ferne Winograd Lucy Zabarenko, Ph.D. Rabbi Danny Zemel Build Your Mitsvah Portfolio | Current Study Passage | Join the Discussion | Maqom Supporters | Individualized Intensive Learning | Annotated Bibliography | Previous Study Passages | A Talmud Tale | Jewish Texts: The Owner's Manual | The Tefillin Gift Shop | Guided Meditations | The Maqom Journal | Art | Links | Home | About Rabbi Abrams Maqom: A Place for the Spiritually Searching admits students of any race, color and national or ethnic origin. © 2001 Judith Z. Abrams