Jofa Weekly, 3/7/24: Adar, Take Two

The 23rd annual Women's Megillah Reading in Sacramento, California, last Purim.

In This Edition:

Weekly Message
Women's Megillah Readings & Purim Resources
International Women's Day, Marking 150 Days & More Upcoming Dates
Women's Voices
Spotlighted Israel Resources
Divrei Torah by Women on Parshat Vayakhel

Weekly Message:

Mishenichnas Adar Sheni

Friends,

As we usher in Adar Sheni with Rosh Chodesh this Sunday and Monday, March 10-11, Purim is now just around the corner.

But instead of entering Adar and approaching Purim "marbim b'simcha" – filled with their customary joy – many Jews in Israel and around the world are feeling tense and worn out.

The war is long, with significant costs and an unclear endpoint. The clock is ticking for the hostages, in hopes that they can still be saved. Many unanswered questions loom. Yet there is also incredible resilience and determination. The soldiers are extraordinary, with inspiring devotion to our nation, and unimaginable courage.

What can we do here? International Women's Day, on Friday, March 8, is an apt time to redouble our efforts to bring attention to the women still being held hostage, and to the numerous unique impacts that the war has had on women – victims, hostages, serving, and on the home front. There is also an International Women's Day protest this Friday at the United Nations, followed on Sunday, March 10, with a rally in New York City marking 150 days that the hostages have been in Hamas captivity. Please see details on these and more events below.

Purim captures the two-sided coin that we find ourselves balancing: Although ultimately joyous, Purim did not start off that way; it did not emerge from an easy, joyful situation. It was also a time of great risk and tremendous courage, with Am Yisrael coming face to face with existential threats, as we do now.

Perhaps that can bring some comfort, as we take in the long view of our people's eternal survival. We can look to the voices of women, and their words of Torah, for perspective, insight, and understanding.

May Adar Sheni and Purim renew their abundant joy, as we share them together, seeking out comfort and celebration, with the hope that we will face and overcome our challenges together too.

Shabbat Shalom and Chodesh Tov.

International Women's Day, This Friday, March 8:

Raising Awareness of the Women Hostages

This year's International Women's Day is a time to raise awareness of the 13 women hostages -- amongst all of those still being held captive by Hamas in Gaza.

Each of these women is a loved one. Each has a story. Each was kidnapped -- from her kibbutz home, the Nova Music Festival, or the Nahal Oz IDF base. They range in age from 19 to 39. A mother. A student. Soldiers. A veterinary nurse. A dancer. A bartender. An occupational therapist. A fashion stylist. A guide.

You can find ways to advocate and raise awareness, through The Hostages and Missing Families Forum of New York, which offers resources and easy ways to contact your elected officials, as well as Run for Their Lives, which organizes local run/walk events calling for the immediate release of the hostages.

International Women's Day Protest,

This Friday, March 8

and

150 Days in Captivity Rally, This Sunday, March 10,

in New York City

Please join us in solidarity, together with numerous organizational partners, by taking time this Friday and Sunday to bring strength in numbers, to press for the hostages' release. Please visit the Hostages and Missing Families Forum New York for additional information and advocacy resources.

for a Zoom Discussion:

Amalek in Our Time:

A Pre-Purim Panel and Exploration

Jofa, Hadar, and Beit Midrash Har'el are partnering to present Amalek in Our Time: A Pre-Purim Panel and Exploration, on Sunday, March 17 (see local times in graphic). The event will feature panelists including: Rabbi Professor Samuel Lebens, author and Professor of Philosophy at the University of Haifa; Rabbi Herzl Hefter, Founder and Rosh Beit Midrash of Beit Midrash Har'el, in Jerusalem, and Rabbi Dr. Avital Hochstein, President of Hadar in Israel. Rabbi Elhanan Miller, writer and educator, will serve as moderator. Please register to listen in on what is sure to be an enlightening and engaging discussion.

Megillah Readings & Purim Prep Resources

The Young Israel of Hollywood-Ft. Lauderdale, Florida's

2023 women's megillah reading.

Purim is just around the corner -- Saturday night and Sunday, March 23-24!

Please list your women's or partnership megillah readings here, so we can share the listings with others who may want to join!

We also have several resources for planning a women's or partnership megillah reading and learning the leyning, including:

We appreciate your patience as we update our Android leyning app; please use our web-based recordings in the meantime.

Purim Mental Health Resources

The Blue Dove Foundation offers several Purim related resources, covering a range of topics such as mental health mishloach manot, creating inclusive Purim festivities, self-care routines for Purim, reflections, paths to joy, and more. They are all free for download in the website's holidays section.

International Women's Month Program

on Ta'anit Esther, Thursday, March 21, 11AM EST

In honor of International Women's Month 2024, Moran Zer Katzenstein, founder of Bonot Alternativa, one of Israel's leading gender equality organizations, will lead a conversation delving into the distinctive qualities and strengths that women bring to leadership roles.

Highlighting the imperative of women's representation at decision-making tables across military, government, local authorities, and civil society, Moran will share insightful anecdotes and case studies drawn from recent emergency relief efforts. She will also unveil Bonot Alternativa's ambitious plans to rebuild women's leadership in Israel this year.

Register and join us for this online session, as we recognize the strength of women leaders, and unite to build a more equitable and inclusive future for women in Israel.

Mark Your Calendar:

Days of Torah Learning at SAR High School and Virtual, June 23-24

Jofa is proud to join SAR High School and numerous partners (listed in the graphic below) for two days of Torah learning in June, in memory of Riva Koschitzky, z"l, an outstanding supporter of numerous projects to increase and enhance Torah learning. Please watch for details; a Zoom component will be offered for those unable to attend in person.

Women's Voices

Here we share a range of women's voices, ideas, thoughts, and reflections, as examples of what women are processing and feeling right now, and how they are finding understanding, strength, hope, and resilience, during this time. We hope that these writings provide you with new perspectives, and inspire you to write and share your own insights:

Pain and Resilience

As the war, along with its heartbreak and its endurance, continues, we also have Rosh Chodesh Adar Sheni and Purim coming soon, reminding us to find "orah v'simcha," light and joy, where we can. This year, that comes from a deep sense of purpose to help each other and the Jewish people survive.

Please check our Supporting Israel: Ways to Help Now page, where we continue adding ways to keep current and engaged with what is happening in Israel and how we can help -- including raising the voices and stories of how women are impacted, how they are responding, and ways we can support them.

The page includes resources for fighting antisemitism; advocacy; staying informed; keeping attention on the hostages; finding comfort in rituals; ways to contribute; talking to kids about Israel; reaching out; mental health; community gatherings, and more.

We will also keep spotlighting additional resources in this weekly email and our social feeds, and adding them to the page. We hope that each week you'll will find things that speak to you, help you stay connected, give you specific things that you can do -- in Israel, around the world, and in your own home and community.

Spotlighted Israel Resources

We continue highlighting resources and organizations each week that you can turn to for information, support, or to contribute toward direct needs on the ground in Israel. Please see our Supporting Israel page for our continually growing list.

Chesed Chaim V'Emet helps bereaved families cope with loss and bereavement. It was established by an IDF officer who decided to copy the IDF's program of assistance for bereaved families to the civilian sector. Since the start of the war, the organization has accompanied over 650 families by conducting home visits, providing equipment needed for the shiva mourning period, and providing counseling.

The Counseling Center for Women is dedicated to promoting individual, social, and economic gender equality through its psychotherapy center providing more than 10,000 therapy hours for women each year, especially women-at-risk, survivors of abuse and violence, and those struggling with depression, anxiety, or other illnesses. The Center is providing private and group psychotherapy from a gender-sensitive perspective for women suffering from trauma and post-trauma because of the war.

Eden Association is based in Kibbutz Karmia (three kilometers from Gaza) and in Kibbutz Dorot, near Sderot. Eden specializes in the fields of trauma therapy and complex post-traumatic therapy, and creating trauma-focused frameworks, as well as guiding girls and women in personal empowerment and transformation processes according to a unique model. Eden is providing additional therapies and treatments for beneficiaries whose trauma has increased because of their proximity to the October 7 events and subsequent evacuation from their facility.

Emergency Volunteers Project (EVP) recruits and trains American firefighters, medical professionals, and other personnel to be deployed in Israel during emergencies. EVP is now answering the call of the Israel Fire and Rescue Service, to deploy 140 firefighters who will work in a volunteer capacity to supplement the Israeli capabilities, as EVP has done in the past.

Divrei Torah by Women on Parshat Vayakhel

Jews around the world are reading and studying Parshat Vayakhel this week. Here are a few divrei Torah by women on this week's parsha:

Shabbat Shalom U'Mevorach

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