Voices of WRJ: Parashat Pinchas

Parashat Pinchas doesn’t deliver what you might expect. Amidst yet another census taking exercise, we have the story of the daring, mindful, literate, assertive and non-compromising five daughters of Zelophehad. I would like to relate the bold actions of Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah and Tirzah to our contemporary selves, to us, as women of Reform Judaism. The Torah: A Women’s Commentary offers many thought-provoking insights that highlight the significance of the accomplishments of these five daughters. Rabbi Silvina Chemen’s analysis (p. 986), in particular, struck a few chords with me: “The achievement of Zelophehad’s daughters was a landmark in women’s rights regarding the inheritance of land, from those days up to now. In addition, however, the story of these five women offers a compelling lesson for all those who believe that their destiny is fixed or that divine justice has abandoned them. It encourages us to think differently-and provides a message of hope for all those faced with obstacles. Perhaps the most important legacy of Zelophehad’s daughters is their call to us to take hold of life with our own hands, to move from the place that the others have given us – or that we have decided to keep because we feel immobile – and to walk, even to the most holy center, to where nobody seems to be able to go. After all, nothing is more sacred than life itself and the fight for what we believe is worthy. Thus, this parashah inspires us to discover that we too have the ability to know what is right for ourselves and what our rights ought to be. When we believe in our capacity to shape our history, to the point of being able to change even a law that came from Revelation at Sinai, then we pay a tribute to Zelophehad’s daughters.” Upon reading these stirring remarks, I thought of two of our Gold Or Ami Light of My People Award winners at the 2011 WRJ Assembly in Washington, D.C. WRJ Bet David Sisterhood in Johannesburg, South Africa, won an award for its feeding programs, which it operates in situ in the Alexandra Township. Monica Solomon, a WRJ Board member, arranged for me to spend a morning with some of the sisterhood leaders of this and other sisterhoods of South Africa. We delivered food and visited with students and others who benefit from the weekly ministering of this remarkable sisterhood feeding program. The children at the school that the women support, not only with a daily lunch program, but also with extra uniforms as needed, had prepared a concert for us. That was fun! But the most powerful moment came when we visited a woman who is known to all as one of the “grandmothers.” Why? Because she accepts abandoned children on her doorstep who are as young as 5 months old. Try to imagine a dozen or more children, aged 5 months to 14 years, either sleeping or resting on a mat on the floor along the perimeter of three sides of a small room. The “grandmother” does not live there—she lives a few doors away. She locks the door of the room with the children at night so that they won’t be kidnapped. The Bet David Sisterhood members visit her regularly and provide whatever supplies she needs—they had recently donated a small plastic chair for each child so that each could sit properly while learning to read. The sisterhood also sponsors a teacher one day a week. My heart was in my mouth when we left those children; I could barely keep back the tears and had a lump in my throat that would not go away. Without these daughters of Zelophehad, the Sisterhood, which provides for many mouths to be fed, bodies to be clothed, and minds to be taught, the lives of these children would be far worse. These women help provide messages of hope to the children. The second Or Ami Light of My People Award winner that came to mind is the WRJ Sisterhood of Temple Sholom in Vancouver, BC. They won a Gold Or Ami award for a program called, “Combating Human Trafficking.” But this was much more than just a program. In the true footsteps of our five Biblical daughters, these modern women galvanized their sisterhood board, local community agencies, many WRJ sisterhoods across Canada, and other organizations to urge Parliament to pass Bill C-268, which would provide mandatory minimum sentencing for offenses against minors who were victims of human trafficking. Through varied advocacy efforts, they generated public support for the passage of this Bill. In June 2010, the Bill was passed, due in no small measure to the work of the sisterhood members involved in the campaign. In the first case, hope is kept alive, and in the second, a law was enacted to ensure the safety of the vulnerable. What projects will speak to us in 2013? How will we stand up and let our voices be heard clearly and without equivocation? Join us at the 49^th WRJ Assembly in San Diego from December 11-15, 2013, as we cheer on the WRJ Or Ami Light of My People Award winners who stand up against injustice with courage and determination.