Act 3 Scene 1

We see Malka in the kitchen sitting waiting, her head uncovered. Shmuley enters with Rivka who is covered in mud, bruised with her clothes ripped and very shaken. Malka is horrified that the neighbours will have seen her.

The phone continues to ring. Shmuley has still not made a decision about the wearing of the wigs. He tries to protect Rivka as Malka berates her for her behaviour.

Patrick arrives to check on Rivka and tries to return her wig which is now in a terrible mess. As soon as Malka sees Rivka and him together she knows what has happened between them. Shmuley offers Patrick tea despite Malka wanting him to leave and he enjoys hearing from Patrick about Rivka’s bravery in the tree. Minutes later when he sees his daughter touching a cut on Patrick’s head he suddenly realises what has been going on. Shmuley is devastated and then discovers that Malka has also shared with Rivka the secret about her affair. Rivka protests that her father told her to have doubts.

Shmuley in a panic tries to rescue the situation. He pleads with Patrick not to tell anyone about what has happened to protect Rivka’s reputation. Rivka protests that things cannot go back to the way they were before.

Malka enters with a scarf covering her head. Rivka feels betrayed – her grandmother had questioned the rules and suggested change but has now reverted to type. Malka is afraid of what others will say about them.

David is due to arrive and Malka frantically tries to remove the mud from the kitchen and accuses Shmuley of indecision and weakness. Malka takes charge. Shmuley feels torn – he chose to become an Orthodox Jew but knows that Rivka had no choice about her life. Patrick tries to persuade them that there is another side to Rivka but they do not want to hear.

Shmuley explains how he has never felt he truly belonged in the community, and that he was mistrusted because of his upbringing. He pleads with Rivka not to spoil their reputation now. Rivka says she cannot lie to David. Shmuley tells her then that she must leave.

In the midst of this Leela arrives. She announces that she has finally told her mother about the relationship with Patrick and it has been accepted. David arrives and admits to Rivka that he has made a decision to not follow what his family do – he has not agreed with the ruling on burning wigs and he will be different.

Rivka tells him that she and Patrick have slept together. Both Leela and David are devastated. She tries to make David realise it was a mistake but he cannot accept it and Rivka gives him back her engagement ring. Leela goes to leave but when she realises that Rivka is being thrown out of her home she tells Patrick to give her address to the squat.

Malka will not relent – Rivka must now make her own way or the community will never respect the family again.

David suddenly changes his mind and urges Rivka to put the ring back on but Rivka refuses. He is desperate not to lose her but again she stands firm, asserting that it would not be honest.

Malka turns on Leela, blaming her for leading Rivka astray. In turn Leela berates herself for spending so much time with this family when she misjudged her own mother.

Rivka gets her bag and goes to leave but Shmuley relents. He unpacks her bag although Malka is against it. Rivka is astonished that Shmuley understands her more than her grandmother. Shmuley asserts that from now on he will make his own decisions although he doesn’t know what is right. He wants his daughter to live her own life.

The phone starts to ring again. Rivka is left smoothing what is left of the wig.