Miriam Handler raises money for tzedakah by directing highly acclaimed shows for women

Being on stage was my ultimate childhood dream. I was that kid in camp who would have skipped any activity to be in the camp play. I cried when I didn’t get a good part, which was almost always.

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.

Jewish “Broadway”

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.

My sister, Chani Schick, has been my partner throughout. A brilliant pianist and incomparable musical director, she been accompanying school shows using professional music scores since she was 14.