OTHER VIEWS

Reclaiming The Voice Of Women

"I sent Miriam to watch the basket as it
floated downstream. When she reported
back to me that the Pharaoh's daughter
had found the basket, I knew it was the
end, but suddenly Miriam surprised me.
The Pharaohs daughter loved our baby
boy. She cradled him. She kissed him.
And most importantly, she decided to
keep him. And then, my brazen daugh-
ter, my courageous and strong and beau-
tiful daughter, figured out a way for us to
keep him, too, for just a little bit longer.
I became the wet nurse to my own son. I
knew I would have to give him up some-
day, but as his wet nurse, I had him for
a few more years. And, oh, how it was
wonderful to sing lullabies to him, to tell
stories, to teach him to speak, and most
of all, to watch him grow."

T

his is what I would imagine
Yocheved to say, if she were
to tell the story of setting
her son Moses adrift in the
river. There is nothing in these words
that we do not know from the Torah
itself, but a woman who has been for-
ever silent finally has a chance to
speak.
Women have been silent in our
Jewish tradition and celebration for far
too long. It is not that the women are
absent; for we know many of their

Rabbi Marla R. Hornsten is a mem-
ber of the clergy at Temple Israel in West
Bloomfield.

stories, but rarely
do we hear them
in their own
words. Our
women rather,
are defined
through the men
who surround
them. Some do
RABBI MARLA not even have
R. HORNSTEN their own names;
Community
they are instead,
"Noah's wife or
Views
Lot's wife."
Unfortunately, this approach
toward women is still maintained in
many aspects of Jewish life. The oft-
told story bears repeating at this time
of year. It was once said to Professor
Susannah Heschel, "A woman belongs
on the bimah as much as bread
belongs on the seder plate." She
responded saying, "The teachings of
women do not violate the tradition,
but renew it. Women bring to the
bimah what an orange would bring to
the seder plate — transformation, not
transgression."
As a result of this exchange, many
Jews now place an orange on their
seder plates to affirm that women
belong at the center of Jewish life and
practice as well as in communal lead-
ership roles (as told in the Haggadah
for the Women's Seder of the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.)
Indeed, Passover is the perfect time

for us to remember the women of our
tradition. The story of the Exodus
includes a number of truly dynamic
women — women of action who
changed the course of history. In fact,
our ancient rabbis teach that it was for
the sake of the righteous women of this
generation (of the Exodus) that the
Israelites were redeemed from Egypt.
They were Shifra and Puah, the
midwives who saved the Israelite boys
from infanticide, at risk of their own
lives; Yocheved, who demonstrated
strength of character and faith as she
let go of her son so he might live;
Batya, the Pharaoh's own daughter
who brought Moses into her home to
raise as her own child; Tzipporah, who
adopted Judaism as her own, recogniz-
ing the importance of faith in God;
and finally Miriam, known to us as
Moses' sister, but a woman of conse-
quence in her own right.
Having exerted influence over the
Pharaoh's daughter, Miriam becomes
the leader of the women in the wilder-
ness, and later is called a prophetess by
the Torah itself She represents the
essential character of the Exodus story
because she herself symbolizes these
very themes of hope, renewal, fertility
and freedom. Dancing and singing,
she leads the women and, in reality,
the whole Israelite community, for the
rabbis connect her with a miraculous
well that follows the people through-
out the wilderness, nurturing them

and sustaining them throughout their
journey.

The Past's Lessons

Through the modern feminist
approach to Jewish life and literature,
we seek to reclaim voices that have
been silent for thousands of years.
Once we acknowledge their silence,
then we can begin to understand their
lives and learn from their teachings.
And when we finally hear what they
have to say, then we can utilize them
as models for our own lives — even in
this modern day.
As a result of this kind of study, Jews
have adopted new traditions for Passover
to include women. The orange is one
important symbol of women's leadership
in our day. We also honor our biblical
women by adding a kos Miriam, a Miri-
am's cup, to our seder tables to symbol-
ize her role in the Exodus as well as the
hope and life and rebirth that she repre-
sented for the Israelite people in the
wilderness.
Judaism has always been a religion
about transformation and change; do
not be afraid to add new symbols to
your Passover observance this year.
Take this opportunity to reclaim the
missing voices of our people, tell their
stories and honor them; in this way,
you will discover your own story as
well. D

Related story: page 33

Not A Place To Fear

Jerusalem

A

few days ago, I did what
for many is the unthink-
able. I packed up my apart-
ment (moving the contents
into Mom and Dad's basement, living
room, family room ... ) and flew to
Israel.
Behind me were the best friends
I've ever had, a campus I love and

Devra Wanetik is a senior journalism
major at Ohio State University in
Columbus. She is a displaced member
of the Chabad House, spending her
final quarter of studies in Israel as an
intern with the Jerusalem Report. Her
parents, Ann and Len Wanetik, are
members of Congregation Bnai Moshe
in West Bloomfield.

4/6
2001

30

DEVRA
WANETIK
Special
Commentary

more. Ahead of
me was a country
that many stu-
dents know little
about.
"It's dangerous
there."
"There are
bombs there,
don't go
"
b •
"Isn't that a
Third World

country?"
These are the
kind of comments
I heard when I announced my deci-
sion to take my dream job, writing for
a magazine in Jerusalem. Overall, peo-
ple displayed an enormous lack of
understanding of Israel and the chal-
lenges it faces. Yes, it's dangerous. Yes,

there are bombs. No, it's not a Third
World country.
Israel is, however, a country fac-
ing challenges that should have
ended long ago. It is a country
whose citizens fight to keep it on
the map, rather than one in which
children shoot up classrooms or kill
over jackets. It is a country in
which elderly do not have to choose
between food and medication.
My trips to Israel number in the
double digits. I've been here as a
tourist, a student and a family mem-
ber. I realize that, as I sit on Ben
Yehuda Street (a gathering place in the
center of Jerusalem), eating my falafel
and relaxing from my day as a 9 to
5er, my cousin is somewhere,
unknown to me, protecting my pre-
cious R&R time as part of the Israel

Defense Forces. This doesn't scare me;
it makes me proud.

Friendly Encounters

I ask a friend seated next to me, "Do
you feel scared?"
"No," she replies, "I've never felt
more at peace in my life."
She knows that if she decides to
become as Israeli citizen, she'll get free
health care and help settling in. In
Israel, I can walk down a street at
night without reaching for my Mace
every time I hear a sound. Strangers
greet each other warmly, discuss poli-
tics and offer help.
I came without knowing a soul in
Jerusalem, a fact that changed about 10
minutes after landing in Tel Aviv. A
stranger helped me retrieve my bags
from the carousel. A stranger watched

