Papa Can You Hear Me??

     How far would you go to achieve your dreams? What bridges and obstacles will you go through to have at least one chance? In the 1983 musical entitled “Yentl.” Directed, co-written, co-produced, and starring Barbra Streisand. Is the story of a young Jewish girl growing up in Poland in the 20^th
century. Despite her culture’s traditions and laws against women being educated and reading the holy books, Yentl learns in secret by her private teacher/father. After the sudden death of her beloved father. She decides to leave the town she knows to pursue a dream of studying and obtaining knowledge. In order for her to learn she must first disguise herself like a boy, calling herself by the name of her late brother, Anshel. Seeking to get admitted to attend her dream schools called Yeshiva: a place for her to study the texts of Torah, Talmud, and the other holy books. After getting admitted she is truly tested trying to keep her identity a secret when she falls in love with a man named Avigdor. She then questions what is important a family or her dream. In the song “Papa Can you Hear Me?” The song Yentl sings right after she disguises herself like a boy and leaves home. Her first night away she spends the time by herself in an empty field. Looking up at the sky, she becomes overwhelmed as she questions what she should do. Feeling so alone she begins to pray to her Father in heaven, explaining her concerns her dreams. She begins to say a prayer in which she sings.

Dilemma:

How do you cope with losing the one person alive that truly understand you? You feel instantly alone, confused, and scared. Some react by denial, some by acting out, some depression which is common reactions. Then there are those who cry out to their beloved deceased, asking for guidance and reassurance. Yenlt alone in the field begins to talk to her father. She begins asking “Papa, can you hear me? Papa, can you see me? Papa, can you help me not be frightened?  Looking at the skies I seem to see. A million eyes which ones are yours?” She then goes on explaining to her father her current choices in life. She then states she remembers all he ever taught her. Later she ends “Help me to face what lies ahead? The trees are so much taller and I feel so much smaller; the moon is twice as lonely and the stars are half as bright...Papa, how I love you...Papa, how I need you. Papa, how I miss you…Kissing me good night...” Alone in the field and alone in the world she cries out a prayer to her father, asking for support. We can all relate to Yentl’s situation of calling out to ones we lost asking for guidance to get us through the day or not.



Yentl: (PRAYER)
Oh God-our heavenly Father.
Oh, God-and my father
Who is also in heaven.
May the light of this
Flickering candle
Illuminate the night the way
Your spirit illuminates my soul.
Papa, can you hear me?
Papa, can you see me?
Papa can you find me in the night?
Papa are you near me?
Papa, can you hear me?
Papa, can you help me not be frightened?
Looking at the skies I seem to see
A million eyes which ones are yours?
Where are you now that yesterday
Has waved goodbye
And closed its doors?
The night is so much darker;
The wind is so much colder;
The world I see is so much bigger
Now that I'm alone.
Papa, please forgive me.
Try to understand me;
Papa, don’t you know I had no choice?
Can you hear me praying,
Anything I'm saying
Even though the night is filled with voices?
I remember everything you taught me
Every book 1've ever read...
Can all the words in all the books
Help me to face what lies ahead?
The trees are so much taller
And I feel so much smaller;
The moon is twice as lonely
And the stars are half as bright...
Papa, how I love you...
Papa, how I need you.
Papa, how I miss you
Kissing me good night...