Event: Bedford High School Theatre
Company is donating approximately $800 it raised during its production of Fiddler on The Roof to benefit The Tree
of Life Synagogue in Pennsylvania following the tragic shooting on Saturday,
October 27th.
Who: Bedford High School’s
Theater Company
Since the performance dates of Fiddler on The Roof (see synopsis below)
tragically coincided closely with the recent shooting at the Tree of Life
Synagogue in Pennsylvania on Saturday, October 27th, the Bedford
Theatre Company decided to donate a portion of the show proceeds to help the
Tree of Life Synagogue. Donations raised during the performance reached
approximately $800. A donation was not something the company considered when
rehearsals began in August but after the events on October 27th, the company
knew it had to help in some way.
To prepare for the
performances, students learned about the Jewish culture they portrayed on stage
in the play. In order to be faithful and respectful of themes in the play, the
cast and crew had a Jewish faculty member at the Lurgio Middle School and Rabbi
Robin Nafshi from Concord teach them about Jewish history, traditions, faith,
and culture. The play is set in a Jewish village in Russia in 1905, a time when
the Tsar conducted frequent programs against the Jewish people.
Learning about the diversity of
the world and being a good citizen are part of Bedford High School’s culture,
which is evident in our mission (excerpted): “We foster habits of open inquiry
and an understanding of our diverse world…[and]…Through good citizenship and
service to others, we strive to make positive contributions to the world.”
Play Synopsis: Set in the Jewish village of Anatevka (a
fictional shtetl), Russia in 1905, the lead character, Tevye has five daughters
who traditionally have their father agree to marriage arrangements. However,
his daughters decide to take matters into their own hands by defying the
tradition (and their father), and finding matches of their own choosing. The
traditions of the village are further threatened as the Tsar decides to remove
the villagers from their homes. How will Tevye and his family and village cope
with such upheavals?
Fiddler on the Roof- BHS Cast
