Miriam Handler raises money for tzedakah by directing highly acclaimed shows for women
Today, I don’t have that same need to be on stage. As a director, my passion is helping others perform to the best of their abilities, beyond even their own expectations. (And I do get to act at rehearsals, where I play every part in the show.)
Directing is in my blood. My mother, Dr. Susan Katz a”h, and grandmother, Mrs. Sylvia (Sima) Goodside a”h, were legendary, beloved principals who also directed school plays. I had no experience directing when I started, but I impulsively jumped in, counting on Hashem to help me.
I grew up in Belle Harbor. After I got married, I moved to Brooklyn, where I knew no one. Ever the optimist and big dreamer, I had an epiphany: Why not try to put on a high-level, all-volunteer women’s show to raise money for tzedakah, simultaneously providing a creative and social outlet?
After calling 100 disinterested people — on a landline! — I was shocked when ten people showed up for a meeting in my home. These were talented women with community connections — clear siyata d’Shmaya. They were older than I was, some significantly older, and I think that amused them. That was how N’shei Tzedakah Players (NTP) was born in 1982.
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