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In this edition:
- Message from Jofa
- Jofa and Maharat Israel Solidarity Mission, January 8-10, 2024
- Hanukkah
- Recent Events
- Women's Voices
- Reigniting Our Efforts for Israel
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Divrei Torah by Women on Parshat Vayeshev
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Message from Jofa
Friends,
Hanukkah comes during the darkest days of the year – and this year, amidst a particularly dark time for the State of Israel and the Jewish people. But we are finding hope anticipating the light of the chanukiyot, and reflecting on the heroism of modern-day Maccabees -- like the all-woman armored tank crew, and female medics, who rushed into danger and helped save countless lives on October 7th -- among numerous other stories of incredible heroism and bravery.
We are also inspired by the ways that women’s Torah learning and leadership brings light into our world -- including our collection of divrei Torah and resources for Hanukkah, which we are sure will enhance your chag.
The well-known Hanukkah passage in Talmud Shabbat 21a includes Beit Hillel’s prevailing view that we add a new candle each night of Hanukkah, rather than subtract. This is because our guiding value is to always strive to increase light and holiness. This exemplifies the work that Jofa does all year to increase light and holiness, by increasing Orthodox women’s voices, participation, and opportunities.
In the same vein, just as we increase the Hanukkah candles each night, let us renew and reinvigorate our efforts to support Israel and the Jewish people, and bring new miracles during this challenging time.
Wishing you and your loved ones a Chag Urim Sameakh that brings the joy and light of miracles old and new.
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Jofa and Yeshivat Maharat Israel Solidarity Mission, January 8-10, 2024: We're very pleased to invite you to join the Jofa and Yeshivat Maharat Solidarity Mission to Israel, taking place from midday Monday, January 8, through Wednesday evening, January 10, 2024. The mission will include on-the-ground visiting, volunteering, and learning initiatives, supporting women, evacuees, female soldiers, and all of Am Yisrael at this critical time. Help us bring chizuk to our Israeli friends and family!
The mission is open to women and men of all religious backgrounds. Additional details and registration information available at jofa.org/israel-mission. Please contact us at jofa@jofa.org with any further questions. We hope that you will consider joining us for this meaningful and substantive way to show your support and solidarity.
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Jofa's Hanukkah Resources: Check out Jofa's Hanukkah page for:
| Lighting Hanukkah Candles Together: Join Jofa, together with Svivah and several other partners, to spend just 15 minutes together each evening of Hanukkah, lighting candles and sharing a bit of Hanukkah warmth and light. This is a beautiful and simple way to add some meaning and togetherness to the holiday. See graphic for details, and RSVP at svivah.org/gatherings for Zoom link to join. |  | |
United Nations Protest and Special Session on Gender-Based Violence: On Monday, December 4, Jofa joined numerous major American and Israeli organizational partners in taking a powerful stand, protesting the United Nations' and the international community's egregious silence, about the depraved and violent, murderous acts of gender-based violence and war crimes committed against Jewish women and children by terrorists in Israel. Prominent women leaders from Israel and the U.S. united to demand that the U.N. and the international community acknowledge, denounce, and actively speak up for the Israeli women and girls who have suffered.
This protest preceded the United Nations' first special session on sexual and gender-based violence in Hamas’ October 7th terror attack on Israel. More than 700 people filled the room for the “Hear Our Voices” session organized by Israel’s Permanent Mission to the U.N., to bear witness to the horrors from that day and to be a voice for those who were silenced. They listened to testimony from Israeli first responder teams who shared firsthand accounts of the atrocities they encountered on October 7, clearly indicating that rape was used as a tool of war by Hamas in Israel.
Speakers included survivors, first responders, Israeli police, legal experts, women's rights and human rights experts, in addition to remarks from keynote speaker and LeanIn.org founder Sheryl Sandberg; U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand; activist Mandana Dayani, Former Miss Universe Linor Abargil, and a video message from Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. You can view highlights here or watch the full session recording here of this very substantive and compelling event.
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Daphne Lazar Price, left, and "Under G-d" filmmaker Paula Eiselt
at the November 30 JCC MetroWest screening and panel discussion event.
| The December 7 Hadassah-Brandeis Institute online discussion panelists. | |
Reproductive Rights Panel Discussions: Jofa's Executive Director, Daphne Lazar Price, has participated in two recent panel discussions about the fight for reproductive rights:
Last Thursday, November 30, she participated in a discussion at JCC MetroWest in West Orange, NJ, following the screening of "Under G-d," a documentary short directed by Paula Eiselt about the national Jewish response to the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The story is woven through the lived experiences of impacted women, and the lawsuits brought by Jewish and interfaith leaders to challenge Dobbs on religious freedom grounds.
This Thursday, December 7, she was also part of a distinguished online panel discussion organized by the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute (HBI), focusing on Jewish Women's Organizing in Support of Reproductive Rights: Past and Present, delving into Jewish women and Jewish clergy's important role in the struggle for reproductive rights, both before and after the U.S. Supreme Court's pivotal Roe and Dobbs decisions. Moderated by HBI Director Lisa Fishbayn Joffe, the panel also included Massachusetts State Senator Becca Rausch; Melissa Klapper, historian and current HBI Scholar in Residence, and Lara Crawford, National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) Massachusetts, exploring the history of Jewish women's activism for reproductive rights, and the various forms advocacy is taking in the present moment. You can watch an event recording here.
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Here we share women's perspectives published in the past week:
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May the Hopeful Lights of Hanukkah
Reignite Our Efforts for Israel
| Each week, we continue to share, update, and expand these suggested ways to stay up to date, active, and engaged with what is happening in Israel and how we can help. We hope that each week you will find something that speaks to you, and helps you stay connected, through tangible efforts to bring hope, strength, and support to Am Yisrael, both in Israel, around the world, and in your own home and community. Just as the lights of Hanukkah build and increase with each night, we hope that these ideas will expand and magnify our collective efforts, throughout Hanukkah and going forward. |  | |
Raise Your Voice: Call, write, or email to urge America’s leaders to stand with Israel! Anti-Israel activists are calling members of Congress and telling them to abandon Israel. Make your pro-Israel voice heard by calling your elected officials to make it clear that you stand with our ally Israel against Hamas terrorism!
Use the Jewish Federations of North America's callforisrael.org calling system, which makes it easy to make those calls. It is also effective to write personal letters in your own words. Find the contact information for your members of the House and the Senate, or send a quick email to your elected officials, via the American Jewish Committee.
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Increase Awareness of the Hostages and Their Families: Visit listentomoms.net, a U.S.-based initiative uniting diverse mothers to share their stories and advocate for the release of hostages being held captive by Hamas in Gaza. See and share powerful videos; email the United Nations and members of Congress; learn about the captives, and more. Each of these hostages, including young children, is dearly loved and cherished by their families. Innate human compassion drives us to care deeply about their safety and well-being.
You can also purchase wristbands from BringThemHomeNow! to help raise international awareness and support this volunteer-driven effort to return all of the innocent civilian hostages back home to their families and loved ones. All proceeds will be donated to The Hostage and Missing Families Forum.
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Increase Warmth and Light Through Baking Challah and Lighting Shabbat Candles: Weekly rituals like baking challah and lighting Shabbat candles, with friends, family, or community, are powerful ways to connect and comfort each other.
You can print these special candle lighting prayers to join with Jewish women around the world in finding a renewed sense of purpose and meaning in lighting Shabbat candles, and reciting special prayers for the captives, the injured, the IDF, our families, and the entire Jewish people.
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Raise Your Awareness: In this age of information overload, it remains vital to arm ourselves with reputable news sources to keep informed of news, developments, and analyses, so that we can keep advocating and reinforcing our message effectively. Here are some suggested sources that include coverage, analysis, and firsthand accounts:
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Raise Funds: The needs remain staggering, but we can each help in our own ways -- from volunteering and raising funds, to donating toward food distributions, mental health services, caregiving, displaced families, IDF supplies, home front needs, and so much more.
We can each support these needs by contributing to any of the many grassroots, local, national, and international organizations and fundraising efforts that are delivering an amazing amount of direct and specific goods and services on the ground -- including your community's Jewish Federation, as well as the following options:
We are also highlighting organizations that specialize in helping women and girls, such as these:
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Increase Connection: Anyone with family and/or friends in Israel, or who knows anyone with loved ones who are serving, will appreciate you reaching out and checking in, even when there are no adequate words. It is still meaningful to express that you care and that they are not alone. Everyone is touched personally by what is happening, and Israel is always in our hearts and minds. A phone call, email, or message can go a long way. Tell them that you’re thinking about them and praying for their safety and strength. A small kindness can make such a difference.
For mental health and wellness resources that can help you or those you care about, see:
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Talk with the Kids in Your Life: Discussing with children of all ages what is happening in Israel is still sensitive and important, for families, caregivers, educators, spiritual leaders, youth leaders, and more. We continue sharing and adding to our list of resources to help navigate this:
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Raise Our Voices in Unity, Prayer, Learning, or Song: Communities continue to think of creative and meaningful ways to gather -- over Shabbat and throughout the week; at synagogues, schools, and community centers; knitting kippot or assembling tzitzit; participating in multifaith gatherings; hearing powerful and inspiring speakers from Israel; setting empty Shabbat tables or setting aside seats in shul for the hostages.
Any and every Shabbat can be Israel solidarity Shabbat in your community or congregation, with Tehillim, prayers, and melodies for Israel, including: the Prayer for the State of Israel, Prayer for Tzahal, Prayer for the Safe Return of Hostages. Include in your tefillot the names of soldiers and hostages. Say your own personal prayers; insert your own prayers during tefillah. Take a moment to thank G-d for protecting and watching over us, and those who safeguard our homeland, and who are in harm's way. Now more than ever, tefillah can offer us strength and comfort.
A melaveh malkah or kumsitz can also be meaningful ways to channel our feelings through the emotional outlet of music. Try this Spotify playlist, Music to Give You Comfort and Strength, too.
| Divrei Torah by Women on Parshat Vayeshev | |
Jews around the world are reading and studying Parshat Vayeshev this week. Here are a few divrei Torah by women on this week's parsha:
| Shabbat Shalom ~ Hanukkah Sameakh | |
