EL AL | Atmosphere

place in the Jewish world, the questions it raises apply to Western society as a whole”. The conflict between heart and mind “This is a beautiful tale about the conflict between heart and mind, as Bashevis Singer’s stories always are”, says director Rafi Niv. “Even though it takes place in a shtetl in the 1900’s, I wanted it to feel contemporary. We created an emotional world a modern audience can connect with, through objects that represent the spirit of those bygone times - chandeliers, a bookcase, a bed. “The play is about a woman fighting for her right to knowledge, and we made sure books were on stage in every scene - in Yentl’s hand, her father’s bookcase or piled up high in a cart”, says Niv. Stepping into the shoes of such an iconic character may seem daunting, but Israeli actress and singer Roni Dalumi, (30), one of HaBima’s most promising new talents, is steering clear from Streisand’s depiction of Yentl. Instead, she has sought to carve out her own version. “I didn’t grow up on the movie, though I knew Barbara Streisand starred in it and I was familiar with the amazing songs. I came to the project a clean slate, with no preconceived ideas about the character”, she recounts. “The Yentl I was discovering was a brave, uncompromising woman, fighting for what she believed in. I saw her passion and thirst for knowledge. As I was building the character, I did watch the movie - but only to get an idea of it. I was adamant about remaining at a distance. Barbara is a true icon, but I never intended to follow her lead; my world view is different, I was born in a different time and place, it was pointless to try and imitate her in any way. No one can step into her shoes, and all I can

Roni Dalumi: “I didn’t grow up on the movie, though I knew Barbara Streisand starred in it and I was familiar with the amazing songs. I came to the project a clean slate, with no preconceived ideas about the character”

do - is be me. I wouldn’t know how to be anything else”, she explains. One of the play’s strengths is its relevance to the struggles women still face today, both inside closed communities and in general. “Definitely. I believe in God, but I am nonobservant. I don’t think it’s fair to comment on religion, but I can identify with women who aspire to self realization, including in secular society.

I believe in equal pay and abortion rights. I don’t feel legitimate to criticize religious society because I don’t know it from the inside. I know there are many happy Orthodox Jewish women, and that there are women struggling to fulfill their potential both in secular and religious communities. This play is relevant to all women, whichever segment of society they come from”, Dalumi says. ■

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ATMOSPHERE AUGUST 2022