By Eileen Wingard
SAN DIEGO — Celebrating its tenth anniversary as an annual part of the Lipinsky Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival, this year’s Women of Valor featured seven outstanding local Jewish women, Jaqui Silver, Pianist and Educator; Allison Price, Philanthropist and Body Builder; Theresa Dupuis, Chair of San Diego Jewish Federation’s Women’s Philanthropy; Cheryl Rattner Price, Sculptor and Founder of the Butterfly Project; Barbara Fishbein, Founder of the San Diego Guild of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation; Mania Wallenfels, Holocaust Survivor; and Cindy Marten, San Diego Superintendent of Schools.
The sketches of their lives, with projected visuals, were narrated by seven professional actresses and the presentations were tied together by interludes, performed by violinist Myla Wingard, my daughter. The opening and closing featured Daniel Myers singing “Eshet Hayel,” the traditional Woman of Valor blessing, intoned on Shabbat.
Most of the seven women suffered major trauma in their lives.
Jacqui Silver, in the beginning of a promising career as a concert pianist, was hit by a truck. She spent many weeks in the hospital, tied to her bed. She went on to earn a degree in psychology before returning to the concert stage. Eva Burns portrayed Jaqui. Burns is on the faculty of UCSD’s Theater Department.
Allison Price suffered the loss of her brother, Michael, and her fourteen-year-old son, Aaron. She turned for solace and strength to body building and the Aaron Price Fellows Program charity, founded in Aaron’s memory. Allison was enacted by Sarah Price-Keating, Allison’s daughter, and one of the collaborative playwrights of Women of Valor.
Theresa Dupuis described her journey from her Catholic school upbringing to her embracing of Judaism, including the hosting of seders for 46 people, writing her own Haggadah and working as a volunteer leader for the Jewish Federation of San Diego County. Actress Debra Wanger played Theresa. Debra is a frequent participant in regional theater.
Barbara Fischbein, a four time cancer survivor, dealt with a son with cystic fibrosis and two daughters, one with multiple personalities, the other, with ADD. Her spunk and drive were portrayed by Sandy Campbell, a San Diego award-winning actress.
Cheryl Rattner Price, who co-founded the Butterfly Project to memorialize 1.5 million Jewish children murdered in the Holocaust, lost her parents and sister within a short time of each other. She found healing in her art. She created the impressive menorah at the San Diego Jewish Academy, and her most recent installation is a Holocaust memorial at the Jewish Family Service building. Cheryl was enacted by Lisa Robbins, film and TV actress.
Cindy Marten cared for her developmentally disabled brother, inspiring her to enter the teaching profession as a teacher of children with special needs. She faced the death of her father and husband. At the age of 40, she found her birth mother. Cindy’s beloved adopted mother, Fern Siegel, was honored as a Woman of Valor in 2015. Cindy was portrayed by the New York-trained actress, Rebecca Bellingham.
Mania Wallenfels described her family losses and how she managed to survive the Holocaust, hiding in the forests and in swamps. She goes regularly on the March of the Living and visits classrooms, teaching about the Holocaust. Mania was enacted by Regina Reynolds, veteran San Diego actress and director.
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The sketches were based on interviews by Rebecca Myers, Sarah Price-Keating, Leah Salovey, Ali Viterbi and Todd Salovey.
Salovey, Director of the Lipinsky Jewish Arts Festival for the past quarter century, has mentored the young writers, developing them into full-fledged playwrights. Ali Viterbi’s prize-winning full-length play, In Every Generation, was given a staged reading as part of this year’s festival.
A free performance of Women of Valor will take place at the Encinitas Library on Sunday, June 23, 2:00 p.m. If you did not see the Lyceum performance, you still have an opportunity to experience the inspirational stories of these seven outstanding Jewish women from our own community.
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Wingard is a freelance writer specializing in coverage of the arts. She may be contacted via eileen.wingard@sdjewishworld.com