WRJ Voices: Haazinu

by Debbie Weinstein Moses makes his last address to the Jewish people, in the form of a poem Shirat Haazinu in Deuteronomy 32:1-52. In this poem Moses addresses the heavens and earth “Give ear, O heavens let me speak; / Let earth hear the words I utter!” (Deuteronony 32:1). He uses these words to try to express his frustration with the Israelites, with their failing. He tells them that God’s love nurtured them and instead of honoring God “They forsook the God who made them/ And spurned the Rock of their support” (Deuteronony 32:15). For 40 years Moses was God’s messenger and father of the Israelites. As the father he wants to give guidance and counsel his people to be faithful. In verse 46 he says “take to heart these warnings with which I have warned you this day”. In many ways WRJ is like a parent that counsels her children. We have pioneered social action in the Reform Movement and in the Jewish community for over 100 years. We are the parent spreading the word, championing values and communicating those values to hundreds of women’s groups worldwide. Our hope is that our voice is heard beyond our WRJ communities, that our statements on social justice are spread to all people. As with any change it starts small, from within our group. We voice our concerns about the social issues today as a parent speaking to a child. We make resolutions about our beliefs. Many times in our history our resolutions have preceded the policy, which means we are a forward thinking organization that strives to do what is right and just. For example in 1950 we challenged segregation and all forms of injustice.  Below is an excerpt from the resolution: “Whereas, the challenge of segregation and other forms of injustice have been only partially eradicated from the American community, Therefore, be it resolved, that the NFTS 18th Biennial, on behalf of its units located in the United States, calls upon the Congress of the United States to establish a Federal Commission on Civil Rights, that it create a civil rights division in the Department of Justice and that it strengthen the provisions of the Criminal Code which deal with the violation of human rights”. We challenged lack of civil rights through our resolution as did many other Americans and because our voice was joined with other voices we gained strength. A chorus of like-minded people influenced the changes in our laws that put an end to segregation. Many times the Shirat Haazinu is also called the “Song of Moses”. Our song is in the form of resolutions, they let the world know that WRJ will do the work of tikkun olam, repairing our world. In 2013, in honor of the WRJ Biennial “a list was put together of the 12 most important resolutions from WRJ's first 100 years. This list explores how our previous struggles have successfully triumphed to forge new paths in advocacy and social justice.” Take a look at these resolutions and see how we as an organization were able to make our voice heard. As Moses concludes his final song, his tenor changes; rather than chastising the Israelites “He said to them (all Israel): Take to heart all the words with which I have warned you this day. Enjoin them upon your children that they may observe faithfully all the terms of this teaching”. This was Moses’s last speech to the Israelites, he wanted his legacy to live on. God told Moses, “Ascend these heights…to Mount Nebo…and view the land of Canaan, which I am giving the Israelites as their holdings… You shall die on the mountain”. He knew of his impending death and wanted his teachings to be his legacy. We at WRJ also have a legacy we have built in the Reform Movement, only our legacy continues as we strive to make injustices known and to be an integral part of the movement of social action and advocacy. We will ascend new heights to have our voices heard. Debbie Weinstein is an active member of Shir Ami in Bucks County, PA. She has served on the Sisterhood Executive Board for 6 years. She was also an area Director for the Atlantic District for 2 years. She currently is on the WRJ Board.