Voices of WRJ: B'shalach

by Sherri Feuer B’shalach, Exodus 13:17-17:16, recounts the Israelite’s crossing of the Sea of Reeds, the culmination of their departure from Egypt. Once the Israelites cross the sea, their sojourn from Egypt is truly a reality. The Israelites rejoice in their new freedom. Miriam leads the women in the song. We celebrate the Israelite’s trek to freedom every Pesach. The story has drama, suspense and celebration—it’s a wonderful story to retell. We now know, however, that the crossing of the sea was not the end of the struggles for the Jewish people. The Israelites would endure food shortages and military threats before they ultimately reached the Promised Land. As this year begins, the crossing of the sea and the movement to a better place brings to mind the challenge Women of Reform Judaism is currently facing. Last November, at our 50^th Assembly, WRJ left behind familiar territory. Although we were not faced with the life-challenging situation of the Israelites, we recognized that this was a critical moment to take stock of our organization. After a tremendous amount of research, surveys, focus groups, and WRJ Board work, we decided to move forward in a new, thoughtful way with an eye to the future. We knew we needed to address our changing world and the way women associate and remain involved with non-profit organizations. We heard what all sectors and age demographics of our women were saying. We learned from daughters and granddaughters, our single, LGBT, and empty-nester sisters. We listened to the concerns of our sisterhoods, women’s groups and even those unaffiliated with our movement. Then we took first steps to refine our organization, adjust our structure and move to a new place. Like the Israelites, this journey may not go smoothly. We too will face obstacles along the way. We may hear from doubters who thought the way it was was just fine. As you may recall, some of the Israelites felt the status quo in Egypt was the best the Jews could expect. Frankly, it’s always easier to settle. Change is hard and it is often fraught with hurdles. But, a momentum started when we took the steps of strategic planning and visioning for WRJ. We adopted a new, broader mission statement and started rethinking what we could be. In response, some women have met us along the road. Others are asking questions about WRJ and are opening up to a new and different path. The essential components of WRJ are the same. Our mission and goals have never been clearer. However, we have begun to open our tent wider, to allow individuals to join us and support our dedication to progressive Judaism worldwide. The details may not be crystal clear yet, but the door is ajar and we are walking through it boldly. We celebrated at our Assembly. We sang the Mi Shebeirach and we danced. We congratulated ourselves on moving forward. And, now, as with the Israelites, the hard work of moving forward as an organization begins. There are going to be hurdles; there are going to be struggles. We may not get it all right initially. But, we will learn as much from our missteps as from our victories. And we will be flexible and nimble as we approach the future. Since Assembly, we’ve already seen our message and actions resonate with women. We’re on our way; we’ve crossed the threshold. It’s an amazing time to be part of WRJ. Join us to see where we can and will go from here. The door is open, we’re reaching out to you! Sherri Feuer is the current WRJ Vice President of Affiliate Services. She is a Temple Israel Sisterhood past president in Minneapolis, MN, as well as a Temple congregational president. She is also a WRJ Midwest District Past President. She is married to Larry Feuer and has two children, Elyse and Aaron, z''l.