Voices of WRJ: Vayishlach

How many times have you heard the saying, “The more things change, the more they stay the same?” As we age, we experience its veracity more and more. So it is with an oft neglected tale in this week’s Torah portion Vayishlach; the silent story of Dinah. The story relates that Dinah, Leah’s and Jacob’s daughter, is raped by Shechem, the son of the local chieftan Hamor. Shechem claims he loves Dinah and so Hamor, like all good fathers who want to make their children happy, arranges a marriage with Jacob who remains silent about his daughter’s rape (unfortunately, we have no idea what Dinah thought). In the meantime, her furious brothers (the heads of the eventual 12 tribes of our people) plot wild revenge, insist that all of Hamor’s village males be circumcised if the marriage is to take place, promise friendship to the village people, and then indiscriminately slaughter all the males in the village who are in no state to fight. Obviously, this is not a story we tell along with other Bible tales in our religious schools! Does this ancient tale bear any relevance today? One of the many obligations we have as Jews is to champion those with no voices–the poor, the infirmed, the widow, the orphan, and so forth. As women, we should especially be attuned to the plight of women worldwide, women who are treated as though they were not created in God’s image. What can we do? We cannot sit by idly. Below are two suggested programs for your sisterhood to consider. To facilitate each program, I suggest reading “Contemporary Reflections” written by Rabbi Laura Geller, (The Torah: A Women’s Commentary, p. 204-205) prior to your discussions.

1. Read and discuss Half The Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. The stories shared in Half The Sky are said to “support their claim that there is a global struggle for women’s equality… ‘the paramount moral challenge of our era.’” The authors assert that ‘Gendercide,’ the daily slaughter of girls in the developing world, steals more lives in any given decade “than all the genocides of the 20th century.”
2. A little over one year ago, 14-year-old Pakistani Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by a Taliban assassin because she spoke publically in support of educating girls, an endeavor her father fully supported. Somehow she survived the attempt on her life! She recently marked her 16^th birthday by speaking to the United Nations. She is known as one of the most courageous young women in the world. She speaks truth to wisdom. Read and discuss her story I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by The Taliban.

What happens next? Raising consciousness is the first step. Asking the tough questions follows. Next, your sisterhood can decide on what activism it might consider. Will you contact your representatives and ask what Canada and the U.S. are doing for women’s rights here or abroad? You might want to consider an engagement program. You could participate in a women’s microloan program. WRJ and the Religious Action Center (RAC) can provide guidance and advice. WRJ’s many resolutions throughout the years support activism on behalf of women around the globe. Go and do! If you are wondering why you should care about women half a world away, it’s time to realize we are all in this life together. This is everyone’s problem. Treating women as sub-humans is simply not acceptable whether it involves human trafficking, denying women the right to drive, or prohibiting girls’ education. Say hineni – Here I am! As members of WRJ, we have all learned we are Stronger Together. Work side-by-side to make a difference–it’s our obligation and a privilege.