Jewish Plays for Children: For Successful Educational Fun and Fundraising Purposes

Copyright © 2008 by Paulette Fein Lieberman

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ISBN: 978-0-595-52944-5 (pbk)

ISBN: 978-0-595-62996-1 (ebk)

Printed in the United States of America

Contents

BUSTENAI

CHARACTERS

SYNOPSIS OF SCENES

BUSTENAI

THE RUNAWAY BOY

CHARACTERS

SYNOPSIS OF SCENES

SWITCHING TO LIGHT

CHARACTERS

SWITCHING TO LIGHT

PREFACE

CHILDREN’S POWER

SYNOPSIS OF THE PLAY

CAST OF CHARACTERS

ONE ACT PLAY

A CHANUKAH PLAYLET – JEWS DON’T BOW

THE CHANUKAH SURPRISE

SNOW WHITE SHABBOS AND

THE TWELVE BROTHERS

CHARACTERS

SYNOPSIS OF SCENES

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS (CONTINUED)

A PENNY SAVED

RESEARCH ON, IDEAS

CHARACTERS

SCENES

A PENNY SAVED

BUSTENAI 

By Dr. M. Lehman

Adapted for the stage by Paulette Fein Lieberman

Copyright 1971

Paulettefein@msn.com

CHARACTERS 

(in order of appearance)

Mar-Huna – Prince – from the House of David

Yaleta – Rabbi Chafni’s daughter

Mari bar Mar – Rabbi

Relatives and friends (richly dressed)

Rebeckah Friends

Leah

Benjamin – friend and advisor

Bustenai (15 years old to begin)

Rabbi Chafni)

Achai (an orphan boy, Bustenai’s friend)

King’s messenger

King Kuzrai II

Queen Shehrin, his wife

Princess Artism-Dakt, his daughter

Prince Shiruya, his son

Princess Dara, his youngest daughter

Attendants, nobles, guards

Eryeh, wealthy Persian

Tur, a guard

(Bardud – only his singing is heard in the garden)

Saed – Arab – Mohammed’s messenger

(Abun’s wife – voice is heard)

Servant girl – Dara’s trusted servant

Suleika – Queen Shehrin’s trusted Arab servant

Saed – now Commander-in-Chief of Arab army

1st soldier, Arab

2nd soldier, Arab

Soldiers

SYNOPSIS OF SCENES 

We have two dances.

ACT I

SCENE I – Mechua, Babylon – 4300 (600 C.E.), on the banks of the Euphrates River

SCENE II – Time – a few months later

SCENE III – It is 15 years later. In the garden.

ACT II

SCENE I – Takes place in the King’s palace

SCENE II – Time – a few weeks later, takes place in front of curtain

SCENE III – The time is a few days later, takes place in the King’s garden

Song and dance set mood for intrigue

ACT III

SCENE I – Takes place several days later in the Queen’s boudoir (which can be set up in the front of the curtain) between Queen Shehrin and Dara.

SCENE II – Takes place a short time later, in the prison

SCENE III – Takes place a number of years later

We have 2 dances.

The play opens on a wedding dance.

Right after intermission, there is a dance which sets the mood for intrigue in the palace

3 Songs:

1) HEBREW WORD yhblb taken from record

2) Bustenai and Achai sing a song in prison

3) Optional

BUSTENAI 

By Dr. M. Lehman

Adapted for the stage by Paulette Fein Lieberman

ACT I – SCENE I

The scene takes place in Machuaa, Babylon, 4300 (600 C.E.) on the banks of the Euphrates Riber. Elaborately trimmed carriages can be seen in the distance. Many colored banners decorate the carriages. Paintings of gold and silver can be seen.

THE CHUPAH

Front Center Stage: Scene opens in the midst of the wedding of Mar Huna and Yaleta.

Mari bar: (Mar is reciting the blessings with the cup of wine in hand.)

(Beautifully dressed relatives and friends, and guards are around them, and participating. Instruments may add music, or a recording of such instruments of this time period, in the background. Following the wedding ceremony there are cheers from the bystanders.)

1st voice: Long live our Prince Chanina!

2nd voice: Long live his son Prince Mar Huna!

3rd voice: Long live the bride, the pious, Yaleta, a mother of the house of David!

(During the cheering, tables are being set for the feast.) With singing and dancing, Mar Huna and Yaleta are brought to their tables. Yaleta is carried on a chair. Before being seated Mar Huna raises his Kiddush cup and everyone is silent.

Mar Huna: Dear friends, I do not presume that you have come here today in my honor, I know that you are here in honor of my father and my ancestors, the house of David. Alas, their crown now lies in the dust; and the holy temple is destroyed. Again and again we have suffered persecution at the hands of our enemies. How long shall G-d let it continue? How long shall the house of David remain in exile? (Sighs and sobs from many) Today I have taken the pious Yaleta for my wife. Let it be G-d’s will that from this union, there shall emerge a redeemer of our people, who in the near future, may lead us back to our holy land! (Cheers and voices saying, "May it be G-d’s will! Oh! May it be G-d’s will!!!)

CURTAIN

ACT I – SCENE II

(A few months later, in front of curtain)

(Two women with shopping baskets bump into each other on the way home from market)

Rebeckah: Oh Leah, how good to see you. What bargains did you find in the marketplace today?

Leah: How can I think of bargains when my heart longs for my husband Yankel? Since he went to war with the army of Mar Huna, I don’t even feel like eating or sleeping. What good are bargains to me? Just think. A few months ago we were all dancing at the wedding of Mar Huna and Yaleta, now – (she starts to cry)

Rebeckah: (puts down her basket, and tries to comfort Leah) Have faith my dear friend. So many men have left their families to fight against the barbarian Romans, for our King Kuzarai II, but remember the promise to Mar Huna; if the 30,000 Jews fight for him, and the Persian army is victorious, he will make Mar Huna governor of Palestine, and we can rebuild our holy temple! Now you must take care of yourself and eat Leah. (She opens a basket and holds a fish by the tail.) Look at this beautiful fish, I traded some of my chicken eggs for it, you remember the chicken that didn’t lay eggs? She was always flying in my window and pecking at the challah dough while it was rising; well she now lays so many eggs, do you think that the challah dough makes her lay so many eggs? Maybe I should feed all my chickens challah dough? (Leah and Rebeckah laugh together as Benjamic enters quite excited)

Together: Benjamin, Benjamin, come over here, tell us some news of the war. When is Yosef Yankel coming home?

Benjamin: (Goes over to them sadly) We won the war, but we lost the king’s promise to the Jews, and (slowly) we lost Mar Huna. (Rebeckah and Leah gasp) G-d granted the Persians victory for the sake of the Jews, but King Kuzrai credits himself and he refuses to let us establish a Jewish state as he promised. Mar Huna led the soldiers in revolt against the Persians.

Rebeckah: But the Persian army has ten times our strength.

Benjamin: So, I advised our soldiers, Do not march yourself against the Persians, but they wouldn’t listen. When the Maccabees were fighting it was to defend their religion, but we were fighting to reestablish our kingdom, to rebuild our temple, and the time is not ripe for that now. (He sighs.) It would have been far better to pray and work for our rights than to revolt. We can only win what is G-d’s will. The king’s treachery is a sign that it is still too early to rely upon the promise of a heathen. The king wanted Mar Huna as a captive; but Mar Huna killed himself; and while he begged G-d’s forgiveness he cursed the king; that he be betrayed as he betrayed those who were faithful to him.

Leah: But what about Yaleta? She is expecting a child.

Benjamin: We know, the king wanted to kill everyone from the house of David, so Rabbi Chafni had Yaleta dress in ragged clothes and sent her to live with a poor family near Lura. May G-d be with her. (Both answer AMEN).

Rebeckah: Come over to my house and we will comfort each other.

(The women go off stage together, sobbing and comforting each other. Benjamin walks behind them slowly, deep in thought.)

CURTAIN

ACT I – SCENE III

It is 15 years later. In the garden are several benches surrounded by flowers and bushes. Rabbi Chafni, Yaleta and Bustenai (age 15) are seated in the garden eating fruit and talking.

Bustenai: (About to bite an apple, laughs)

Yaleta: Why are you laughing, my son?

Bustenai: The king, (laughs), the king has conquered many kingdoms. He believes himself to be the greatest ruler who ever lived. Yet, if he wanted to, he couldn’t create an apple, that I, a mere 15 year old boy can consume, in a minute. Only by G-d’s will can the king himself even taste an apple when he eats it. (He laughs)

Rabbi Chafni: What you say is thoughtful and true my grandson, but when you speak about the king, the Torah says we must have the highest respect for the ruler of our land.

Yaleta: And don’t forget, the king gave you your name Bustenai. It means garden.

Bustenai: Garden, why do I have to be called the name of Garden? All my friends have nice names. They are called Achai, Moshe, Chaim -that means to life. Me – I’m called a garden.

Rabbi Chafni: My grandson, be proud of your name, the King himself gave it to you, because you sprang forth from the busten – the garden.

Bustenai: (Thoughtfully) Please tell me the story about the King’s dream again, while I eat my apple. Perhaps it will help me to understand why I must have so different a life from other boys.

Rabbi Chafni: After the terrible war, after your father, the great Prince Mar-Huna was killed. King Kuzrai awoke one morning with a mysterious bleeding wound from his forehead. The King didn’t know how he received this wound; all he remembered was that in his dream someone had struck him on the head with an axe. The King called his wizards, and none could interpret his dream, and they could offer no explanation. I was imprisoned at the time, I offered to go before the king and reveal to him the secret of his dream about the garden. G-d gave me the right words to describe to him, how in his dream the King chopped down all the trees in the garden, because they were finer than his own – but when he tried to destroy the new young tree, King David struck him on the forehead with an axe. The King promised to care for his new young tree and never let it be destroyed. King David spared his life. I revealed to King Kuzrai, that the meaning of his dream was, that the new young tree was my daughter Yaleta’s new born baby. The King promised to take him as his own son, because he believed that his life was linked with yours, and so you see why the King has taken this special interest in you.

Yaleta: When you were born, the King told my father to let you be called Bustenai, because you sprang forth from the garden of his dream. And, so you see why the King has taken this special interest in you.

Rabbi Chafni: Since a son was born to the house of David, all of the Jews have renewed hope an dfaith that the day will soon come when a Jewish King will rule over our land.

Bustenai: I feel scared every time you tell me that mother.

Yaleta: Do not fear my son, G-d will always protect you as he did when you were a young child. Once you came over to me in the garden holding a small poisonous snake by the neck; only because you held it by the neck was the snake unable to turn its’ head and bite you. Only the hand of the Almighty could have led you to pick up the snake- in a way that it could do you no harm. In you lies the hope of our people, Bustenai, and G-d will always be your protection.

Achai: (A boy of 15 enters) Good day, Rabbi Chafni, a messenger is here, from the King.

Messenger: Rabbi Chafni; King Kuzrai bids me give you a message. The time has come, the King says, for him to request your grandson Bustenai to come to the royal palace and live there. He must leave immediately. (Yaleta hugs Bustenai and cries).

Rabbi Chafni: Is it permitted for his friend Achai to accompany him to the Persian capital? Achai will live with his relatives there.

Messenger: He may come with us.

Rabbi Chafni: Then G-d be with you, neither I nor your mother can accompany you, but your friend Achai will remain with you. (With tears). Blessings of Yevarechecha (you will be blessed)

(Achai and Bustenai leave with the messenger)

Bustenai: I will remember grandfather, and I will never forsake our Torah way of life for anything. (To Yaleta, who is sobbing)- Mother do not cry; I will not be afraid anymore. The Almighty who protected me even before I was born will shield me from the temptations of the King’s palace.

CURTAIN

ACT II -SCENE I

This scene takes place in the King’s palace. The King