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When she attended Rutgers University, Tova Halpern enabled Jews of all backgrounds to participate in theater without compromising their beliefs. Community building will also be a top priority in her new role at the Ruth Hyman Jewish Community Center in Deal Park.

Halpern took over as director of the JCC's Rising Stars Youth Performing Arts Academy this month. She previously worked for a movie casting director in her hometown of Miami and for Richard Frankel Productions in New York, a company that has put on Broadway hits like "Hairspray," "Young Frankenstein," and "Damn Yankees."

But what made Halpern particularly attractive to the JCC was her formation of the Rutgers Hillel Theater Company. She founded the group in her sophomore year, and much like the JCC, brought together Jews of varying levels of observance by ensuring that no shows or rehearsals took place on Shabbat and holidays. The group put on four plays under Halpern's guidance, and she also raised $10,000 for future productions.

Jill Garbi, who oversees the Rising Stars program as the JCC's marketing director, said that theater has also been a uniting force for different groups of Jews in the Monmouth County community.

"One of things that made Tova's resume pop to us was that she did at Hillel Theater exactly what we are trying to accomplish here," Garbi said.

Halpern graduated from Rutgers with a BA in Theater Arts, and recently completed her master's in educational theater at New York University. She recalled that after her first show in college, "Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," most of the student participants were freshmen who ended up staying very close friends.

"It's such an incredible platform to create a community," Halpern said of theater. "Theater arts are so welcoming to anybody, regardless of their background."

Rising Stars offers workshops in theater, music, and dance to students in kindergarten through 8th grade, with approximately 30 students enrolling per fall or winter session. Halpern said she plans to add improvisation, voice lessons, and playwrighting to the program's current slate of courses.

Halpern is also exploring the concept of a summer performing arts camp, to accommodate the influx of Jews who migrate to the Jersey Shore for the summer months. That way, students from other areas can have access to the same classes the JCC offers during the year, such as lighting, set design, and costuming, Halpern said.

The camp would be for artistically inclined campers who prefer those kinds of activities to sports, Garbi said.

Halpern's first production at the JCC will be "The Wizard of Oz," on Dec. 12-13.

"That's my audition," she said.

Participating in the arts helps children with self-esteem issues and their performance in school, Halpern said. By taking part in plays, children eventually feel more comfortable to share themselves and open up, she said.

"The arts has something for everybody and theater has something for everybody," Halpern said.

"You can learn something about yourself personally, you can grow as a human being, you can grow as a good Jew," she added.

The arts also have tremendous potential at a JCC, Halpern said, as JCCs are institutions that traditionally run high-quality professional programming and help Jewish youths become more comfortable with each other.

"I think that the arts within this venue has a lot to offer in the broader Jewish community," Halpern said.

For this fall, Rising Stars is offering classes in ballet, hip-hop and jazz, dance for the Broadway stage, and acting. More classes in various disciplines will be offered in winter 2010. For more information, call Halpern at (732) 531-9100, ext. 171, or email her at thalpern@jccmonmouth.org.