Women's Minyan

by Naomi Ragen

Naomi Ragen's first play premiered in 2002 at Israel's National Theater, Habimah, and had its American premiere at Duke University in North Carolina in 2005. It is based on a true a Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) woman, wife of a rabbi, mother of twelve, leaves her family for unspecified reasons. The woman is punished; the community's "modesty squad" prevents her from seeing her children, and the friend she is staying with is physically attacked. Desperate to regain access to her children, she determines that the women of her community must stand in judgement, hoping that once they hear the truth of why she left, they will allow her to be reunited with her children.

Genres: Plays, Fiction, Jewish, Feminism, Ebooks, Judaism, Middle East

115 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2006

About the author

Naomi Ragen is an American-born novelist and playwright who has lived in Jerusalem since 1971. She has published seven internationally best-selling novels, and is the author of a hit play. Naomi also publishes a regular column that deals with Jewish subjects, especially Israel.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/naomir...

Reviews

[Hermien · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is very important this issue is brought into the public eye.

[Barbara (The Bibliophage) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Naomi Ragen is an acclaimed novelist, who wrote and produced this play set in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish family and community. Women’s Minyan is about Chana, a married mother of twelve, who leaves her home and family. Two years after she leaves, the play opens as Chana comes back to see her children.

But the situation is fraught with drama. Chana’s older daughters, her mother, sister, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law all believe she left of her own accord. In fact, the entire community has gossiped about her, officially shunned her, and called her horrible names. But, like practically all family stories, there’s more complexity below the surface.

Through her characters and staging, Ragen explains some aspects of this community. For example, a minyan is a group of ten men comprising a congregation, authority, or decision-making body. Titling the play Women’s Minyan is “meant to be ironic and defiant,” because a minyan is never made up of men. However, in this play Ragen creates one to listen to Chana’s truth.

My conclusions
I think Ragen sums up my conclusions best:

"… religion is used to grind down a person’s sense of self-worth, leaving them open to manipulation and recruitment into the faceless ranks of unquestioning followers, who don’t dare question their charismatic leaders." (ebook, loc. 56)

The women in this story are all victims of this closed and restrictive religion. But not all of them see it that way, and fight for their beliefs. Others are more open to Chana’s story.

Ragen delves in the community structure, its effects, and also the way it affects the women’s relationships. Instead of preaching, she uses the story to explain what young and old women experience in this patriarchal society.

I’m fascinated by religious communities, especially those that close themselves off from most modern beliefs. While ultra-Orthodox Judaism isn’t a cult, the mind control here seems no less powerful. My heart breaks for Chana, but also for the rest of the cast.

If you’re looking for a short but intense play about women, by a woman, this is a thought-provoking pick.

For more reviews of books with feminist or women's studies themes, please visit my book blog, TheBibliophage.com.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Predictable plot, typical anti-religious establishment stuff you expect from the author (if you've read any of her other works), and the writing for most of it was fairly weak - except for Act 2. Act 2 was compelling and well-written. Act 2 was a page turner. If only the whole play was as strong as Act 2, the play would've really been something. Instead, it largely fell flat.

[Dan Stern · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've long been a fan of Ms. Ragen's fiction, so I was interested in how she would cast her characters in a play. The Women's Minyan was faithful to her past work, yet it was difficult to build the empathy that one normally does with Ms. Ragen's protagonists. A play, however, doesn't build with the same time materials as fiction, and in that respect, the pace was perfect. I appreciated the effort to expose some of the extremes that exist in ultra-Orthodoxy.

The first instinct a Jewish reader might have is an impulse to say, "Hey, these people don't represent my own beliefs and observance," but it's not the writer's job to represent every sect or stream of Judaism. It's the writer's choice whether she writes from an ultra-orthodox viewpoint or that of the srugim, the best examples of a religion, the worst, or somewhere in between. Ms. Ragen chose her voice and has taken on the job of urging social justice upon all Jews, and perhaps upon the occasional non-Jewish reader (to whom much of the play would be a mystery) by exposing the extremes of insularity and hypocrisy that lead to extremism.

In that sense, it's not just a Jewish problem or any religious problem, but a human problem. American politics today is the secular version of this play. The difference is that a huge revelation of character cancer does not bring enlightenment or realization of extremism, but a doubling down on demonization of those who see and practice American life differently. The most disappointing aspect of religiously-sponsored oppression of women (I don't believe for one minute that G-D sanctions it) is that it is frequently women who are the indoctrinated enforcers.

I appreciate Ms. Ragen's exposure of domestic violence (within any male-dominated culture or institution). In my first fiction work, some readers fell out of love with the story because of a couple of harsh scenes of domestic violence. In fiction, however, there is no story if everyone acts according to his or her best nature. In real life, domestic violence, coercion, and sexual harassment is neither a new story, nor is it novel to those who've suffered from it.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found Women's Minyan to be an emotional and powerful play that was impossible to put down once I started reading it. Based upon a true story, it covers a type of abuse and repression that is seldom discussed. This play makes a very strong statement about the injustices that can occur against women in insular religious groups. Although set in an ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in Jerusalem, the story could have also been occurred in any other ultra-religious, close-knit, patriarchal community. This is an important story for those who care about the rights of women. Highly recommended!

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't love reading plays, but this is a good one-- about an Orthodox Jewish woman who has been abused by her husband, and how she is treated by the rest of the community. Most alarming is how deeply entrenched is the belief that the woman is at fault, and how much effort goes into protecting the man.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novelist Naomi Ragen's (The Sacrifice of Tamar, Jephte's Daughter) play inspired by the true story of an ultra-Orthodox Jewish woman in Jerusalem who was forcibly separated from her twelve children by a vengeful ex-husband and a complacent and corrupt social and judicial system.

[Valarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent thought experiment on what would happen if women in Orthodox Judaism (and other religions with restrictive gender roles) would actually listen to each other. Dramatically written and staged.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book

I guess I misunderstood when I read about this book. I thought it was a novel. At first, it was hard to get into reading it but after a bit, it was good. I found it interesting to learn what really goes on behind closed doors of Orthodox Jewish women.

[Roberta C. Perkel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Trite

The author takes the most EXTREME case of orthodox Judaism and makes it into a play. She misleads the readers into believing all orthodox women and men live with hypocrisy and beating. She must be a very bitter, stupid woman.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I normally love Naomi Ragen's writing. This seemed forced. It was an interesting topic, though kind of predictable.

[Belinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very moving, Such a sad story.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would make a very interesting play.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure that I like reading a play. Subject matter interested me, but hard to evoke the emotion in the reading of this.

[Bluma Schneider · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very deep and important to read for all women of faith. A one time sitting reading. Encompasses the general problems of abuse and the hidden problems of abuse.

[Renee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t realize the book was written in a play format. I didn’t enjoy reading it like that.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Important subject matter but the writing is simplistic.

[Johanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story

I had no clue what this play was about. I am so glad I read it. It is endearing, heartbreaking, eye opening. A beautiful tale of the truth fighting to be known. A story of a woman enduring abuse in the name of religion, and her escape and fight for herself and her children. A brilliant and boldly honest tale that everyone should read.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

As other readers have said, I don't especially enjoy reading plays. However, the subject matter of Women's Minyan, is interesting and relevant. As a cultural Jew who was raised in a Reform Jewish home, I'm appalled that the type of religious fanaticism described here is still practiced today. I'm shuddering.

[Yifat Cestare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting

The play gives a great deal of information about how things are in certain religious sects. It was informative and well written. It is amazing that people can actually live like this and suffer so much.

[Serita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Women need rights

The shocking truth of how ultra Orthodox men treat the women and keep them prisoners, all religious men and women should read thisand understand that the Lord loves us equally

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful

This play shows the power of the ultra orthodox community to control behavior, especially of women. There are many communities in the USA like the one portrayed here. It is frightening and sad.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I am not usually a fan of plays, this one intrigued me because it is centered around women in the Orthodox Jewish community. It was fairly predictable, but always interesting for me to get a peek into a way of life that I have always observed from the outside.

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This play is a powerful stuff. I wish I can see it on a stage.

[Sara Goldenberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a transcription of a play with a ton of characters. Too hard to keep track of in book form.