Israel in the Women's League World
For almost 60 years, ever since the establishment of the state of Israel, Women’s League has grappled with promoting a diverse and multi-dimensional program for its members that stresses Israel’s importance in the lives of North American Jews while ensuring pluralistic religious options for all Israelis.
Highlights of that ever-evolving program include a worldwide network of committed Conservative/Masorti women; days of study taught in four different languages for the women of Masorti congregations; an Israel mission that satisfies a tourist’s curiosity while offering a woman’s perspective; and the opportunity to enable some very special Israelis to celebrate becoming bar and bat mitzvah.
For eight years, the Masorti Women’s Study Days have brought over 500 members of Masorti kehillot (congregations) to programs held throughout the country with a culminating event in Jerusalem. A joint project of Women’s League’s Masorti Women International, the Masorti movement and the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies, the project was inspired by Professor Alice Shalvi, former president of the Schechter Institute and winner of the most recent Israel Prize. Simultaneous classes, taught by faculty and graduates of the Schechter Institute, are offered in English, Hebrew, Russian, and Spanish, allowing everyone to be an active participant.
What is so remarkable about the Days of Study is that they are the creation of a committee of over 80 women representing almost every Masorti congregation in Israel, coordinated by Women’s League Israel Liaison Diane Friedgut.
As a result of the Days of Study, Women’s League’s international arm, Masorti Women International, now has over one hundred members in Israel. These women have created rosh hodesh groups to extend their learning opportunities and they play a significant role in ICAR-Coalition to Fight for Rights for Agunot, just one of the projects that furthers efforts to ease some of the restrictions on religious pluralism in the country. Taking advantage of online communications, especially during times of crisis such as the war on Israel’s northern border in the summer of 2006, and the indefatigable spirit of Diane Friedgut, a vital network of Masorti women is now thriving throughout the country. Two members of Masorti Women International are fully subsidized to attend the Women’s League biennial convention, further cementing the personal connections across the continents.
North American members of Women’s League meet these sisters face to face on annual missions to Israel. Every Women’s League trip expands the international network with visits to our congregations and schools, meetings with Masorti leaders and laypeople, davening in various kehilot and noshing in private homes. This fall’s trip, set for October 31 through November 12, is an opportunity to walk in the path of the matriarchs with an exploration of the arts, networking with innovative community workers, some indulgent time at the Carmel Spa, and much more.
And to personalize the relationship between Women’s League and the Masorti movement even more, the regions and sisterhoods have made it their responsibility to help fund Operation Mazel Tov, the bar/bat mitzvah program for children with special needs in Israel. For many of these children with severe disabilities, participating in this program is their only Jewish educational experience. Regardless of their background, over 300 children are welcomed to celebrate reaching the age of mitzvot in a religious ceremony designed to meet their specific needs. Women’s League has been an active partner in Operation Mazel Tov for many years, and sisterhoods can now adopt these children to ease some of the burden on their families.
Women’s League takes very seriously its six point program for Israel: understanding Zionist philosophy; supporting Masorti institutions, synagogues, and women’s groups; encouraging tourism and aliyah; and advocating for religious pluralism and social action. Since 1948, individual members and their sisterhoods have joined with Women’s League to ensure that Israel is at the heart of so much of what we do.
