Our Sedra addresses an event that was wondrously terrifying and terrifyingly wonderful. The Israelites stood at the foot of Mount Sinai, newly escaped from slavery in Egypt. They had already been the victims of a vicious attack by Amalek on their way to the...
By Resa S. Davids WRJ-Israel came into being in Jerusalem on March 19, 2009. I had arranged a luncheon for women to be held during the WUPJ International Convention in order to strengthen the women’s track of workshops and to encourage more Israeli women to participate in the convention. Previously, I had visited 15 congregations which were affiliated with the Israel Movement for Reform &Progressive Judaism (IMPJ) in order to encourage them to consider establishing women’s groups. Goals and activities for each of these women’s groups were just in the early stages of talking and dreaming. There was no clear definition of what could or would happen as the women’s groups began to meet. I invited the women in these groups, together with women leaders from around the world who were attending the Convention, to come together for this luncheon. During the event, I welcomed Rosanne Selfon, president of WRJ at the time. Suddenly I heard myself presenting the 40 Israeli women in the room to her as a new Israeli national organization which would be connected with WRJ and would be known as WRJ-Israel. There was no advance planning, no voting by the WRJ Board, no voting by the women in the room. It just seemed like a good idea at the time!