Yentl, Barbra Streisand is a woman living in an Ashkenazi shtetl named Yanev in Poland in 1904. Her father, Reb Mendel (“Papa”), Nehemiah Persoff secretly instructs her in the Talmud, defying the community’s ban on women studying it. When her father dies, Yentl refuses to be married off and decides to pursue knowledge on her own, even as she wrestles with the expectations placed on her as a young woman.
After the death of her father, Yentl cuts her hair, dresses as a man, takes her late brother’s name, Anshel, Barbra Streisand, and enters a Yeshiva, a Jewish religious school in Bychawa. There she forges a bond with Avigdor, a fellow student, Mandy Patinkin, and becomes acquainted with his fiancée, Hadass, Amy Irving. The course of events is soon shaken by a disturbing revelation: Avigdor has lied about his brother’s death (it was a suicide, not pneumonia as claimed), and Hadass’ family withdraws from the wedding out of fear that Avigdor’s family is tainted by insanity. Hadass’ parents then decide that Hadass should marry “Anshel” instead, and Avigdor encourages this arrangement so Hadass can be with someone she knows, rather than a stranger. The reluctant marriage between Hadass and Anshel unfolds with no consummation, as Anshel insists it would be a sin for a woman to give herself to a man while she loves another. In the meantime, Yentl begins to teach Hadass the Talmud, deepening Hadass’ respect for her unusual tutor.
Hadass develops romantic feelings for Anshel, while Yentl herself grows closer to Avigdor. The two young people embark on a trip to the city, away from home, where Yentl finally reveals her true identity to Avigdor. At first, he cannot believe that his friend is a woman, but Yentl proves it by revealing her body. The moment is charged with vulnerability as she confesses her love; Avigdor, startled, breaks into a kiss but quickly remembers Hadass. He suggests they elope, yet Yentl recognizes that marriage would halt her studies and her pursuit of a broader life. They part with a mutual, lasting care for one another. It’s implied that Hadass and Anshel’s marriage is annulled, as it was never consummated, and Avigdor returns to marry Hadass. In a subsequent scene, Avigdor and Hadass read a letter from Yentl, learning that she is moving on to a new life and will always love them both.
Yentl sails away from Europe toward the United States, where she hopes to pursue a life with greater freedom. The story closes on a resolute, hopeful note, with Yentl’s final sentiment echoing the courage she has shown: she reaches for a future where she can learn, love, and live on her own terms.
> Papa, watch me fly.
